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One of the best things about social media is it gives you the chance to meet great people who share your interests. Dave of Kitchen ConvivialĀ is just such a person.

Check out Dave’s blog and you will see he has some serious cooking chops. So, when he sends me some products to try out, I take it seriously. He sent me some rub and a couple of sauces. Today, I check out the rub he sent, Penzeys BBQ 3001.

I always like to taste a rub before checking out the list of ingredients.

The first thing I noticed was it wasn’t incredibly salty. Poorer quality rubs really add a lot of salt to get an immediate flavour hit. This irritates me. If I want a lot of salt, I’ll add it. I’m looking for a balance of complex flavours with just enough salt to help draw liquid from the meat. The salt should not be the first flavour.

The second thing was that I thought it had a southwest flavour. I hang my head in shame. When I checked the ingredients, it didn’t have any of the usual suspects for a southwest rub. Regardless, it had a good earthy taste, a nice touch of spice, and lots of complexity with the flavour changing from start to finish.

Of course, you really need to cook with a rub to see how it does. The best way to check it out is without any other sauce or marinade.

I put a generous coating of the rub on two pork chops and let them sit for 15 minutes. I fired up my Weber Genesis and cooked them over high heat.

The Verdict

This is a quality rub. It was excellent on the pork and would do well with chicken. I also think it would be good with beef as it isn’t overly sweet. However, I really want to try it on lamb. It’s paprika background and flavour profile would really shine.

In more detail, I will address all its features.

  • Saltiness – Very Good. I like some salt in my rubs as it helps the rub get into the meat as the salt draws the surface moisture. This has enough for that, but it doesn’t make salt the big flavour.
  • Heat – Medium Low. There is a nice touch of heat that starts early on your tongue and warms to a nice finish. It isn’t hot enough to scare away any but the most heat averse.
  • Sweetness – Very Low. This is a spice/herb-based rub. It won’t give you any sugar caramelization, but it has enough paprika to give a good colour and bark.
  • Complexity – Good. It has enough variation from start to finish to keep your taste buds interested.
  • Flavour – Very Good. The overall balance really enhanced the meat but let the flavour of the pork come through.

I can recommend this product as a tasty, well balanced rub.

The Old Fat Guy

 

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