Commercial BBQ rubs: mix 'em all together?

Mosca

As part of the pre-holiday cleanup, I was going through the spice cabinet. And I had perhaps half a dozen partial bottles of commercial rubs. I've never had one I didn't like; every choice I ever made with a rub, the ribs/butt/brisket/chicken came out delicious. 

Looking at the ingredients list, they are somewhat the same, so what the heck, I took the largest bottle (John Henry's BBQ Rub) and mixed them all together. Not much else to say, it looks, smells, and tastes (touch finger to tongue) like BBQ rub. i haven't used it yet, but really, how different could it be?

I can't be the only person who's ever done this. Anyone else?

Fred19Flintstone

I've mixed them if they season the same meats i.e. pork, beef.  It works for me.  I do the same with BBQ sauce.  I have a colleague I see at a meeting every month.  He thinks he makes a great BBQ sauce.  I think it's too sweet and my family thinks it's too spicy.  Since this guy becomes a PITA if I don't buy a jar every once in a while, I do that.  I typically mix it with SBR and it works out.  

Mosca

Oh definitely, poultry seasoning doesn't mix with regular BBQ rub.

Yes, I confess I've done it with sauces as well. I've mixed home made sauce with SBR or other commercial sauces, either to alter the flavor or if I'm running low and need more sauce! 

Richard Fl

Over the years I have acquired lots of rubs that were too salty for my tastes as a rub so have mixed them all together with some Zatarain Cajun seasoning that was on sale in large containers and now have a great seasoning salt that is good wherever I need salt, pasta water, Margaritas, etc.

 I have also done the same with various BBQ sauces that once opened were not eggactly what I was looking for, some too sweet, some tooo hot (usually chipotle based).  Mix them with Hunts when on sale add some vinegar based sauce from the Carolinas mix all up and simmer for an hour or so.  Store in frig.  Saves me a trip to the recycle bin in the garage.


Have also mixed different green herbs that were a little old or just had too much of.  Us it when doing chicken stock, or as a substitute for Italian Good Seasoning dressing.  Works real well that the age of the herbs  really does not matter that much.

Thinking of doing a 16" seafood paella for Christmas Day or a crown roast of pork, as we are turkeyed and hammed out at the moment. Stone crab and Florida lobsters are in season.

Foghorn

I've got 5 racks of ribs on as we speak that were rubbed with a mixture of Dizzy Dust and Corky's (Memphis restaurant) rub.  I do it all the time. 

northGAcock

My wife the artist, encourages coloring outside the lines.......always!

Mosca

Most commercial spice mixes are good, and middle of the road in seasoning because they have to appeal to a wide range of palates. Some will have more cumin, some will have more paprika, some will have more garlic, or mustard powder, but they'll all be "inoffensive" in the good sense of the word. The only thing I didn't do was mix those without salt. The Dean & Deluca rub is distinctive, and uses no salt; and the Tasty Licks BBQ rub has no salt (the old recipe has salt). All the others, I mixed them together, and as I use them up I'll apply them the night before.

Thatgrimguy

I have no interest in fully making my own rubs. But I sure love making the good ones into great ones. I did my first mixing same way you did. Had a lot of mediocre stuff and a ton of bad byrons. I just mixed everything that was similar together. It's way better as a combo than they were alone.

Phatchris

Well I just mixed;
Plowboys Yardbird
Its my Rub
Dizzy Dust
Bone Suckin
Swamp Venom
Raging River
3Beer
Sublime Swine
Cayman BBQ
Lynchburg cinnamon chipolte

gonna do a slab of St.Louis tomorrow, I'll keep with the mixing and sauce with a trio of Blues Hog.

dldawes1

Guilty here, as well !!