As Autumn comes up on us, it brings with it the changing of leaves, an early dusk, and the sweet smell of grass and leather paired with the bright red, white and blue playoff bunting of Major League baseball. And in this changing of season, I’m always drawn to seize every opportunity possible to barbecue while the weather is still fair.

For this day, I selected Habanero Rub From Hell. It comes in an attention grabbing, red and pink package with a cartoon devil and the moniker “Beyond Hot.” It also advertises no salt content. I tried a little on my finger, and it starts off with a mellow, spiced taste followed closely by a wave of garlic, some habanero flavor and a touch of heat. Definitely not Beyond Hot, but it is a comfortable medium.

Ingredients: Chili Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Spices, Habanero Peppers, Curry and Mustard.

On Food
I gave Rub from Hell a go on some barbecued pork shoulder that I had tenderized and salted. The consistency is much too powdery for my liking as a rub – it clumps and sticks, and is very difficult to get an even coating. But with a fair bit of work I got a decent coating applied and threw the pork on the grill over low heat for an hour. I served it with a side of corn.

The pork came out pretty well; the rub held in the juices nicely, and got a nice texture from the flame. The flavor was decent but not spectacular; a little it of pepper, a touch of garlic and onion, and a little bit of heat. It was undeniably edible, but by no means spectacular.

In Conclusion:
If you like barbecuing, and have some patience in preparing your meat, this is a passable rub. The flavor is workable, but could use some accenting. On the plus side, there’s no salt, so it’s a very good option for those with special dietary needs.

Packaging – Bright, appealing and attention getting. 8.1 out of 10.0
Aroma – Spice with a bit of pepper. 8.2 out of 10.0
Appearance – Powdery and dark red. 7.2 out of 10.0
Taste – Decent flavor. 7.1 out of 10.0
Heat – Evident, a solid medium. 6.0 out of 10.0

Overall Rating: 7.3 out of 10.0