# Is there a "standard rub" for Boston Butt?



## bbqandfootball

HEB has butts on sale for $1.00/lb., so I grabbed a couple to smoke tomorrow.

My mainstays are paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Occasionally I throw in whatever else I have... onion powder, chili powder, dry mustard, ect...

I believe paprika and Brown sugar to be the big 2, with the others playing a complimentary role. If you guys were making a rub with only the above, what would be the ratios?


----------



## scpatterson

I generally use just what you listed and to be honest if I was to throw something out it would be the brown sugar. I use very little sugar in any rub that I use. My standard is salt,pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Tonys season salt.....Search the rub section and you will find a bunch of recipes for butts...Good luck and dont forget the queu view


----------



## smokester

That would be the one you like the best. It sounds like you have a good grasp on the basic. Now just adjust to your likeing. There are some great suggestions in the rub section. Its a personal thing ya' know. 
Have fun with it.  Good Luck!


----------



## bbqandfootball

I searched it already, and found 1 1/2 rub recipes.

What ratios do you use? No chili powder?


----------



## olewarthog

Here's the one I use for just about everything:

      1/4 cup paprika
   2 Tbs black pepper
     1 Tbs lemon pepper
   1 Tbs ground cumin
   1 Tbs garlic powder
     1 Tbs onion powder
   1 tsp cayenne,  chipotle, or chili powder
   1/2 tsp ground sage


I don't add any salt to the rub because I use a mustard slather a lot & the slather will will leave saltiness especially with ribs.  If I don't slather, then I sprinkle the meat with salt before I add the rub.  I don't like sweet rubs, so this doesn't have sugar. If you like sweet, then add brown sugar to suit your taste.  



I don't recall where I got this recipe from originally, but it also included cinnamon. I don't care much for cinnamon, so I left it out along with the salt. The lemon pepper was not in the original recipe, but I added because I like that flavor.  It's all about starting with a good basic recipe & tweaking it to suit your own taste.


----------



## fire it up

If using those ingredients I think I would do
3-4T paprika
1 1/2T brown sugar
1 1/2t garlic powder
3/4T salt (or less)
1T black pepper
1t onion powder
3/4-1T chili powder
1/2T dry ground mustard

1/2t cumin if you have it

Not sure how good it would be but I think those are amounts I would try.


----------



## mballi3011

I use just about all the same ingredients as everyone here too.
Paprika
Brown sugar
Garlic powder
Zatiran cajun seasonings
salt 
Ground pepper
Onion powder
Jamacian Jerk seasonings (the real stuff)
Dried mustard
Cumin
Sage
Cayenne
A little of each I dont measure I just eye ball it and go for it. Thats what works in our house and the only complaint sometime is from my son in law that it too hot but he has to deal with it here nobody else whines so. I do know that Jeff's rub here is really good and is well worth the money.


----------



## rivet

Here's another one for you. It's good~

*Yellow Mustard . Rub it on the butt. Let it dry slightly. Then rub on the following mixture :
*
*
2 TBSP Seasoned Salt*
*2 TBSP Coarse ground black pepper
1 TBSP Paprika
1 TBSP Red pepepr flakes
1 TBSP Dried oregano flakes
1 Cup Dark brown sugar
*


----------



## iadubber

I pretty much change my rub every time. I use a base of kosher salt, sugar in the raw, black pepper, and paprika. I tweak from there to adding granulated garlic, cayenne, chili powder, chipotle etc. I don't think i have used the same rub twice. But I only smoke once a month if that anymore.


----------



## raceyb

I got tired of mixing rubs. I no longer do after I discovered Magic Barbecue Mix on the spice aisle. It is just as awesome as anything I can mix up, except it has no herbs... If I do poultry, I just add some to the mix and go.

I've seen enough rub recipes to notice that most are the same. The only one that stands out is Jeff's rub recipe.


----------



## blue

I use the same as you have with some cayenne for heat.  I also slather the yellow must like mentioned before.  Keep expirementing and you will come up with something you can call your own that you can share with the board.

I am also watching my carbs so I started using Splenda Brown Sugar Blend in my rubs and I cannot taste the difference.


----------



## richoso1

Your ratios are right on the $, Although for health reasons I cut the brown sugar to 1 1/2 TBSP packed brown sugar. Yes, I still use mustard.


----------



## shooterrick

I use to make rubs for all types of meat.  Sheesh I had 4 rubs going!  When I developed my KC Rib rub I noticed it was great on about everything.  Then I started getting comments like best brisket I have eaten and I dont like brisket usually and same with PP and of course ribs.  Since then I know just use 2 rubs.  The one below for everything but poultry and everyone knows about my Snake Bitten Chicken Rub.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=82387


----------



## zapper

I am embarassed to say that I have not made a "Home Made" butt rub for quite some time. 

Everything above is about as "Standard" as it gets and what I used to do in one variation or another. 

I now mostly just use Bad Bryons Butt Rub because it is available and fairly cheap in a large container right above the butts in the local cooler. Sometimes I doctor it up and sometimes not. 

I used to make large batches of my own and have some on hand for the next time or make just enough for this time using various formulas and such but who has time any more? Actually I am going thru a phase where the rub is not all that important and the pure smoke flavor is all that I need (and a little salt, garlic, pepper and what have you.........)
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






Just about any store bought rub should be alright as long as it is not too much of any one thing. I know a fella that just goes with straight "Old Bay" and things turn out just fine. We are after all talking about pork butts and what could go wrong


I am thinking that some day I am gonna make a rub and then grind it into a super fine powder, mix that powder with vingar and or other liquid to make it a paste and then use it as the slather like the mustard. What do ya think?


----------

