Getting ribbed for not making my own sauces and rubs!

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Chiles

Senior Cook
Joined
Dec 11, 2006
Messages
202
Location
Henrico, Virginia
Here's a general question and would love some honest feedback from the group.

I have tried many a good commercially available rubs and have even made my own. Same goes for the sauce. I have a loyal following of friends that are great about honest feedback on my practice cooks and I practice a LOT. At least twice a month on all four KCBS catagories.

I like Wolf, Dizzy Pig, Old Hickory's and some that I won't mention spice rubs and can say there are times when I would want to use one over the other. I have my favorites. My friends tell me that it's almost cheating using someone elses rub and i'm getting snubbed pretty hard for it.

Here is my defense in using a commercial rub:

1. I have enough going with my learning curve in proper cooking techniques, meat prep and presentation.
2. Spices are too subjective - just because I like something does not mean a group of 6 judges are going to. No six judges are alike either.
3. Buying spices in bulk and using them while they are fresh is a challenge. I buy the rubs when I'm going to use them and try not to stock pile them.
4. If I ever get really good, they may consider to sponser me.
5. A commercial rub (we hope) has been thru considerable R&D as well as a lot of quality control to make them consistant. To me, consistantcy is very important when you are trying to tweak your product in small increments.

Back to the question: How many of you use your own blend versus something you can order and especially for a competition.

-Chiles
 
many comp teams use commercial rubs and spices.

I really could care less what anyone thinks of what I do,
but if you want to get em to shut up, just pour the rubs
and sauces into mason jars and tell em you won't give them
the recipe. That ought to shut em up.
 
After listening to Rempe's brisket roundtable, you cant help but be ok with commercial rubs when teams 1,2 &3 nationally in brisket all use the same commercial rub in the same year.
 
I get orders from BBQ teams every season. I wish I knew as much about BBQ as I do blending spice but when you are the jack of all trades you are the master of none. That's why I do not even pretend to know as much as competition BBQ people but I can hold my own with the prep and sometimes get lucky on the cooker.
 
Well be forced to agree with Cappy. I was raised with the proposition that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Meaning if you are putting something on there that tastes good and gathers dust collectors I could care less where it come from. Guess its the difference between being results oriented vs being process oriented. For example used to chat with several NC refugees who got left behind when all the smart ones migrated to Texas. They don's seem to care how stuff tastes as long as a person follows the right agenda in preparing it. No wonder they wouldn't let em come to God's Country. Now Nick kindly tells us whut them top 3 teams are using. Thanks.

bigwheel
 
I use my own rub on pork (butts & ribs), but buy commercial for brisket and chicken. Back when I first started in comp cooking I was into making my own rubs, but it is so much more costly to buy one these days than it is to make it.

Yeah Nick, what are the top 3 teams in brisket using?
 
OK, let me preface this with the qualifier "I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT COMPETITION BBQ THAT I DIDNT HEAR ON THE SHOW"

that said, it seems like on the bbq roundtable smokin guns hot was used by all 3 roundtable participants...and they were winning a lot:

http://www.smokingunsbbq.com/products.cfm

I am eventually going to buy this and try it out.

They also all either used butcher injection or FAB-B.

I wrote a lot down during those round tables and listened to them multiple time because I am going to try and nail down a flavor profile used by the people who actually do know something so that those variable are out of the equation and I can work on the fire tending, moisture, temps, and texture part of this problem.
 
This thread could go on for ever. For me, it's what I feel like, or what you make from scratch. It is fun to make a rub and experiment with it. Just do your self a favor and get a note book to wright all the jazz you have mixed up. I had a few good ones, and failed to wright the ingredients and quantity down. :(

PIGS
 
Thanks Nick. I well keep an eye peeled for that stuff. Knew there was bound to be a good brisket rub out there in the big krewlish world just didn't know where to find it. For personal use I always thought Wild Willys from the Smoke and Spice Book tasted good but tried it a bunch in comp neva got a smell with it. Apparently bbq judges have different tastes buds than normal folks.

bigwheel
 
Chiles. GREAT topic. For people’s choice I use my sauce. It's AMAZING! however for consistency to get the exact same recipe every meat every comp, we use an off the shelf rub and sauce. (won’t say what it is) but our scores have greatly improved from this effort. I don't care what judges say, if my bbq aint tasten like the local restaurant crap my scores go down! The meat quality, texture, appearance, smoke and injection are all better but for the overall flavor we have been very successful with over the counter rubs and sauces that the general public seems to be familiar with. We do stray away from the liquid smoke garbage. At our first comp, Harry Soo (Slap Yo Daddy) told me,“ the key to winning is to make extra-ordinary, ordinary bbq”. The most frustrating thing I've had to learn for competition bbq is, I literally have turn in BBQ that I wouldn’t eat if it were free! You have to turn in what judges want not what you like.

Ok thanks for listening; I’ll get off my soap box now. I feel better. :LOL:
 
Tri Tip said:
Chiles. GREAT topic. For people’s choice I use my sauce. It's AMAZING! however for consistency to get the exact same recipe every meat every comp, we use an off the shelf rub and sauce. (won’t say what it is) but our scores have greatly improved from this effort. I don't care what judges say, if my bbq aint tasten like the local restaurant crap my scores go down! The meat quality, texture, appearance, smoke and injection are all better but for the overall flavor we have been very successful with over the counter rubs and sauces that the general public seems to be familiar with. We do stray away from the liquid smoke garbage. At our first comp, Harry Soo (Slap Yo Daddy) told me,“ the key to winning is to make extra-ordinary, ordinary bbq”. The most frustrating thing I've had to learn for competition bbq is, I literally have turn in BBQ that I wouldn’t eat if it were free! You have to turn in what judges want not what you like.

Ok thanks for listening; I’ll get off my soap box now. I feel better. :LOL:


Well said!
 
Captain Morgan said:
many comp teams use commercial rubs and spices.

I really could care less what anyone thinks of what I do,
but if you want to get em to shut up, just pour the rubs
and sauces into mason jars and tell em you won't give them
the recipe. That ought to shut em up.

I bought rubs a few times but wasn't that impressed - most had too much salt and/or sugar. All of my rubs are in mason jars and they are all marked Wolfe. Buying those recipes was one of the best things I ever did because I can make them myself and people love them. i can increase the heat by just adding pepper before the rub. BTW, I made some chicken thighs for my daughter in the oven (she was in a hurry) and the whole house smelled good.
I might be more particular if I was competing - but I'm just eating.
 
I've heard some of the "Big Boys" strain the "whatnot" out of Blues Hog sauce to kind of "covert" the operation.
Just what I heard...............
 
Hmmm now who woulda eva thunk of that. Whut is it they want rid of? Maybe they are injecting it along with the phosphates? Yeppers bet thats the ticket. They just trying to get rid of the chunks. That stuff sit in the ice box very long begins to taste just like my Grandma's Mince Meat pie filling. Think it has all the same seasonings. I may try making a pie out of it next time my old blood brother Bill Arnold decide to send out some free samples to his pals. .

bigwheel
 
use what works for you. I have used a combination of both my own rubs and sauces and commercial rubs and sauces at Competition. Does it feel better when you win using your own concoction? Heck yes! But, with that said, it is also the ability to know how to pair rubs with sauces and use the right amount and the method of cooking to get the best product.

I have tried for years to figure out the best rubs and sauces for chicken, but it eludes me. I have cooked what I like and what I think is good but aparently the judges see it differently.

Use what you feel comfortable with and what wins.
 
To get into the winning yard bird category you need some Head Country All Purpose. Stuff was made for chicken. Or you might try Mr. B.Knox Yummy Chicken flavor. Its mighty good too. We did not have any back in the the old comp days to test it out on the judges. Texasbbqrub.com original version is also very good on chicken. Also did not have that but hear of a lot of folks winning cooking contests with it.

bigwheel
 
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