Cattleman's Grill

Cattleman's Grill blends are built the old way — the dry goods a chuck wagon cook actually carried across the plains: raw cane sugar, sea salt, dried chilli peppers, coarsely ground coffee and spices. The brand was among the first to put strong coffee back into a steak rub, and the Original Cowboy Coffee Steak Rub that started it all is still the one the rest of the range is measured against.

What follows covers a whole week of cooking rather than one style of barbecue: Blackening for a screaming cast-iron pan, 8 Second Ride for a hard sear over coals, Ranchero as the everyday garlic-and-lemon shaker, and Italiano for the nights the smoker stays cold.

Start with the Original Cowboy Coffee Steak Rub on a thick ribeye for the crust it's known for, then reach for 8 Second Ride on skirt or flank steak when the cook is fast and the fire is hot. Ranchero pulls double duty on a whole roast chicken and the vegetable tray beside it.

Here's the bit that separates it from the average steak shaker: it's four ingredients on the flagship blend, no filler, and no MSG, chemical preservatives or anti-caking agents across the whole range — nothing in the jar you can't pronounce.

Made in the USA and imported to Melbourne, this is the shelf for anyone who wants their rub to taste like it was mixed by someone who's actually cooked over fire, not a factory. Five jars, five different nights, zero fuss.