Rendezvous-style Memphis Seasoning

In Memphis it is common for the best rib joints to serve their ribs "dry", without sauce, just a liberal sprinkling of spices and herbs. The most revered dry ribs are served at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous (called "The Vous" by the locals). In fact, the Vous is probably the most popular ribjoint in the world. Notice I didn't say the best ribjoint in the world.

Baby backs are the cut of choice and they are sprinkled liberally with their top secret seasoning. "We call it a seasoning, not a rub, because it is sprinkled on, not rubbed in," says Nick Vergos, Charlie's grandson.

Because The Vous is so famous and popular, people, especially the media, are always asking the owners for their seasoning recipe. But, and I know this might shock some of you, the one they give out is most definitely not the one they use in the restaurant or sell in the bottle! Yet the bogus recipe is all over the internet.

How can I be so sure? The bottle label of Rendezvous Famous Seasoning says "Spices, paprika (color), garlic, monosodium glutamate, salt and less than 2% silicon dioxide added to prevent caking." The recipe they give the media contains only salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, celery seed, paprika, and chile powder. But if you eat there or buy a bottle and sprinkle some in your hand, you can't miss the whole coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and allspice seeds among other things. So I have tried to reverse-engineer it. My version is a lot closer to the real thing than the one so widely circulated, but it is not perfect. I would love to have your feedback, below.

Now for my disclaimer: When in Memphis, you've gotta do the Vous because it is so much fun, the staff is great, and it reeks of history. But it is not even in my top five in the area for ribs in my book. And forgive me if I'm biased, but most folks think Meathead's Memphis Dust is a better pork rub.

As background for this recipe, read these articles, The Zen of Herbs & Spices, The Zen of Chiles, the Zen of Garlic, and The Zen of Salt.

Special thanks to several readers who have also attempted to duplicate the Vous technique and offered feedback.

Recipe for Rendezvous-style Rub

Yield. Makes a bit more than two cups, enough for about 12 pounds of ribs. You can keep in a jar for months.
Preparation time. 10 minutes

Beware of double salt jeopardy! Rubs and spice blends are a great way to add flavor to meat. Rubs almost always contain salt because salt amps up flavor and helps form a crust (click here to read about The Zen of Salt). Brines are also a great way to add flavor as well as moisture (click here to read about The Zen of Brines). Meat that is labeled "enhanced" or "flavor enhanced" or "self-basting" or "basted" has been injected with a brine at the packing plant. Kosher meat has also been treated with salt at the plant. You can use a rub on brined or kosher meats, but beware of double salt jeopardy. A salty rub on top of brined or kosher meat can make it unbearably salty. If you use brined or kosher meat and then a rub, you should make your own rub and leave the salt out of the blend. Also, be aware that the drippings from a brined meat or a meat rubbed with a salty spice blend will probably not need salting, so if you make a gravy from drippings, be sure to taste before you add salt. Remember, you can always add salt, but you can't take it away.

Ingredients
8 tablespoons paprika
4 tablespoons powdered garlic
4 tablespoons mild chili powder
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons whole yellow mustard seed
1 tablespoon crushed celery seed
1 tablespoon whole celery seed
1 tablespoon dried crushed oregano
1 tablespoon dried crushed thyme
1 tablespoon whole allspice seeds
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Ac'cent *

* About the Ac'cent. The label of the Rendezvous Famous Seasoning states that there is Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in the blend. Ac'cent is made of MSG and you can find it in the spice section of your store. MSG, also known as glutamic acid, is a flavor enhancer as well as a natural byproduct of some aging and fermentation processes. Some people believe that MSG can cause headaches, but scientists have had difficulty proving the connection. The eminent food writer Jeffrey Steingarten has attempted to debunk what he considers to be an urban legend in a famous essay "Why Doesn't Everyone in China Have a Headache?" One might also ask, "Why doesn't everyone who eats at the Vous have a headache?" If you don't like MSG, just leave it out.

Note. If you use a brine, leave the salt out of your rub.

Do this
1) Mix all the rub ingredients in a bowl, making sure to break up all lumps. Put it in an airtight jar.

2) Click here to learn how the Vous makes its mop and cooks its ribs in only 60 minutes!

This page was revised 3/1/2010

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NOMINEE: 2010 World Food Media Awards MEMBER: International Association of Culinary Professionals MEMBER: Kansas City Barbeque Society MEMBER: National Barbecue Association REPRESENTED BY: The Lisa Ekus Group Promoting A World Of Culinary Talent

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