Have you switched from your homemade rub to a commercial rub?

[Paul Worth]

I use a homegrown rub for ribs and Strawberry's Shake-On Seasoning for most everything else (http://www.strawsbbq.com/products/seasoning.html). I have use Bad Byron's Butt Rub (https://shop.buttrub.com) on occasions when I ran out of Strawberry's. They are both good products and I can't get close to their prices by making the mix myself.

 

[Jaskew82]

I started off with home made stuff but lately I have been trying out the commercial stuff. The reality is, there are a lot of great rubs out there made by better pitmaster's than I am. Recently I have had my first encounter with Plowboy's Yardbird and the stuff is simply kick ass.

 

[captndan]

Commercial rubs are made to please all people from all areas of the country. You can't do that. The rubs used in competition are for the judges taste not necessarily for the cooks. Get a couple recipes and a commercial rub or two and modify them for your own taste. You can't please all the people all the time. For the amount of Q that I make commercial rubs would not be cost effective. KISS Too many spices cover up the taste of too many spices.

 

[grillzilla10]

I enjoy making my own rub and sauces. The grocery store rubs are too salty. I finally started to smoke my own paprika to help in the layering of flavors.

 

[cameraman]

Commercial rubs are made to please all people from all areas of the country. You can't do that. The rubs used in competition are for the judges taste not necessarily for the cooks. Get a couple recipes and a commercial rub or two and modify them for your own taste. You can't please all the people all the time. For the amount of Q that I make commercial rubs would not be cost effective. KISS Too many spices cover up the taste of too many spices.

Not sure I buy that. Better rubs are designed to be distinctive and carve out a niche based on their unique qualities impo.

 

[AUradar]

i used to use my own rub, basically pepper/salt/onion/garlic and sometimes brown sugar. Then I found a local guy who makes rub, basically the same thing. I can buy a huge canister of it for cheap and have started using it on everything. Its in a big enough cann that I can use it liberally on lots of stuff before having to buy more. And again, its pretty cheap.

I feel somewhat cheating, but oh well.

 

[Dan - 3eyzbbq]

Your thoughts?

I used to mix my own rub and for 20+ contests a year it got to be a pain. I now use the same rub recipe but mixed by my co-packer. I also sell that rub.

All rubs being the same? Come on, you don't believe that. There are sweet rubs, hot rubs, garlic pepper rubs, etc out there. Yes, you could get very close or even better on your own. And if you enjoy that, go for it.

Even executive chefs open up a can of soup every once in awhile though. Its convenient. Thats another reason some people use commercial rubs.

Finally, consistency. Thespices most people have ready access to aren't the freshest. Co-packers go through hundreds and/or thousands of punds of spices and moset are fresher.

So, thats my take.

 

[HawgNationBBQ]

I use to make my own but figured out quickly there are people and companies much more talented than me in making this stuff. I have found a few good rubs that match my turn-in categories, and so I buy their rub solely for competition. – and it works well for me.

 

[deguerre]

It depends on what I'm cooking. If it's beef ribs or a prime rib or lamb or fish I'll make my own rub and/or paste and keep them fairly simple. Now I have to admit I've never tried making my own rub for spares or pork shoulder as there are too many good commercial rubs available already. One day I'll get to experimenting but until then I'll keep buying from Simply Marvelous, The Rub Co., BigButz when his are available, Plowboys and others. They're all Brethren made products too.

 

[che22879]

I dont have time to experiment making my own rubs, wish I did but the reality is just cant. I started using Grill Mates rubs from the beginning and then tried Famous Dave's. They were good but after ordering the sample pack from Oakridge BBQ I was hooked!

 

[stephan]

I have to say I have never made my own rub. I like to try different rubs and there are some very good rubs out there. I really enjoy the smoking and grilling part of the BBQ experience and with so many good products out there It gives me the opportunity to try different flavors and styles.

 

[sandiegobbq]

Even executive chefs open up a can of soup every once in awhile though. Its convenient. Thats another reason some people use commercial rubs.

Well I don't know any good executive cooks that will open up a can of soup.

I know I will Never do that ever.

I may have to give some of these commercial rubs a try and judge
for myself.

But so far the rubs I have made and gave out to people has the feedback coming back in my favor and not the commercial stuff.

 

[landarc]

I use commercial rubs for variety, and because products like 3-Eyz, Simply Marvelous (my house rub) and Dizzy Pig are hard for me to recreate and easy for me to buy. I really like their flavor profiles and have no interest in trying to reverse engineer them. I do make my own rubs, and due to the ingredients I have avaiable to me, they are very unique. But, they are not cheap to produce, not simple to make and take some time. I do make them from time to time, but, it is sometimes just easier to grab some Simply Marvelous.

The other point is that I do not cook enough to buy the spices in amounts that would make it economical to produce on a regular basis. I don't for minute lump rubs like Plowboys, Simply Marvelous or 3-Eyz in with rubs from mass manufacturers. There is a signigicant difference in how they are controlling their product and taste profiles.

 

[Kenny Rogers]

I've been using Rub With Love by Tom Douglass for quite a while now. I LOVE the results I get from it. I have made a few rubs myself over the years, but still haven't found any that I like quite as much as I like that one.

Sauces are a WHOLE different ballgame. I have yet to try ANY commercial sauces I liked anywhere near as much as I like my own, or most any other homemade sauce... I don't know what they put in that shelf bought stuff, but it is the definition of the death of flavor.

You should make this a poll... it's a VERY good question!

 

[Funky D]

I just converted back to homemade from "professional" rubs.

Mostly, it was expense for me. Trying some of the most popular rubs I heard about here (thanks Brethren!), I finally decided that although most of the rubs were really great, it wasn't something that I couldn't do myself. A few of the rubs I tasted, and without a doubt, knew I could do better.

The majority of rubs are salt/sugar, with everyone's standby spices added. That's not expensive stuff, which opens up your wallet to more exotic flavors, like chipotle powder, fancy sugars, powdered habeneros, etc, etc.

Commercial rubs aren't all bad of course. There's something to be said for consistency, and who doesn't love saving time? Still, the past year has taught me it's not the road I wanna travel.

D

 

[HB-BBQ]

The other point is that I do not cook enough to buy the spices in amounts that would make it economical to produce on a regular basis. I don't for minute lump rubs like Plowboys, Simply Marvelous or 3-Eyz in with rubs from mass manufacturers. There is a signigicant difference in how they are controlling their product and taste profiles.

Thank you this is exactly my view and the reason I no longer use my own rub. I get a consistant quality product every time I use one of the above products plus I get to support my Brethren family in the process :wink:

 

[AMoore]

I have seen and tried commercial brands and I seem to always go back to mine because they are either the same or mine seems better to me. No fillers or preservatives. Just plain goodness.

BoogieSnap is right "the best commercial rubs and sauces are made by people just like you".

 

[smokeyokie]

ONE MORE OPINION IN THE RING!!! I have been making my own rubs a long time. When I joined this forum I resisted using commercial rubs, then I started thinking??? all of the spices, herbs, sugars etc.. are all prepared by someone other than myself. Then I took an inventory of how much I have invested in all of that,:shock::shock::shock: WOW!!! I was shocked!!!! So as I cruised this forum I realized that I was seeing alot of Que that looked kick A$$ and they were using commercial rubs, so I caved and bought some Oakridge rubs(Awesome!!) Simply Marvelous(Awesome!!) and now have some Plowboys on the way. I will mix and match add stuff and tinker with all of them, because that is a character flaw I have:becky:, but So far I have not been disappointed and have found some flavors that I would have never tried together... So to each his own and that is my story and I am stickin to it!!! Smoke on Brothers!!!:thumb::thumb:

 

[sohappe]

I like making my own mixtures. Every now and then I throw on some commercial rub, depends on what's going on.

 

[Moose]

I used to be quite a snob about my own rubs, which are excellent. But, having tried some of the Brethren's rubs, (Simply Marvelous and Rub Company), I've enjoyed them as much or sometimes even more than my own. It would be very difficult for me to duplicate the favor profile of something like any of the Simply Marvelous rubs I've tried.

I simply wouldn't include boutique rubs like these in the same breath as the word "commercial". What you can get at the grocery store is a far cry from excellent products like these.