I love BBQ! Plain and simple. I love that BBQ people are some of the most genuine people that I know. I love that BBQ allows ample opportunity for the little guy to succeed. It’s only natural that I love Socks’ Love Rub.
The Story
Socks’ Love Rub is based out of Duluth, GA. This creation by Steven Hartsock (who was kind enough to send me a bottle of his rub to sample) boasts of a blend of 100% all-natural spices and a bold flavor that is compatible with most meats. It started for Steven about 8-9 years ago with the purchase of his first smoker. He tried numerous rubs on the market and found each rub possessing different elements that were appealing. Eventually the hobby morphed into a passion. It was so much so that when he and his wife got married, he gave his rub away in commemorative tins. Steven knew he had a good thing going when people kept asking for more.
The Rub
The label on the bottle is visually appealing, creating a subtle association with the hot pepper and “Love Rub”. The color of the rub itself is ideal to give your meat that ideal cooked color. A closer look at the rub reveals the various spices that are incorporated in the rub.
The rub has a coarse texture that does not detract from the overall quality of the rub. Coarse ground black pepper appears to be the star in this product, but it is not the predominant flavor profile. Other spices in there pair nicely with the black pepper to give the rub a pleasant flavor.
The Results
I cooked a couple of different cuts of meat to test out this rub – beef ribs and pork butts. I kept the prep work simple on the ribs and butts — a light coat of vegetable oil and then the seasoning.
The meat was cooked at a temperature between 250 and 300 degrees in an unmodified New Braunfels Bandera smoker. The pork went in at 9:00am. At around noon, the ribs went in. At 2:00 pm, the ribs get pulled out of the smoker and foiled to be finished later, while the pork butts get foiled and put back in the smoker.
The pork butts came out of the smoker upon reaching an internal temperature of 195 degrees. The bone slid out easily, indicating doneness of the meat. The pork butt had a good yield. More importantly, it had a great color.
Some close-ups give you a good feel of the effect the rub had on the product.
I ran out of fuel for cooking outdoors. As a result, the ribs received a light glaze of Hoosier Daddy Sweet & Sassy BBQ Sauce and were reheated in the oven for twenty minutes. It was like steak on a stick! (Pay no attention to the membrane on the ribs… it was a rookie “misteak”).
This rub is a rub that I can recommend with no hesitation whatsoever!
Website: http://www.socksloverub.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SocksLoveRub
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/socksloverub
Thanks!
Wayne Brown
http://www.bigwaynerbbq.com
@brownkw
Looks awesome.
Thanks!! I was very pleased with how the seasoning worked. Very versatile!
Yum…love this stuff.
Me too!!!
Love the review Wayne! That is one awesome rub! One of my favorites!
Thank you!!
Great review Wayne and love this rub as one of my favorites.
Thanks! I thoroughly enjoyed this rub as well!
My mouth is watering just looking at the pictures. Great review, and I definitely will try Sock’s Love Rub!
It’s worth the purchase, for sure!