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The Butt Shredders call this Bob’s Rub, and it’s what we use in competition. Bob Lyon, the granddaddy of barbecue in the Pacific Northwest, shared this at the barbecue workshop that first introduced me to the joys of real barbecue and prompted me to become a barbecue competitor. It follows a rule of thumb that’s worth remembering: “a third, a third, a third.” Translation: one-third sugar, one-third seasoned salts, and one-third dry herbs and spices.
Ingredients
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
1⁄3 cup (75 mL) chili powder (use a commercial blend, or if you want an edge, try a combination of real ground chilies like ancho, poblano, New Mexico or guajillo)
1/3 cup (75 mL) ground black pepper
1/3 cup (75 mL) paprika
1/4 cup (50 mL) celery salt
1/4 cup (50 mL) garlic salt
1/4 cup (50 mL) onion salt
1/4 cup (50 mL) seasoning salt (I like Lawry’s)
Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together well.
2. Add as much heat as you want to this basic rub by using cayenne, hot paprika, or chipotle chili powder. Then add 2 or 3 signature ground spices to suit whatever you’re cooking or your personal taste, like thyme, oregano, cumin, sage, ginger, etc. Add only 1 to 3 tsp (5–15 mL) of each signature seasoning so they don’t overpower the rub.
Makes about 3 cups (750 mL)
Recipe excerpted from Barbecue Secrets Deluxe by Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk. Published by Whitecap. Copyright 2009 by Ron Shewchuk. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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