You might not quite be at the level of Chris Marks, but now you can at least start with the same raw materials. With a catering and restaurant business going strong -- Marks owns and operates Three Little Pigs BBQ in Crown Center -- he's looking to help out the rest of us by releasing a line of five seasonings and rubs from his family's secret recipe.
He's also a regular on the competitive barbecue circuit. Fat City talked to Marks about how to use the rubs and the latest news at his restaurant.
Can you talk a bit about the seasonings and rubs that Three Little Pigs just released?
The new rubs are what The Three Little Pig BBQ team had used for the last 15 years in contests to win 43 Grand Championships including the American Royal 8 times. They were all developed by my father and mother, Joan and Larry Marks, and myself. Each new rub has won a Grand Championship throughout the 15 years of competition cooking.
There are five rubs: the Kansas City All Purpose BBQ Seasoning (all-around seasoning for everything from poultry to french fries), Memphis Style BBQ Seasoning (for beef, three kinds of pepper and Worcestershire powder), Kansas City Sweet Seasoning (savory rub, a starter that can combine well with added salt or sugar), Kansas City Touch of Cherry BBQ Seasoning (sweet cherry with brown sugar and smoke lending a caramelized flavor to meats), and Kansas City Championship BBQ Seasoning (sweet and spicy, for meats, chili, and baked potatoes).
Rub Mixtures are closely held secrets. Was it hard to give these up? Why release them now?
That's a good question, and yes they were closely held. There are really two reasons. The first being that my mother Joan passed away in June of a lung ailment. After my father Larry passed away in 1997, I made and dedicated the Three Little Pigs BBQ Sauce for his memory and now I will do the same for my mother with the rubs and seasonings.
Any advice in terms of preparation or using the rubs?
Yes -- taste before using. One of the biggest mistakes is ruining a cut of meat because the rub is too hot or too salty. The rub should be a part of the flavor profile, not the whole profile.
How are things going at the Crown Center location? Will people recognize the flavors in the rubs in any of the dishes on the menu?
Things are going great at the Three Little Pigs in Crown Center, and yes we use all the rubs down at the restaurant. We use the Memphis on the brisket, KC Sweet on the ribs, Championship on the pulled pork, and the Touch of Cherry on the turkey and ham.
Anything new at the shop?
We are in the process of getting the Original Bacon Explosion added to the menu in the near future.
The new rubs are available at Smoke-N-Fire in Overland Park, Backyard Bash in Parkville, All Hands on Deck (915 W. Liberty Drive) in Liberty and online at BBQ Addicts.
[Image via Chris Marks]
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