It’s confession time. When I make pork ribs or pulled pork, I usually simply use a store-bought rub from the cupboard.
For any kind of pork, I really like Plowboys Yardbird Rub. But there’s no reason you can’t create your own pork rub and save money.
You should already have all of the components for this all-purpose pork rub in your cupboard. This is certainly a dish where you can tweak the ingredients to suit your preferences.
The goal is to make a well-balanced rub with a combination of sweet and savory spices.
Contents
- About the pork rub
- Using the rub
- FAQs
- How long should rub be on pork before cooking?
- Should pork have a dry or wet rub?
- What’s the difference between a BBQ seasoning in a BBQ rub?
- Do you salt or oil pork first?
- Do you oil meat before dry rub?
- Do you oil pork before seasoning?
- Does a dry rub need sugar and salt?
- What is the best liquid to keep pulled pork moist?
- Do you use brown sugar or white sugar for BBQ rub?
About the pork rub
It doesn’t get much simpler than this dry rub. Simply measure out each item and place it in a mixing dish before combining and applying.
Scroll down to view the entire list of ingredients, or keep reading for some more advice on how to use this rub.
Even if you like your ribs moist and saucy, this dry rub is a great starting point.
Here are a few other tips:
- Although geared at pork, this is a terrific all-purpose barbecue rub that would also work well on chicken or turkey. Just don’t put it on steak since the sweetness will overpower it.
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt per pound of meat (excluding bone) is a good starting point. However, you are not required to do so.You may leave the salt out of the rub and salt the meat beforehand, allowing it to permeate overnight. 1
- In this video, I added smoked paprika to provide a bit more smoky taste. There are many different types of paprika available, but for the finest taste, choose either smoked or sweet.
- 4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, although I believe it’s much better with a little heat.If you don’t like spice, you could use only one.
Using the rub
The first thing I do before applying a rub is to apply a little coating of flavor. I just season the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
The next step is to moisten it slightly so that the dry rub can bond. I prefer to use yellow mustard on pork ribs or pulled pork.
Simply spray some on and distribute it around with your hands. It’s mainly for binding than taste, although I believe the sugar in the mustard aids in the creation of the bark. A few drops of water will enough.
My dog was eager to keep an eye on me throughout this process.
When you’re ready to use the rub, use a rub shaker or just sprinkle it on with your hands. I prefer to use it generously, but not to the point where you can’t see the meat.
Because sugar may get lumpy, you may need to crush it by hand.
This rub may be stored in an airtight container after usage for a few months.
If you want more ideas, check out our guide on fantastic pig rubs.
