Looking for some info on making my own rubs....

[jasonwilliams14]

Hey folks!
As the title states, I am looking for some information on how to make my rubs for my BBQ. I have some caveats that I will explain, but I am looking for some feedback on how I should use specific proportions for different rubs. I use memphis dust and like it and I have been also looking to explore and try out other rubs for different cuts (mostly poultry and pork right now.)

Now, here is the "rub".

I cannot use any peppers or paprika. Due to some family allergies, I am unable to use any red/cayenne/chili spice nor paprika (come to find out, paprika is part of the pepper family.

I have explored a lot of the off the shelf rubs from all over the place and 99% of them have peppers or paprika in them so that immediately makes it a non-starter.
That brings me to the community here and how can I create my own rubs for different BBQs.
I imagine there is some measurement/ratio of say salt to pepper to garlic. But also, what about things like sugar, brown sugar, cumin, coriander, oregano rosemary and other BBQ type spices.

That is where I was hoping to get some help with the right ratios for the rubs I will create.

Funny (or interestingly enough), I have been playing around with several AI LLMs (chatgpt, grok, gemini) and getting their take. while they cannot get the exact ratio of what it should be if I provide a link to a rub, but is interesting (or scary) to see what they recommend.

If anyone is curious, I can post a few that I ran through and can post what the ratio breakdowns were. It might be entertaining!

Thank you very much for the help!.

[Donw]

I just looked through all my rub recipes and each contains at least a little of one of the prohibited ingredients you mentioned, and a few had things like hot sauces which would also be pepper based.

However our favorite rub is just salt and black pepper, with occasionally some garlic or onion powder thrown in; but usually just salt and black pepper to let the taste of the meat shine through. And I should add that the salt added is just the amount necessary for the dry brine.

Sorry I couldn’t help more.

[jasonwilliams14]

Much appreciated! I do the same with those spices also. Was trying to get a little clever with my rubs

[MBMorgan]

First, (and maybe you’ve done so already) I’d suggest giving this a thorough read: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...ience-of-rubs/

Second, I’d completely forget about paprika (its basic purpose is normally just to add color). For color, saffron and turmeric work, too.

Third, I’d try a few rubs that simply don’t include any sources of capsaicin (peppers). IMHO, Meathead’s Simon and Garfunkel rub is an EXCELLENT choice for poultry.

Fourth, if you just have to have heat, look for non-pepper sources. Ginger comes to mind (albeit mildly).

Fifth, just go crazy with tweaks to add/emphasize flavors that you enjoy.

[jasonwilliams14]

I am going to try that. I was just shopping spices today actually.
side note...spice grinders....any will do? look for specific ones? I like to buy spices in bulk if i can and put in a jar.

[MBMorgan]

This little Krups comes highly recommended and works really well:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004SPEU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

[Santamarina]

jasonwilliams14 If I’m being patient I’ll use a mortar and pestle to grind spices . When I’m in a hurry I have a coffee grinder that I bought probably 20 years ago, paid less than $10 for, don’t even know what brand it is. It was literally the cheapest coffee grinder I could find…and it still works great.

[Finster]

I've been using a simple blend of black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder on a lot of my cooks recently.
*Someone here posted about it (*sorry to whoever it was that I don't remember).
I use the 3 in equal parts, but I would think if you boosted the black pepper in the mix, it would add a bit of bite to the final result if that's what suits your tastes.

[jasonwilliams14]

this is great...tyvm!

[JCBBQ]

So I think it comes down to what you want the rubs for. As above you should have no trouble making rubs for poultry however for things like ribs, I’d suggest you find a recipe you like and then just make substitutions. For example with Meathead’s Memphis Dust you might use it exactly as written but sub achiote paste or powder for the paprika. It’ll give it the red color and taste very similar. Probably won’t need as much achiote though. And then just experiment bumping the approved ingredients to your liking.

[LA Pork Butt]

The book Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ has a section that walks you through the process of making a rub.

[dpearce]

Any thoughts to using Eastern cooking flavors? Something with wasabi paste should give you some heat and (according to AI, at least), is not part of the capsaicin family.

I've been meaning to try this recipe (https://amazingribs.com/japanese-yakitori-sauce/) but it does have hot sauce in the ingredient list. I asked AI what I could substitute that didn't have anything from the capsaicin family for the hot sauce, and it told me this:

You can substitute the hot pepper sauce in your recipe with ingredients that provide heat but do not contain capsaicin. Here are some good alternatives:

• Prepared horseradish: Adds sharp, nasal heat due to isothiocyanates, not capsaicin. Start with about 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste.
• Wasabi paste: Also delivers pungent heat without capsaicin. Use in similar quantity as you would hot pepper sauce.
• Hot mustard (e.g., Chinese or Dijon mustard): Provides a spicy kick thanks to isothiocyanates, safe for capsaicin intolerance.
• Freshly ground ginger: You already have ginger in the recipe, but increasing its quantity can boost pungency.
• Szechuan peppercorns: Offers a unique numbing sensation and citrusy spice, without capsaicin.

These swaps will maintain a spicy dimension to your dish, avoiding all capsaicin-family ingredients. Adjust the amount to your desired heat level and taste.

As always, it's AI, so your mileage may vary...

[jasonwilliams14]

Yea, i am open to all sorts of things to try. I love ginger and mustard so will happily give that a go!

[Jerod Broussard]

This book may help with substitutions.

[shify]

Your best bet is to find a rub recipe you like and tweak from there. Rubs are all about flavors/preferences so you won't find a set ratio.Personally, I like the Meathead approach to homemade rubs and leaving the salt out, so you can control the salt and ensure your meat is properly salted before adding the rub. You can do that with any rub recipe just by omitting the salt (and making sure to remind yourself the rub is salt-free)

As you are testing/tasting, the first priority will be to find an adequate substitute for paprika. You can obviously just omit it and probably won't really notice it gone being its primarily for color. But if you want to keep the reddish color to your rub, I agree that achiote powder (annatto seed) will work to give you that red color and it is pretty flavorless as well so won't change the flavor profile.

If you think something is missing from the flavor, I think you'd just have to mix and match with other flavors in small amounts - things like mustard powder,ginger powder, pink peppercorns might approximates some of the background flavors you might get from paprika

[Jerod Broussard]

Right, me no like Ginger and Rosemary, so Allspice and Thyme take their place, respectively.

[jasonwilliams14]

fair to say that test new things, see how they go......grinding up all the spices in a blender/grinder worth it? I keep reading that it is worth the investment.
I know my family likes things a bit on the sweet and savory side so that will be fun to try.

[Murdy]

The only advice I have is whatever rub you end up making, leave the salt out and add it during the dry brining process, which lets you better control the amount of salt you are using, which is relevant to both taste and health.

[jasonwilliams14]

yea, I like this approach as it gives more a bit more control and knowing of what is in the rub.

[Santamarina]

As a Hungarian I can’t imagine a world without paprika, so this seems like a daunting task.

With these limitations I’d be looking for new flavors to enjoy. I feel like a lot of my rubs would be nice by simply eliminating anything chile based. Finding a new twist with alternate spices sounds like a fun experiment!

[DNADave]

Tuffy Stone in one of his BBQ Stars videos raves about a savory Fennel Garlic rub. It has a teaspoon of crushed red pepper in it, but I'm sure you could leave it out. Here's a link to the recipe on his site: https://tuffystone.com/blogs/recipes/fennel-garlic-rub

[jfmorris]

Seeing this pop up again jasonwilliams14 - never heard if black pepper, which comes from peppercorns, and is not actually related to actual chili peppers, was on the banned list. Hopefully not? I cook a lot that doesn't use anything derived from chili peppers.

I think you can do a lot with just salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and other spices. Cumin is one I like in my rubs, sage, of course, rosemary, thyme, etc. If black/white pepper is off the list, then I guess you explore all the other flavors....

[jasonwilliams14]

Seeing this pop up again jasonwilliams14 - never heard if black pepper, which comes from peppercorns, and is not actually related to actual chili peppers, was on the banned list. Hopefully not? I cook a lot that doesn't use anything derived from chili peppers.

I think you can do a lot with just salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and other spices. Cumin is one I like in my rubs, sage, of course, rosemary, thyme, etc. If black/white pepper is off the list, then I guess you explore all the other flavors....

Awesome. TY! I have been experimenting a bit which has let me try different things. I decided to just stick with the core, like you suggested and dabble a bit here and there. Seems to work out ok as i try new things.