Hot take: Should backyard BBQ pitmasters use competition rubs or keep it simple?

I was talking to my neighbor Dave last Friday while he was smoking a brisket on his offset smoker. He said competition rubs with 15 ingredients are overkill for a backyard cookout and just mask the meat's natural flavor. But I've been using a fancy 12-spice blend from a pitmaster in Kansas City for the last 6 months and my ribs got way more compliments at the family reunion. Dave thinks simpler is better for home cooks, while I feel like those complex rubs add depth even if it's just for the backyard. What do you all think, are we overcomplicating things with competition rubs at home or is it worth the extra effort?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinmason1d ago

Real talk, I've been slapping competition rubs on everything and never looked back.

holly471d ago

That "never looked back" line hits different lol. I actually did the same thing a few months back before a backyard comp and @robinmason I totally get why you'd stick with it. The one I tried had brown sugar and paprika as the first two ingredients and it just made everything taste like a slow cooker brisket in the best way. I even put it on some grilled shrimp once and it was fire but my wife looked at me like I was crazy.