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Ask any Charleston local about Rodney Scott, and they’ll tell you that he smokes some of the best whole hogs in the state — and that they’re probably all too familiar with the multi-hour drive for a taste of Scott’s smokey barbecue. A barbecue legend and James Beard Award-winning pitmaster, Scott has overseen Rodney Scott’s BBQ since opening in 2017; before that, he worked the pits at his family’s restaurant in Hemingway, about two hours away.
Scott’s locations in both Charleston and Birmingham, Alabama, opened to out-the-door lines. Fans were looking for familiar favorites like pulled pork sandwiches and pork rinds, only to be delighted with the addition of fried catfish and double stack burgers, and chicken wings. Those beloved pork rinds? They are doused in Scott’s rib rub, which he demonstrated live on Instagram as part of Eater at Home.
Check out the recipe below, which you’ll also find in Scott’s forthcoming cookbook, to be released by Clarkson Potter next spring.
Rodney’s Rib Rub
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup Kosher salt
1⁄4 cup MSG
1⁄4 cup ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup sweet paprika
1⁄4 cup chili powder
1⁄4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and place in an airtight container. Cover and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. This rub can be used as an all purpose seasoning for many things. In the restaurant it is used on meats, in the potato salad, and on the pork rinds we fry. Rodney unapologetically uses MSG — it is a flavor maker.
