LILLIE'S Q: Q-Rub Salt, Pepper & Garlic Seasoning – 224g

The salt-pepper-garlic all-rounder that lives next to the grill

Lillie's Q Q-Rub is a salt-based all-purpose seasoning of sea salt, black pepper and garlic from Chef Charlie McKenna's Chicago barbecue brand, made for steaks, ribs, chicken, fish and vegetables. It seasons rather than dominates — the jar you reach for when you want the meat to taste like itself, just better.

The flavour

Front is sea salt with garlic and onion, the middle brings black pepper, paprika and celery seed, and it finishes with a light warmth from the spice blend.

How to cook with it

• Season a thick rump or ribeye generously 45 minutes ahead, then reverse-sear it
• Coat pork ribs or a pork butt before a low-and-slow smoke
• Rub over a whole chicken or turkey before roasting on the kettle
• Season salmon or snapper fillets lightly before a hot-plate sear
• Rogue move: sprinkle over popcorn for a steakhouse snack

In the shaker

Coarse-medium grind, golden-tan with visible black pepper — free-flowing and easy to scatter evenly.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Sea salt, dehydrated garlic and onion, spices including chili pepper, sugar, paprika, celery seed and not more than 2% tricalcium phosphate added to prevent caking.

Dietary: Vegan and all natural per the Australian distributor; made with gluten-free ingredients but not gluten-free certified. Lillie's Q lists it as non-GMO, dairy free, nut free and free of high-fructose corn syrup. Contains celery seed. Allergens — always check the physical label.

Questions answered

Is Lillie's Q Q-Rub spicy? No. It's a salt, pepper and garlic seasoning with just a light warmth from the spice blend — 1 out of 11 on our Sting Gauge.

What's Q-Rub best on? Steak and ribs are the classic use, but it works on beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish and vegetables.

Is it gluten free? It's made with gluten-free ingredients, but it isn't gluten-free certified. It's also vegan, dairy free and nut free.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Sea salt, garlic, onion and a light warmth — Q-Rub seasons rather than shouts, so a good cut still tastes like itself. Coat a thick rump, smoke it gently over Jack Daniel's Whiskey Barrel Chips, sear it hard, then finish with a pinch of Heavenly Hell Diggers Dust. The kind of jar that empties quicker than you'd think.