Tried and Approved
This rub recipe is good for any meat, but especially formulated for slow smoked pork and chicken. The sugar will tend to caramelize and burn if used over too high of heat. Modify this base to taste. See some variations I have tried below.
- 1 cup – light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup – white sugar
- 6 tsp – no salt seasoning * (or Cavender’s No Salt)
- 6 tsp – paprika
- 4 tsp – onion powder
- 4 tsp – garlic powder
- 3 tsp – Cajun seasoning (optional)
- 1 tsp – salt
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Yields approx. 2 cups
Store in a sealed container. The brown sugar will likely clump no matter how you store it, but can be easily loosened before each use.
Sprinkle generously over desired meat to coat evenly all sides.
* I use the “no-salt seasoning” sold thru Big Lots/Odd Lots stores, but you can substitute Cavender’s No Salt Seasoning here. Cavender’s is quite tasty on ANYTHING.
Variations:
If you like it spicy, try adding 3 tsp of Cajun seasoning to the mix.
Another nice spicy addition could be 2 tsp extra spicy Mrs. Dash.
I often substitute the white sugar with same amount of brown sugar for a total of 1 ¾ cups brown sugar.
This mix works well in making baked beans also. Just add to taste to a can of regular pork and beans with a squirt or two of ketchup.
One tip to consider when using on meat for slow smoking is to coat your meat with a layer of yellow mustard before applying rub. This will help hold the dry rub in place. The yellow mustard adds no noticeable flavor to the finished product.
Also, some people like to add the dry rub to the meat a day in advance to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat slightly while it is resting in the refrigerator.