Twenty years ago, the first formulation of what would become Patio Grill Master's Pork and BBQ Rub was created. It was the Fourth of July, and I had just taken over as executive chef at a private country club. We were preparing to make baby back ribs for our Independence Day party, with 1,200 guests having made reservations. The food had to be exceptional.
In the past, the old chef had boiled the ribs, coated them with BBQ sauce, and finished them in the oven. That method was not an option for me. Although we didn't have a smoker, we repurposed an old warming oven into a smoker. Problem one solved. The next challenge was seasoning the ribs. With the spices we had on hand, I created a rub, adding some sugar and salt. It turned out pretty good. We rubbed down the 300 pounds of ribs and let the seasoning absorb overnight.
The next morning, we placed the ribs in our homemade smoker with some charcoal and hickory chunks. After about six hours, we had some delicious-looking, fall-off-the-bone ribs. But the real test was the taste. The ribs tasted fantastic. We gave them a light glaze of BBQ sauce and quickly put them in the oven to set the sauce.
Now, the ultimate test: how would our large crowd of guests like them? The ribs were a great success. I wrote down the formula for the seasoning. Our guests commented for weeks and months about how much they loved the ribs and wanted to know when we would make them again. We ended up making them quite often and, of course, every Fourth of July. Each time, we tweaked the recipe.
Eighteen years later, we have the current iteration, now part of the Patio Grill Master line of seasonings as "Pork & BBQ Rub."
The other seasonings available at Patio Grill Master were created in much the same way.
Our "Brisket & Pepper Steak Rub" was developed a year after the Pork & BBQ Rub, also for the Fourth of July, when we added Smoked Beef Brisket to our BBQ offerings at the event.
The “All-Purpose Steak & Burger Seasoning” was created to have a consistent seasoning for the meats served in the restaurant on a daily basis.
Similarly, the “Grilled Gamefish Spice” was developed to enhance our seafood dishes in the restaurant.
Lastly, the “Chicken and Veggie Salt” became our all-natural replacement for the MSG-laden seasoning salt we used, primarily for roasted chicken, various vegetables (grilled and not), potatoes, and many fried foods.
Over the last 20 years, all of Patio Grill Master seasonings have delighted people in the restaurant and at club events. They have been constantly improved. Now, they are available to everyone at patiogrillmaster.com for your grilling enjoyment at home.