Go-To Rubs

While in Cancun for my company's Presidents Club trip, it was requested that I do a rub post. I say requested, but it was more of a demand if anything. I was asked for a list of some of my favorite rubs, so I told him that I would put one together and email it to him, to which is responded, "No, you will put together a list and put it on your blog for all of your other followers like myself."

If you've been wanting a list of my favorite rubs in one place, you can thank Eric Rosburg for what's about to happen.

Although this looks like a lot, this is only around half of my stash.

These rubs are my "Great on stuff" rubs. Whether it be fries, asparagus, potatoes, or any other side, these rubs are great on them.

I'm not sure who the genius was to market their rubs this way, but someone has a 3 piece box set of rubs with nearly every College/University you could think of. The Gamecock Cajun Rub is usually used to spice up another rub more than used by itself.

I didn't realize it when I took the picture, but I guess I should have the 2 Big Poppa Smokers rubs beside each other. We use the Seasoned Garlic Salt with Black Pepper more as an enhancer like the Gamecock Cajun rub, but the Bacon Jalapeno is gold all on it's on. Sprinkle some on your baked potato and you can thank me later.

Although, it's not made with any beer - a real head scratcher - the 3 Beer Rub is delicious on fries.

Next lets check out my favorite steak rubs.

Big Poppa Smokers returns with their steak rub, conveniently named, steak rub. It's not my #1 steak rub, but it's not fair behind.

The Gamecock rub set also comes with a Steak & Rib Rub, which is kind of weird when you think about it. I don't tend to use the same rub for beef as I do pork. Maybe they mean beef ribs, I don't know. Either way, it's still really good.

My favorite steak rub is the Santa Maria by The Rub Co.. I mean, we bought 5lbs of this stuff and gave away samples of it at our wedding for crying out loud.

I've only done 2 briskets, but the last one that I did - that was absolutely dead on - I used a combination of these 2 rubs from Oakridge BBQ.

If you like spicey, then do yourself a favor and buy a pack of the Habanero Death Dust. I mostly use this with other rubs. It's absolutely delicious by itself, but if you slip up and get too heavy handed with it, it will light your tail on fire. It's also really good on chicken.

Then, the must, you have to go with their Black Ops Brisket Rub. Dawn actually bought it because it shared its name with the current Call of Duty game that was out. All I know is, I'm glad she pulled the trigger and bought it for me (see what I did there?).

You can't have a BBQ rub list without ... BBQ rubs, so here's my go-to rubs when I'm wanting to give something that good BBQ flavor.

First up is the Pecan Rub and the Sweet and Spicy Rub by Simply Marvelous BBQ. I tend to use these for chicken breasts, pork chops, pork tenderloins, or if I'm trying to change it up on ribs.

Southern Soul BBQ is one of the most famous BBQ joints in the South, sitting in an old gas station on St. Simons Island in Georgia. One of their specialties is their ribs, so I like to use their Sweet and Savory Rub and make some home-made Southern Soul ribs on occasion.

Finishing out the Collegiate rub set is the Sweet BBQ Rub. None of the rubs in the set are going to knock your socks off, but they're all really good rubs, and clearly great for tailgates/gatherings for games. They're not just for show, that's for sure.

Big Poppa Smokers Money rub is just that, MONEY. This gets used more as my #2 rub than anything else, right now. There isn't anything pork that I haven't had this on. It's amazing.

But nothing compares to my #1 favorite rub in the world. I've gone through 10+lbs of this stuff in the past 2 years, and need to check on my stock, since I have 2 large cooks coming up this year. If I'm making pulled pork for others and they're expecting my best, it's going to be done with Plowboy's Yardbird Rub.

Moral of the story, if you want a cabinet like mine, with the rubs that I use all the time, go on a shopping spree at Plowboys, Big Poppa Smokers, The Rub Co, and Simply Marvelous.