MK’s Street Food Sensations: The Rub BBQ

The Rub BBQ

Instagram: @therub_bbq

Website: https://www.therubbbq.co.uk/

“A recipe has no soul; you as the cook must bring soul to the recipe” – Thomas Keller.

The Rub BBQ is a Milton Keynes street food institution. It was founded due to the owner’s love for wood-smoked meats (especially ribs) and authentic American-inspired BBQ sauces. The inspiration he took from Stateside led him to create his own BBQ dry rub and so ‘The Rub BBQ’ was born! All The Rub’s rubs (!), marinades and sauces are made from scratch; the ingredients are often wood-smoked to create their own unique depth of flavour and are locally sourced, where possible and, if you weren’t already sold, The Rub is a family run business.

I have tasted many of the delights from The Rub BBQ over the past few years, from ‘The Rib Tickler’ – half a rack of British pork baby-back ribs, smoked over hickory-wood and finished with a sweet and smoky BBQ glaze, served with pineapple salsa and ‘slaw, to ‘The Drunken Dog’ – a jumbo 140g British pork sausage, smoked over beech-wood and served with beer-braised onions and homemade sauces. They even have festive specials, such as ‘The Bad Santa’ – pulled turkey with cranberry and port sauce, sage and onion stuffing, crispy onions and ‘slaw, and amazing vegetarian options, like the ‘Squeaky Clean’ – halloumi and grilled red peppers with smoked tomato relish.

You can find The Rub BBQ and a multitude of festivals and street food events – I’ve visited them at Eat Street, Frosts Garden Centres and MK Marathon just to name a few – but you can also hire them for events too.

Their homemade sauces are to die for – you can choose between mango scotch-bonnet, screaming reaper (my favourite), sweet barbecue, smoked garlic mayo or smoked chipotle mayo.

Trust me – this is BBQ done right.