Saw a contestant at the Memphis in May using pre-mixed rub from a big brand but acting like it was his secret blend

He was emptying store-bought containers into plain jars backstage before the judges came around. It's a sticky spot because the rules don't strictly forbid it, but it feels dishonest to the spirit of the competition. I'd hate to see this become a common trick that undermines real craft. Keep an eye out and maybe stick to your own mixes to avoid the side-eye.

3 comments

3 Comments

riley9562mo ago

My buddy Leo was at the Heartland BBQ fest last year and saw a team straight up refilling empty jars with McCormick's premade rub. They peeled the labels off and acted all secretive when judges walked by. He said the color was a dead giveaway, way too uniform for something handmade. That kind of faking just ruins it for the real pitmasters who grind their own spices. Honestly, it's why some folks are losing faith in these contests.

john6822mo ago

Contests like that used to seem totally legit to me. But hearing riley956's story about the repackaged rub is a real eye-opener for how some teams cheat. It just makes the whole thing feel fake for the people actually putting in work.

daniel_martinez842mo ago

That bit about the color being a "dead giveaway" is a stretch, @riley956. Most good rubs use ground spices, so they look uniform anyway. If the rules allow it, calling it cheating feels like gatekeeping. Some folks just want to compete without running a full spice operation.