LOOT N' BOOTY: Gold Star Chicken Rub – 369g

Six perfect scores don't lie

Pure gold. This is the rub behind Loot N' Booty's first-place chicken call at the 2014 American Royal — a perfect 180 score against 165 grand-champion teams — and five more perfect 180s in chicken since. If judges keep giving it full marks, imagine what it does on a Tuesday night chook.

The flavour

An herby-salty concoction: savoury garlic, onion and celery seed up front, gentle sweetness and paprika through the middle, and a bright lemon lift on the finish that makes chicken skin sing.

How to cook with it

• Wings and drumsticks — smoked, grilled or fried
• Whole roast chicken or spatchcock
• Turkey at Christmas, when the pressure's on
• Chicken thighs for competition-glossy skin

In the jar

A golden-tinged savoury blend with a fine-to-medium grind that coats poultry evenly and crisps beautifully. The 13 oz jar earns its bench space fast.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Salt, dehydrated garlic, onion and bell pepper, sugar, spices including chili pepper, paprika, monosodium glutamate, mustard seed, celery seed, citric acid, natural hickory smoke flavour, extractives of turmeric (colour), lemon oil, papain enzyme, and no more than 2% tricalcium phosphate.

Dietary: Gluten friendly (as stated by the brand). Contains MSG; sensitivities: celery, mustard — always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Chef's kiss — and I don't hand those out on the record. Six perfect 180s means the judges keep trying to confiscate it for themselves. Dust your wings, crisp the skin, then finish with a drizzle of the Honey Gold BBQ Sauce from the same crew. The rest of the Loot N' Booty stash is behind the counter — ask for Darryl.