Making rub vs store bought

[joe black]

Susie, I'm not much into science and don't know too much, anyway. I try to stay away from MSG because IMHO, I think it adds a more salty flavor. I don't like an excess of salt anyway and I would just rather put what I know to be salt and can see how much is going in. I don't want to guess what percentage of the MSG is actually salt.
Just my $0.02.

 

[tropics]

Susie I make my own and I do not add it,reason for not adding it. Some of my guest have a reaction to it,I try to keep everyone one happy.If I buy a rub I do not check the lable and use it when I make just home cooked for my wife and I.If it does not bother you use it. IMHO

 

[talan64]

Whether or not MSG is bad for you, is really irrelevant.  It is a flavor enhancer which is something i think we can all agree on.  There are some "side effect" that "could" happen if you consume it.

However, if you have a rub, that can stand alone without MSG, why would you add it?  All the rubs I use stand up for themselves.

I am one of those people who try not to eat MSG, but I also try not to eat too much salt, fat, alcohol...etc. 

Too much of anything it bad for you, including oxygen and water (the 2 elements that define life as we know it)

Here is a good article about MSG, and no it is not an article "slamming" it. It mentions that some people have negative reactions, but that is the only "bad" comment in the article.

 

[kenafein]

Buying rub seems like paying a huge markup on salt to me.  I have never used a store bought rub, but some people appreciate the blends and the convenience.  I also have never made a bad rub, it seems almost fool proof to me, and I'm just the fool to prove it.    

 

[susieqz]

msg IS salt. if you add it, you cut or eliminate regular salt.

 

[bluewhisper]

the concoction of ingredients you pulled off the top of your head

Yah that's what I like. I'm fortunate to have a modest herb garden just steps away from the kitchen so I can quickly get sage or rosemary or garlic chives, etc. I dried a lot of those and now I have them either straight or mixed with salt. I can try any combination, for any kind of meat/fire with whatever amount of salt I want. It doesn't have to be the same every time.

But some of you here are working on a professional scale where you're feeding hundreds of people, either for particular events or as a business. That's when you need a recipe that's consistent from batch to batch.

 

[gary s]

There are some good rubs out there especially now-days I tried a few that I liked but I've been making my own rub and sauce for many many years

Gary

 

[bluewhisper]

And a rub can serve other purposes like seasoning a batch of rice, or a chip&dip.

 

[kenafein]

you know, i'm tired of msg getting a bad rap. i add it to my rubs.
there were some bad studies many years ago that claimed it was bad, even tho you get it in veggies, but those studies have been over turned. try to find any good science that says it's worse than salt.
i have looked. there isn't any.

MSG is delicious, and glutamic acid is an amino acid that your body produces. It provides an umami taste. People are terrified of it, and some claim that it makes them sleepy. It is an easy way to add a lot of flavor, though. Still, my wife would give me the look if she caught me using it. The damage is done.

 

[lemans]

I use Jeff's rub and sauce. It is fresh and lively. Why re event the wheel?

 

[hank2000]

I try to stay away from MSG as much as possible it triggers my wife's migraines but so do a lot of other things that's why We make our own rubs and things she is much happier when she fills good

 

[joe black]

Yeah....that's what I meant to say.

 

[shawbrook]

I like to make my own usually have everything on hand. 

 

[failheart]

I use salt on my pork and fish and that's it.......then smoke it. My whole chicken i rub it down with vegetable oil and season it with salt, granulated garlic, black pepper. My beef I rub it down with salt, granulated garlic, black pepper, chili powder, onion powder, parsley and oregano.

 

[failheart]

Here's My other dry rub for beef/chicken: 

1 tablespoon Salt

1 tablespoon Granulated Garlic

1 tablespoon Granulated Onion

 ½ cup brown Sugar

1 tablespoon black Pepper

1 teaspoon Cayenne

1 teaspoon Dry mustard

 

[smokin' burt]

 
Here's My other dry rub for beef/chicken: 

1 tablespoon Salt

1 tablespoon Granulated Garlic

1 tablespoon Granulated Onion

 ½ cup brown Sugar

1 tablespoon black Pepper

1 teaspoon Cayenne

1 teaspoon Dry mustard

That sounds like a good simple rub you have there FaiLheart. You didn't mention the type salt you use but I'll assume you're like most of us and don't use iodized salt. I usually use Kosher or sometimes Sea salt myself. Try your rub with Chipotle powder instead of Cayenne sometime... you might be pleasantly surprised!

SMB 

 

[sgtdrilllbit]

cool dry place.....6 months

 

[x0xsaywhutx0x]

 
That sounds like a good simple rub you have there FaiLheart. You didn't mention the type salt you use but I'll assume you're like most of us and don't use iodized salt. I usually use Kosher or sometimes Sea salt myself. Try your rub with Chipotle powder instead of Cayenne sometime... you might be pleasantly surprised!

SMB 

I like using chipotle powder over cayenne.  Whenever a recipe calls for cayenne, I usually use chipotle instead.

 

[daveomak]

bbq-rubz....  good points and well taken...    However, when one tends the fires all days over a wood smoker, the senses are severely dulled...  

Smell, taste and possibly common sense from beverages... 

We are not trying to please "Average Joe" wandering through  "Jim's Save the Planet" food emporium looking for a "rub"....   We, generally, are looking for a taste profile that fits our palate...  AND, after having experimented over months or years, trying to find that perfect combination of herbs and spices, we share with our "died in the wool comrades" who share this incredible hobby...

Soooo, I would state, with some reservation, you are  

  if you think the "refined" palate, that you describe, lives here....

  I find that when people who have made their own rubs to their own personal taste they taste pretty foul. Someone who smokes, drinks alot and consumes a large amount of red meat (usually BBQd) prefers a full on blast of salt multiplied with cayenne multiplied with garlic multiplied with onion powder with a dump of chipotle to boot. Over powering and a taste that lingers well into the next day.

Perhaps, after that comment, another venue would be more suitable to you, your circle of friends / clientele....   

 

[disco]

 
I disagree with the comments about commercial rubs just containing salt, that statement is a gross generalization. Firstly, properly distributed commercial rubs should contain a "Nutrition Facts" section on their label that lists the ingredients and more importantly the volume of sodium in the product. A smart consumer can therefore make an appropriate decision about which product they want to buy. Secondly, there are a number of salt free, msg free, gluten free & kosher products on the market so if you still want the fun and convenience of a commercial rub you can choose one of those products instead. Personally, I like the fun of the different names of the products and I find that when people who have made their own rubs to their own personal taste they taste pretty foul. Someone who smokes, drinks alot and consumes a large amount of red meat (usually BBQd) prefers a full on blast of salt multiplied with cayenne multiplied with garlic multiplied with onion powder with a dump of chipotle to boot. Over powering and a taste that lingers well into the next day. I agree with the comment that a commercial rub is something that has been refined and accepted by many and to that, I put more trust in the democracy of commerce than the back yard bbq dude and his six pack, marlboro creation.

I hear what you are saying but talk about a gross generalization. There are some incredibly talented people on this forum with a lot of experience cooking both smoking and non smoking. In my opinion, you are no more likely to get a bad home made rub than a bad store bought. I do use commercial rubs and homemade rubs. Each has their place and allows me to choose a rub that meats the needs of the dish I am making. Beef needs a different rub than pork. Piri Piri is a specialized spice. Oriental flavours are a great variation. Etc.

Just my opinion.

Disco