Tried to dial in a brisket rub for 6 months straight

I kept chasing that perfect bark with a mix of 12 different spices, swapping out one thing at a time. After 18 full packer briskets and about 200 bucks in wasted meat, I figured out salt and pepper at a 2-to-1 ratio was all I needed. My buddy laughed and said I overthought it from the start, and he was probably right. Anyone else spend way too long on a simple fix like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_charlie24d ago

Man that reminds me of how I tried like 4 different camping stoves before I realized my old Coleman from 2003 worked better than any of them. We get so caught up in having the perfect setup we forget the simple stuff usually works just fine.

wyattrobinson24d ago

Respect that you landed on something simple that works for you, but I gotta push back a little here. Chasing that perfect bark is half the fun of barbecue, and swapping out one spice at a time teaches you way more about what each ingredient actually does than just dumping salt and pepper on there. You probably learned a ton about how cumin, paprika, and mustard powder behave under heat that you can use down the road on different meats. Never hurts to experiment even if it costs you a few extra briskets.