Talked to a pitmaster in Kansas City who changed how I think about rubs

I was at a comp last month and this old timer said he only uses salt and pepper on his brisket. Ive been using 10+ ingredient rubs for years. He told me "if your meat is good you dont need to hide it." Anybody else try simplifying their approach like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

karenp111mo ago

Buddy of mine runs a food truck. Swore by his 15-spice blend for years. One day he ran out mid-service and just used salt and pepper on the pork. Said it was the best feedback he ever got on that sandwich.

blake_black471mo ago

Used to be a guy who thought more spices automatically meant better food. This story kind of turns that on its head for me though. Think there is something to having confidence in the base ingredient itself. Good pork just needs a little salt and pepper sometimes. Makes me wonder how many complicated recipes are really just covering things up.