Iconic BBQ for any occasion
History
Kansas City, Missouri is synonymous with barbecue. In fact, KC is known as the BBQ capital of the world and is home to both its own barbecue society and the largest BBQ celebration on the globe - The American Royal World Series of Barbecue. Here’s a short version of how it got there:
With a thriving rail hub and meatpacking industry, KC in the early 20th century was poised to be the birthplace of a cooking tradition that would become an indelible part of the culture of Kansas City and a hallmark of American BBQ. The man who started it all, colloquially known as the Barbecue King, was Henry Perry, a 15 year veteran Mississippi riverboat cook, who set down roots in KC and started a stand slinging BBQ in an alley in the Garment District. That one tiny business blossomed into the wildly delicious and good-spiritedly competitive KC BBQ culture we know today. Perry’s cooking style is the sturdy foundation that Kansas City BBQ has grown from, and our KC Tailgators BBQ Rub pays homage to those iconic flavors.
There are four distinctive styles of American BBQ: Carolina, Texas, Memphis, and Kansas City. So what are the characteristics that set KC BBQ apart?
- Dry Rub - While some styles use salt and pepper or vinegar on their meats, KC pitmasters use a bold blend of spices in a signature dry rub before cooking.
- Variety - KC BBQ involves the broadest range of proteins of any American BBQ style. Expect to find pork, beef, chicken, lamb, venison, catfish, sausage, and the list goes on.
- Wood Smoke - Traditional KC BBQ uses hickory and oak chips for smoking meats.
- Thick Sauce- KC style BBQ sauces are tomato-based, with molasses and lots of black pepper.
- Burnt Ends - Crispy, fatty, salty, and to-die-for delicious, burnt ends are the end pieces trimmed off a slab of barbecued brisket and they are a staple in KC BBQ cuisine.
Summary
Our KC Tailgater’s BBQ Rub was made to complement any protein you could imagine to pair it with. Created in the traditional KC BBQ style of dry rub, it shines when applied before cooking low and slow in a smoker, on the grill, or even in your home oven or stovetop. Because this blend is so versatile, if you’ve only got room for one BBQ rub in your pantry, Tailgater’s is the one to choose.
Ingredients
A masterful blend of Paprika, Garlic, Brown Sugar, Cumin, Black Pepper, Kosher Salt, European Coriander, Black Pepper, Mustard, Thyme, Sage, Celery Seed, Cloves, and Turkish Oregano.
This blend hits on all the flavors your heart longs for in a BBQ rub - sweet heat, savory and sharp notes, and satisfying umami.
Why We Love It
To put it simply, KC Tailgater’s BBQ Rub makes all our barbecue dreams come true, fulfilling all those quintessential summer scents and flavors. This blend is so easy to use, and delivers such an incredible punch of flavors, it’s as close as you’ll get to foolproof BBQ.
The More You Know
What’s in a name? Beyond barbecue, Kansas City has many long standing local cultural traditions, one of which is the tailgate party. Before any major sporting event, concert, or other stadium occasion you can find folks showing up bright and early to the parking lot with grills, tents, tables, and a whole lot of food! Tailgating is a social event that brings the community together with good times for all. We chose the name KC Tailgater’s BBQ Rub to invoke that spirit of camaraderie and celebration.
