Keeping Busy On The Coffee Barbecue Rub Beat

Photo courtesy Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

One of my favorite things about writing for Vices — formerly known as Robb Vices and who, if you subscribe, will periodically send you a curated box of cool and fancy stuff — is that I get to write about a lot of topics that are out of my comfort zone. Whether or not I’m familiar with the intricacies of hot sauce or wineglasses or healing balms, if it’s going in the box, I’ve got to learn about it and explain why it’s so cool. Some items are harder than others to get worked up over — metal drinking straws are awesome, but taking 300 words to explain WHY they’re awesome can be a bit of a challenge.

For Vices’ coffee-themed box, I was asked to interview a grillmaster, meaning someone who has made a career out of making barbecue, about why coffee makes such a great barbecue rub, and how best to go about it if you’re an aspiring home griller yourself. Now, I am a certified Kansas City Barbecue Judge, which is another story for another time. But as far as cooking the stuff… I wouldn’t know how to smoke a brisket if you put a gun to my head. And I’m one of the few, the proud, the weirdos who don’t drink coffee. What can I tell you, I prefer tea or my beloved diet cola when I need a caffeine fix.

So knowing nothing about grilling or coffee, I went into my interview with Russ Faulk, author of the seminal grilling tome Food And Fire, with precious little knowledge to draw on for my questions. I’d like to think I acquitted myself well for the 15-20 minutes we chatted, although there were some pauses that made me wonder if he was thinking, “What kind of idiot did they get to talk to me?” But he was friendly and a pleasure to talk with, and he recommended a delicious-sounding thyme liqueur (which I have yet to pick up, but I’m going to, dammit) and a cocktail recipe in which to use it. So he’s all aces with me. And I think the article turned out pretty well, too. Have a look and decide for yourself, won’t you?