Bonnie: The line was the longest I had seen all day… so I just had to join it. If that many people were waiting, there would certainly be something good!
I had been sampling food ever since I arrived at the Fancy Food show in DC hours before, but I couldn’t resist the smoky, enticing barbeque aroma that was magnetic and drew me to this line. I wasn’t disappointed.
I took samples of all Stubb’s offered: some chopped pork, a slice of grilled spicy sausage and a tender meaty rib. Next spot in the line required me to make a decision among Stubb’s six sauces. Being a sampler, I took a squirt of each — Stubb’s Original, Spicy, Mild, Hickory Bourbon, Honey Pecan and Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q sauces.
Two were standouts. Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce was finger-licken’ good, with the Spicy running a close second. I chose the original as our FeaturedBite, as the spicy may be just too much for many timid palates.
Now, if they’d only sell those ribs — as meaty as I’ve ever seen! Actually, word has it that Stubb’s is in talks with another food company to sell them. Do stay tuned — we’ll let you know as soon as we know – as they would for sure be featured on these pages!
Bryan: Is there anything better than a true American success story? C’mon, there are few things more heartwarming than somebody pulling himself up by the bootstraps to become something bigger, maybe even a legend. It’s a wonderful concept and occasionally it does come to fruition. If anybody has a good story, it is certainly C.B. Stubblefield (aka “Stubb”)… the man who coined the phrase “I was born hungry, and someday I’m going to feed the world.”
To many (especially in Texas), the word “Stubb’s” is synonymous with barbeque. This man is a living legend: a musical icon and a famous pitmaster. Stubb was born March 7, 1931, one of 12 brothers and sisters born to a Baptist preacher. Stubb claims to have been originally influenced in his love of cooking by his preacher father, who regularly served his congregation barbeque with their gospel. Backyard dinners were commonplace, often featuring beef, pork and even raccoon or possum. Needless to say, a good sauce always was necessary, and all the flavors and aromas sowed the seeds of quality barbeque in Stubb at a very young age. And oh how those seeds would grow!
After making his way in the Army, Stubb retired in 1967 and went on to take tutelage in the processes of barbeque from West Texas barbeque legend Amos Gamel. Stubb learned quickly, eventually opening his own restaurant in Lubbock, TX in 1968. The amazing Stubb’s Bar-B-Q he opened served as a virtual nexus of the Texas music scene. Sunday afternoon jam sessions became a Stubb’s tradition, featuring musicians such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson, B.B. King or even George Thorogood. Stubb’s was the place to drop in when in Texas.
Good things never last forever though, and in 1985 Stubb closed his restaurant and moved to Austin, where he sold his barbeque from a blues club near the University of Texas. In 1986, he was at it again, opening his second restaurant, also called Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, and reviving the Lubbock tradition of jam sessions. Stubb’s Bar-B-Q is still alive and well today, featuring great barbeque and live music.
As Stubb’s fame spread, he went on to develop a full line of food products solely dedicated to preserving the tradition and art of barbequing. The Stubb’s Legendary Kitchen collection is designed to empower backyard chefs everywhere with all of Stubb’s sauces and special spices. Fire up those coals!
Eric: It’s a shame that Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Sauce has been put on center stage — thrown into the limelight by public relations and food writers. Stubb’s has most likely been the secret of some of the most delicious barbeque you’ve tasted over the years, and now it’s readily available in your supermarket; a change that will have your barbeque “master” friends cringing.
Stubb’s sauce has been 44-years in the making. That’s a lot of trial and error over dashes of seasoning and tons of ribs. The end result really is a powerhouse of flavor that will put your backyard barbeque on par with some of the best pit masters around — just make sure you hide the bottle when claiming your “secret sauce”…
Stubb’s sauce is as good as I’ve had – much better as a cooking sauce than as a condiment, but still good there. But the real secret of Stubb’s from the grocery store is the marinade.
I like to get a London Broil or a brisket, seal it in a large Ziploc bag with a bottle (or two, depending on the size of the meat) of the beef marinade, and let it soak. The bottle says at least an hour, preferably overnight; I say at least overnight, preferably 48 hours. At this point, just grill the thing – no further sauces or condiments required.
The chicken marinade is great for chicken, but the beef marinade is great for just about any meat. Thank you, Stubb, for cashing in on the marketing, so I don’t have to buy a plane ticket to Austin six times a year!