New WSM - Looking for rub suggestions


 
P

Peter D.

New member
Hi all,

The LBTOJ (Little Brown Truck of Joy) just dropped my WSM off this afternoon, two days after ordering it on Amazon.com - including free shipping. Excellent service.

I'm new to BBQing, and the two attempts I did at smoking baby backs last year on my gasser were learning experiences, as they say. I've been following these discussions for the past couple of weeks so I have a fair idea of how the WSM should work, and I'll post after my first batch of baby backs come out hopefully this weekend if the weather cooperates.

I have two questions. One is about rubs (I'll post the second question as a separate topic). What I'm looking for in a dry-rub is something that will give a nice bark, but no bite. I don't like spicy foods at all (not even "mild" Buffalo wings). I also have a problem with foods that are heavily seasoned with garlic and onion. Is there anything I can do to either pork or beef ribs to really bring out the flavour of the meat itself, and maybe add to it subtly? Sweet is fine, herbs are cool but heavy spice isn't.

For two racks of Baby backs (just my better half and I), and for a new smoker, how much time should I typically plan for? Also, what quantity of charcoal should I start with? I will have some hickory chips for this smoke (apple and cherry wood chunks will come in the next couple of weeks - hard to find these sold at retail in northern NJ, near NYC) and will try the foil pouch method.

Thanks in advance, and thanks, too, for this wonderful site!
 
IF you don't want to make your own. Go to your local market they will have rubs on the shelf. Such as Grill mates by McCormick which I use alot for my non spicey crowd. I have used it on ribs and butts.
 
Peter
There would be no end of commercial rubs available some spicey some not. It depends on the flavour you want.
Typically good bark taste is from the sugars in the rub. Salt enhances the meat flavour and, through osmosis, helps to move the flavours into the meat, although I tend to add salt just before cooking.

The internet is a great resource for rub information, so is Steve Raichlen's book Sauces, Rubs and Marinades.

You could make your own by deciding on the tastes that you want and then blending the spices to make it.

Regards
 
Hey, I know the feeling about finding non-spicy rubs. My wife and kids don't like spice at all, I even have to watch how much pepper I use. Anyways I've only done 3 smokes total, and only one rib smoke, but I really liked the BRITU rub (course I left out the MSG I'm big enough as is).

Also K Kruger posted one up here that I plan on trying next time I do ribs. I'll omit the cayanne (or maybe reduce it
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a tad). Those should get you going I think.
 
Pete, I just did my first cook on the WSM this past weekend and was looking for a good rub. Look in the forum "First cook....Inlaws"(i dont know how to link righ to it). Kevin K came up with an awesome rub that i used and everyone loved it and it was not spicy at all. I cant help you with the cook time since i did spares in a quicker cook. The one thing i can say is dont put on too much hickory. I only put on two chunks but wanted to put on more to "really get the smoke flavor" but reading these forums made me relax and i am glad i did. It had just the right amount of smoke with the rub. Good luck with
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by KevinJ:
Pete, I just did my first cook on the WSM this past weekend and was looking for a good rub. Look in the forum "First cook....Inlaws"(i dont know how to link righ to it). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Kevin J. All you need to do is got to the first post in that thread and move your mouse up to the address line in your browser. Left click on the addy which turns it blue, the right click then coppy. You would then come to this thread and click on reply. Type what you want and when you get to where you want to insert the link then left click on the URL tab that's up top in the post box. Then you have 2 lines in that box. You'll right click then paste. Go to the second linne and type in what you want it to say. Link to Kevin J In Laws thread.
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HTH
 
You can even link to any specific forum post by right-clicking on the little notepad icon at the top left of the post and choosing Copy. Then, as stated above, in the post you create, at the appropriate spot, click on URL, right-click and Paste the link into the URL box, and then type some relevant text into the Title box so you have something more concise than a really long link. Voila!
 
Scroll down the main page and look under the post with rubs and marinades. You'll find a ton of great ideas. You can always find one and add your own touch.
 
Thanks all for the replies, but please read the original post - I'm looking for something that's savory and flavorful, not spicy, and without heavy influences of garlic and onion. Every linked recipe I've seen is using cayenne, chilies or other hot spices, and more than a dash or two of garlic/onion.

I am extremely allergic to garlic, I have a bad reaction to onions and *any* heat whatsoever will result in a trip to the ER. With those limits in mind, if anybody knows a tasty rub that I could use, I'd be very grateful. I generally don't use anything other than kosher salt, and a smidgeon of black pepper whenever I cook inside or grill steaks, etc. I'd like my ribs to have a bit of flavor to them to accentuate the pork.

Thanks again to one and all!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Peter D.:
Thanks all for the replies, but please read the original post - I'm looking for something that's savory and flavorful, not spicy, and without heavy influences of garlic and onion. Every linked recipe I've seen is using cayenne, chilies or other hot spices, and more than a dash or two of garlic/onion.

I am extremely allergic to garlic, I have a bad reaction to onions and *any* heat whatsoever will result in a trip to the ER. With those limits in mind, if anybody knows a tasty rub that I could use, I'd be very grateful. I generally don't use anything other than kosher salt, and a smidgeon of black pepper whenever I cook inside or grill steaks, etc. I'd like my ribs to have a bit of flavor to them to accentuate the pork.

Thanks again to one and all! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

In all honesty, salt and pepper work great as a rub by themselves. I don't have any recipes that don't contain garlic or onion. But for pork I'd start off with salt and pepper and add things like (cinnamon, five spice powder, oregano, dry mustard, cumin, citrus peel, etc) but not all of the comibnation of together. For beef salt and pepper and add things like (dry mustard, oregano, thyme, worcestershire powder, coffee grinds, cumin, rosemary, etc) but not all of the comibnation of together.
 
Peter--

How about:

6 T pure ground ancho powder (ancho has no heat) or sub sweet paprika

6 T light brown sugar or turbinado

6 T thyme

4 T rubbed sage

4 T marjoram

2 T ground coriander

1 t ground allspice

1 t ground cumin

1 t ginger powder

1 t cinnamon

.5 t ground black pepper

.25 t ground clove



I do not put salt in rubs which allows me to apply the rub lightly, moderately or heavily without affecting the salt level. I salt the meat first, separately. For ribs, what I do is imagine the meat already cooked and placed in front of me but unsalted. How much would I apply were this the case? That's what I sprinkle on, then flip and do so again (a bit lighter on the bone side). These sit while I make the rub or get the coals going for the Minion or whatever, about 7-10 min, then I apply the rub. The salt will draw moisture and allow the rub to stick. For butts I salt more heavily, wait till the surface is moist, apply the rub, then usually wait again for the surface to once again moisten--then I make another application of rub.
 
Oh, that sounds positively great. I'll give that one a whirl in the next couple of days once the better half picks up the parts of this that we don't already have at the market. I do tend to salt meat fairly heavily, though (Kosher salt pre-cooking and for special occasions, I use some fleur de sel just before serving (or in the case of good steaks, a little on the plate to use for "dipping" into the crystals before eating).
 
With your aversion to heavy spices, I would highly recommend just starting with salt and freshly ground black pepper. You wont get the flavor of the meat buried under a ton of exessive spices. For me, nothing beats ribs with these three ingredients, salt, pepper, smoke...

Then you can have whatever sauce you might like, on the side without overwhelming the dish.

Good luck.

Tom
 
Well, to each his own, certainly. But I see no mention of an 'aversion to heavy spices' in the OP. Moreover, if the flavor of the meat is 'buried' then the problem is with the cook--either he doesn't know how to formulate a rub or, likely, doesn't know how to apply one. A properly made rub properly applied will enhance the meat and the smoke by complementing and contrasting the hundreds of flavors created during cooking and smoking. Salt and pepper alone will not.

Different strokes...
 
Sure. I mean applied with an eye to the ingredients in the rub (potency of flavor(s) and their relative quantities); applied in a quantity suitable to the type of meat (pork? chicken? rib-eyes for the grill?); applied in a quantity appropriate for the thickness/mass of the item (heavy thick butts? thin backs?).
 
Here is one I use from Paul Kirks book championship BBQ.

1 tablespoon maple sugar
1 tablespoon garlic salt (since its not much you could probably leave it out)
2 teaspoons ground black Pepper
1 teaspoon ground Ginger

Might be able to replace the garlic with something else maybe cinnamon I bet that would be great mixed with the maple sugar.
 
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