In various parts of the US (and the world) BBQ is a way of life, if not almost a religion. I may not take it quite that far, but I LOVE BBQ. Obviously, I love the flavors, the meat, etc. but I also really enjoy the regional variations. As any good BBQ aficionado knows, BBQ in the Carolinas is very different from Kansas City, which is very unlike Texas. Many states and regions have developed their own signature approaches to smoking and grilling, but a lof those differences relate to rubs and sauces.
I will not even attempt to pick the best style of BBQ, since I happily eat just about all of them. While enjoying BBQ at a restaurant is always wonderful, it lends itself to doing it yourself at home. Once you go down the path of making BBQ at home, it’s a slippery slope of buying smokers, grills, and all the various paraphernalia that goes along with it. Once you get to actually cooking, key decisions come into play around two vital ingredients – Sauce and Rub.
So, this is my attempt to make a list of some fantastic BBQ Sauces and Rubs you should consider the next time you get ready to fire up your smoker or grill. This just scratches the surface and you may find that none of these would make your top-10 list. But, that’s the beauty of BBQ.
BBQ Rubs
Alright, we are kicking it off chronologically with Rubs, since the seasoning comes before the sauce.
Salt Lick Dry Rub – Original
This is my go-to rub for brisket. It has a nice blend of some fairly basic spices (Salt, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, and Garlic Powder). The flavor is peppery, but not overpowering. This is a Texas-style rub, from the famous Salt Lick BBQ joint in Driftwood TX. You can order it directly from the Salt Lick website or find it on any number of online retailer sites. They also have a Garlic Dry Rub, where the garlic is dialed up.
Rub Some Butt – Carolina Seasoning
Personally, if I’m going to smoke some pork shoulder, my mind goes to Carolina-style BBQ. I am a sucker for Carolina pulled pork. So, you could do a lot worse than adding some Rub Some Butt – Carolina Seasoning to your next pork butt before it goes in the smoker. The rub is a mix of a number of spices, including salt, brown sugar, mustard flour, onion, garlic, and dehydrated apple cider vinegar. If those ingredients don’t scream Carolina BBQ, I don’t know what does.
Meat Church – Honey Hog BBQ
Since I seem to be including various types of BBQ, I thought we would move to a sweeter variety for the third entry. The venerable Meat Church BBQ brings us Honey Hog BBQ, delivering a sweeter flavor to pork, chicken, and vegetables. The ingredients include salt, honey powder, paprika, garlic, and celery, among others. The Meat Church delivers a wide variety of amazing rubs, so don’t hesitate to check out their entire lineup.
BBQ Sauces
Now we’re on to the sticky goodness that is BBQ sauce!
Stubb’s (various options)
OK, so Stubb’s has become a huge brand, available in many grocery store chains throughout the U.S. Despite the mass production, they continue to roll out some tasty BBQ sauces in a variety of flavor profiles. The Original is a nice tangy mix of tomato, vinegar, molasses, and various spices. It has a good Texas BBQ profile, without being too hot. You can definitely amp up the heat with their Spicy option or sweeten it up with something like their Dr. Pepper flavor. Experiment a bit and you will likely find at least one of their 10 flavors to your liking. They do have a few sweet versions, but these are all Texas BBQ-focused.
Lillie’s Carolina No. 40 BBQ Sauce
Once you have that pulled pork ready to eat, then there is no better sauce than a Carolina-style sauce. One of the main ingredients in a typical Carolina sauce is vinegar. This option from Lillie’s, is tomato-based, with a strong dose of vinegar, along with brown sugar, mustard, and a variety of spices. It has a fantastic tangy vinegar taste to round out the sweetness from the brown sugar.
Rufus Teague – Honey Sweet
Rounding out our BBQ sauce trio, we’re hitting the sweet side a bit harder. So many great regional BBQ styles (KC is one example) are more focused on a sweet, tomato-based sauce. This option from Rufus Teague hits the spot. A thick and rich mix of tomato, brown sugar, honey, and, molasses, is balanced with a little vinegar, soy sauce, onion, garlic, and other spices. It delivers a thicker, clingy sauce that just sticks to ribs like it was made to be there.
That’s it for our list of great BBQ rubs and sauces. What are your favorites?
