Dad’s Best Dry Rub Combo for Ribs or Anything

Written by Published on in Meat, Barbeque, Grilling, Smoking

I have spent years in a deeply personal and occasionally humiliating relationship with dry rubs. A few were genuinely terrible. Several were so spicy that my wife left the kitchen without a word and did not come back. This one, however, is the rub I keep coming back to—for ribs primarily, but also for a handful of other recipes you will find scattered around here, where it performs just as well and asks for nothing in return.

This rub will cover 3 racks of Baby Backs generously, which is the only way I know how to do it. Whatever is left over—and there will be some—goes into a small jar with a lid that actually seals. Put it in the back of the spice drawer, behind the cumin you bought for one recipe in 2019 and have not touched since. It will keep for months back there, and if you ever do a side-by-side comparison of everything in that drawer, which I do not recommend, this will win.

Last thing: brown sugar goes on before grilling or smoking, caramel sauce goes on in the final ten minutes. I know it seems like a lot of sugar. It is a lot of sugar. Do it anyway. You can address your concerns in the comments section on my website or simply send me an email. I promise you I will read them and then do nothing because I’m Dad.

Dry Rub

  • 1/8 Cup Onion Powder
  • 1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
  • 1/8 Cup Garlic Powder
  • 1/8 Cup Paprika
  • 1/8 Cup Smoked Paprika
  • 1/4 Cup Black Pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Ancho Chili Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Bell Peppers (Note: Bell Peppers not Red Peppers)
  • 1 Teaspoon Crystalized Lemon or Lemon Juice Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons Morton Seasoning Salt

For the Last Two Steps

  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Directions

  1. Put all dry rub ingredients, except the brown sugar, in a container and shake to mix well.
  2. Apply all dry rub ingredients to the meats
  3. Then Before Cooking or Smoking Liberally Cover the Meat with 1/4 cup of the Brown Sugar and press it in on both sides.
  4. Put any excess sugar on the top of the meat.
  5. After Cooking or Smoking mix another 1/4 Cup of brown sugar with 1/8 Cup of water to make a caramel sauce, then brush this sauce on the meat and let it sit on the grill or smoker another 10 minutes before serving.

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