Custom Seasoning Blends

Sweet/BBQ blend

Use for: smoked chicken, pork, anything you want bark on, ribs, pulled pork

Ratio: 1:2:2

Ingredients

• 1 part Slap Ya Mama Original (for salt penetration)
• 2 part Meat Church Honey Hog
• 2 part Meat Church Holy Cow/Gospel

Why it works

• Both are sugar-forward with paprika as the primary spice
• Similar salt levels (~130-180mg sodium per 1.5g serving), so they layer without needing a separate salt base
• Honey Hog brings the honey-sweet profile and helps with bark formation
• Holy Cow/Gospel adds dehydrated garlic and a slightly more savory backbone to balance the sweetness
• No conflicting flavors — both designed for low-and-slow BBQ

Notes

• Optionally, don't add Slap Ya Mama to this blend — the cayenne fights the honey/sweet profile. But add it if you want a hot honey BBQ.
• Apply liberally and let stand 30+ minutes before cooking, or refrigerate up to 24 hours for maximum flavor
• The sugar content means this blend will burn at high heat — best for smoking or roasting under 300°F

Savory/Cajun blend

Use for: farmer's breakfast, fried rice, beef stroganoff, lasagna meat, chicken alfredo, general beef seasoning, eggs, potatoes

Ratio: 1:2:2

Ingredients

• 1 part Slap Ya Mama Original (for salt penetration)
• 2 parts Meat Church Holy Cow/Gospel
• 2 parts Meat Church Holy Voodoo

Why it works

• All three are salt/garlic/pepper-forward with no significant sugar
• Holy Cow/Gospel provides the SPG (salt-pepper-garlic) backbone — it's essentially a brisket rub
• Holy Voodoo brings paprika, jalapeño heat, MSG umami, and dehydrated onion
• Slap Ya Mama adds salt penetration and extra Cajun kick (cayenne, black/red pepper)
• The MSG in Holy Voodoo is what makes this blend sing on eggs, potatoes, and rice

Why the 1:2:2 ratio?

• Slap Ya Mama is roughly 2-3x saltier per gram than the Meat Church rubs (310mg vs ~120-240mg sodium per serving)
• A smaller proportion gives you the salt penetration benefit without oversalting the overall blend
• The 2:2 split between Holy Cow and Holy Voodoo balances the SPG backbone with the umami/heat layer

Notes

• Great as a general all-purpose seasoning — covers most weeknight cooking
• Works in pasta dishes by sprinkling into the ground meat as it browns (especially good in beef stroganoff and lasagna)
• For fried rice, hit the eggs and meat with this blend before adding rice
• For farmer's breakfast, season the potatoes and meat separately as each goes into the pan

Why keep two blends?

Two themed blends built from existing rubs, split along sweet/BBQ vs. savory/Cajun lines so the flavor profiles don't fight each other.

The previous approach (single blend with Lawry's or Slap Ya Mama as base + 2 store-bought blends) worked fine as a general seasoning, but combining sweet BBQ rubs with savory Cajun rubs means:

1. Flavor profiles dilute each other. Honey Hog's sweetness gets muddled by Slap Ya Mama's heat; Holy Voodoo's MSG umami gets buried under sugar.
2. Wrong tool for the job. Sweet rubs don't belong on eggs and fried rice; Cajun rubs don't help with bark formation.

Two blends keep each profile clean:

• Sweet/BBQ blend stays dedicated to smoker work
• Savory/Cajun blend handles weeknight cooking (breakfast, pastas, rice, general beef)

No cross-contamination of flavors, and each blend plays to its strengths.

Mixing instructions

1. Measure each rub by weight if possible (more accurate than volume since particle sizes vary)
2. Combine in a wide bowl and whisk thoroughly to evenly distribute
3. Transfer to airtight container — old rub containers work great
4. Label with blend name and date mixed
5. Store away from heat and light; use within 6 months for best flavor

Variations

Sweet/BBQ blend

• Add a small amount of 16-mesh black pepper for more bark texture on brisket
• Add dry mustard powder for tang on pork

Savory/Cajun blend

• Add onion powder if you want more onion presence beyond what Holy Voodoo provides
• Add smoked paprika for depth on grilled or pan-seared meats
• For pasta-specific use, mix in dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil) at point of use rather than in the master blend