MEAT CHURCH: Honey Hog Hot – Sweet & Spicy Pork & Poultry BBQ Rub (340g)

Honey Hog's sweeter sibling just brought a blade

Honey Hog Hot is Meat Church's sweet-heat spin on one of their most decorated rubs — same honeyed backbone, laced with jalapeño for a back-palate kick. It comes out of Matt Pittman's Waxahachie, Texas kitchen, built for pork and poultry that can handle a bit of an edge. Run it solo or layer it over the original Honey Hog for a proper competition-style rib.

The flavour

Honey leads hard on the front, the same sweetness that made the original Honey Hog a Meat Church staple. Paprika and dextrose round out the middle with a savoury, smoky base. The finish is where this one earns the "Hot" — dehydrated jalapeño builds a warm, back-palate heat that arrives after the sweetness rather than fighting it. It tastes hotter straight from the shaker than it eats once it's been through a cook, because the heat mellows and the sugars caramelise into a glossier, sweeter bark.

How to cook with it

• Coat a rack of pork ribs heavy before a low-and-slow smoke — the honey powder and sugar build a glossy, mahogany bark as the jalapeño heat settles in behind it.
• Season chicken wings before frying or grilling, then toss hot for a sweet-heat wing that doesn't need a separate sauce.
• Layer it over the original Honey Hog on a competition-style pulled pork or rib cook for a proper sweet-then-hot double hit.
• Season a whole chicken under the skin as well as on top so the heat carries all the way through, not just on the surface.
• Rogue move: stir a spoonful through mayo for a jalapeño-honey slaw dressing that'll upstage the ribs it's sitting next to.

In the shaker

A sweet, rust-red rub with visible flecks of dehydrated jalapeño through it. It's free-flowing and layers easily, and like the honey-forward rubs in the range it caramelises fast — build it up over a longer cook rather than blasting it on high heat from the start.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Sugar, salt, honey powder (refined syrup, honey), spices (including paprika), dextrose, dehydrated jalapeño, dehydrated garlic, celery, spice extractives, no greater than 2% silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent).

Dietary: Gluten free. No MSG. Always check the physical label for the most accurate ingredient, allergen and nutritional information.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Sweet enough to get past the kids, hot enough to keep the ribs for yourself. Mop it through the cook with Boomas BBQ's Boomtang Sauce for gloss without extra fire, then finish the plate with a sharp dab of Tracklements Strong English Mustard to cut the sweetness.

Questions answered

How hot is Honey Hog Hot?

It sits around 5/10 — sweet honey up front with a jalapeño heat that builds on the finish. It's noticeably milder once it's been through a cook than it tastes straight from the shaker.

Can I run it with the original Honey Hog?

Yes — layering Honey Hog Hot over the original is a proper competition-style move, giving you a sweet base with an extra kick on top rather than replacing one for the other.

What's it best on?

Pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken and wings. It's built for proteins that take well to a sweet, glossy bark with some heat behind it.

Is it gluten free?

Yes, based on the listed ingredients, and there's no MSG on the panel. Always check the physical label for the most accurate ingredient and allergen information.