At BBQ Island, we're more than just a barbecue grill store. We're also educators — teachers of the fine grilling arts. A big part of grilling is cooking the meat over an open flame, of course, but there's more to mouth-watering barbecue than just the heat. You also need to know how to season your meat properly.
Enter the wonderful world of rubs, sauces and injections. We sell some of the best right here in our barbecue grill store, but they won't do you much good if you don't know how to use them! Check out our easy primer on the most popular ways to flavor your meat before throwing it on the grill and serving it to your meat-loving guests.
Rubs
A rub is a blend of seasonings that — surprise! — is rubbed onto the surface of your meat and is usually allowed to sit a bit before grilling. A good rub typically contains salt and pepper as well as a special blend of other dried, ground herbs and spices. These can be anything from oregano and cumin to allspice and cayenne, and many are carefully guarded secrets. Victory Lane BBQ's All Purpose BBQ Rub is one of our favorites, and we always have it on hand.
Sauces
Barbecue sauces take the blend of seasonings from a rub and add a liquid. It can be thin like a Carolina mop sauce or thick like Blue’s Hog Original honey-based glaze. Sauces work well with meats that tend to dry out during slow cooking, since they add both flavor and moisture to your dish.
Injections
While sauces and rubs flavor the outside of the meat, injections allow you to target flavor all the way to the center. An injection usually contains salt and spices in briny liquid to tenderize the meat, add flavor and keep it juicy while cooking. We love Butcher BBQ's Open Pit Pork Injection for a foolproof injection that allows the natural flavor of pork to shine through.