Dry Spice

Nephew's Haba Java Dry Rub

I have seen a lot of coffee used in rubs at contests that I have seen on television, but I was skeptical about this one.  The label works well for this product and the aroma is all coffee.  The question is how's it gonna taste on my food.  I first tasted it plain.  Gotta tell you not too appealing.  It tastes mostly of coffee.  I do get a little salt taste and a little garlic.  For it to be called Haba Java rub it has to have habanero in it right?  Well if it does, I can't taste it.  The good news is that I used this rub on some pork ribs and some steak and it is fantastic tasting on them.  The coffee is something totally different for me, but it really does work!  I tried it plain, but then added a BBQ sauce to it and together it is a real winner.  It does need some more heat to become a go to for me, but overall I was pleasantly surprised by this rub.

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Heartbreaking Dawns Storyville Cajun Blend

Having received a few sauces from Johnny of Heartbreaking Dawns and enjoyed them all, when he asked if I wanted a spice rub to try I jumped at it!  Storyville Cajun Blend is right up my alley.  I am a huge fan of Cajun/Creole cooking so I immediately started thinking of what I can do with this.  It would be really good for blackening some chicken, shrimp, or fish.  I decided that since it is a relatively small bottle (2oz, though it is available in a larger 9oz size), that I would be better off using it as a spice rub since blackening takes much more to do effectively.  The thing about this Cajun blend versus others I use, is the lack of salt.  I do usually use a lot of salt, but this is actually a good thing in this case.  It allows the different flavors from the peppers and spices to come through more.  A lot of commercial Cajun blends have salt as the main ingredient which I think overpowers the overall flavor.  There could be a little more heat for me, but overall, the taste is definitely there.

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