A diner cook in Scranton made me rethink my entire rib rub

I've been smoking ribs for close to 15 years, always using a heavy brown sugar and paprika rub that I thought was the gold standard. Last March I stopped at a small diner outside Scranton and got to talking with the cook about his Friday BBQ special. He told me my rub was overcomplicating the meat and that all I needed was salt, black pepper, and a touch of garlic powder. I laughed it off at first, but then he let me taste his dry-rubbed brisket from the back cooler. That single bite changed my whole approach, and now I strip my pork ribs down to just three seasonings before they hit the smoker. The bark comes out cleaner and the pork taste actually comes through now. Has anyone else had a pro strip away their layers of spice and get better results?

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sagew5023d ago

Man, heard that salt and pepper thing on a podcast once. Never tried it.

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