Looking for ribs with "bite"

[Matt Simmons]

I have been using the BRITU rub but each time adding a bit more brown sugar because I thought that was what I liked... Well, I this past time I think I finally realized it wasn't brown sugar I was missing, it was the kick, or bite to the rub. I get enough sweetness from the sauce and like it when the bark has a bit of spice to it to compliment the sauce.
Does anyone have a good tried and true recipe for the rub? Something with some kick you can taste, but not enough to where there is so much kick you have to slow down eating

 

[Tony C.]

i am right this minute eating some rib tips that i lightly sprinkled with john henry's apple chipotle rub. very good. just the right amount of heat. i glazed with no.5 and it is a good combo. would probably be even better with a sweeter sauce like BRITU type honey sauce.

 

[Shawn W]

get some dried chiles, grind them yourself and try subbing all of the paprika out for your frsh ground chile powder

on hand I have dried serranos, smoked jalaps and habs, anchos, NM reds and guajillos

I'd use mostly the milder ones and add a few hotter ones

not only will you get some nice heat but you will get a far better flavor

when I grind them I try to keep most of the seeds out but I don't mind if a few get in the grind

 

[j biesinger]

You'd be surprised by how much "bite" you can get from good black pepper. Buy some good fresh peppercorns from a place like penzey's and grind them yourself.

I got complimented on how my sauce has a nice heat (goldy locks...just right). The person was shocked when I said its black pepper. For my sauce, I use mostly ancho, which I consider more for flavor than heat, and a splash of hot sauce, but lots of pepper.

I agree on the sugar point. Typically, I use sugarless rubs, preferring to add it at the end with my sauce.

My favorite rib rub is my own riff on the rendezvous formula (its sugarless). I recommend using that as your starting point and modifying it to your tastes. Sorry I can't be more helpful, but my recipe is still under construction and probably will remain a secret until it stops winning me trophies (well trophy...one so far).

 

[Tom Chips]

I love the burn when its combined with the sweet. The tingle reminds you you're still alive.

 

[Matt Simmons]

Has anyone tried the sugarless Texas sparerib rub? Any bite to that one?

 

[Phil Hartcher]

Hi Matt
"Her Indoors" is on a sugarless kick at the moment and wanted something that was tasty without the overuse of chilli.
I did beef ribs last night. I coated them with Kiwi fruit pulp (Chinese gooseberries) for 2 hours and then wiped most of it off and applied a pepper rub made from:
White, Pink and Black Peppercorns,
Lemon Pepper,
Szechuan Pepper,
Galic Flakes,
Dried Rosemary, and
Salt.
I ground the mixture up in the Morar and Pestle and liberally coated the ribs with it. It was a great taste with plenty of bite and after-taste without the chilli heat.
The sweetness came from the smokey BBQ sauce I added at the plate for mine. "Her Indoors" had them without sauce and enjoyed them. I generally make my own rubs and marinades from scratch.

Regards

 

[Jon Merka]

Originally posted by j biesinger:
You'd be surprised by how much "bite" you can get from good black pepper. Buy some good fresh peppercorns from a place like penzey's and grind them yourself.

i second that. black pepper is all you really need. you can get food hot enough that will satisfy any bbq fanatic. i like simple so i tend to use just salt and pepper and an occasional rub from http://www.fiestaspices.com/

i grew up with those and enjoy em. since i moved to the People's Republic of Wisconsin i get my mom to ship em to me as buying off their website the shipping is nuts.

 

[Mike R. (Heyworth)]

I use Texas BBQ Rub Original, just the right amount of heat for me, and you can vary the heat with the amount of rub. By far my favorite rub. I use it on everything, steaks, pork, burgers, beef, aftershave...

 

[K Kruger]

i second that. black pepper is all you really need.

I don't.

I love pepper (I use white much more than black) but its flavor is very distinctive and unless one is shooting for a pepper-based flavor profile (I sometimes shoot for precisely that) a lot of pepper skews the finish irretrievably that direction. I find a combination of items for 'bite' or 'kick', pepper included, preferable because I can tweak the results much better, depending on whether I want a kick that lasts or fades, one that is upfront or background, and so forth.

 

[Matt A 3]

Originally posted by Matt Simmons:
Has anyone tried the sugarless Texas sparerib rub? Any bite to that one?

It is my favorite rub for ribs. I also use it on grilled pork chops. I also use a version with 1/2 the amount of cayenne because the recipe on the site is too spicy for my wife's preference.

 

[Jon Merka]

Originally posted by K Kruger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">i second that. black pepper is all you really need.

I don't.

I love pepper (I use white much more than black) but its flavor is very distinctive and unless one is shooting for a pepper-based flavor profile (I sometimes shoot for precisely that) a lot of pepper skews the finish irretrievably that direction. I find a combination of items for 'bite' or 'kick', pepper included, preferable because I can tweak the results much better, depending on whether I want a kick that lasts or fades, one that is upfront or background, and so forth. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

that pepper flavor is distinctive of what i grew up with in central texas bbq. its the flavour of lockhart texas bbq. but its a regional thing and i am very biased in that direction of bbq. but i know there are lots of different tastes and i am not one such that thinks my way is the only way to good food.

...well with the exception of french cooking, it sucks.

 

[Noe]

matt, after u apply the rub to the ribs sprinkle some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper just a little will do, put in the frige & get your smoker ready, put ribs on cold get a better smoke ring, like i said just a little will do

"Smoking deep in South Texas"
"Hookem Horns"

 

[LarryR]

Sounds like you use sauce, here's what I do for that extra kick when using sauce: SBR + Honey + Chipotle Powder, the Chipotle gives it that extra bite but not too much heat.