Fort Lancaster Pork Rub

Well now, pull up a stump and listen close—’cause if you’re cookin’ ribs, pork loin, chops, or that wild javelina your cousin swears he “accidentally ran into,” you’re gonna want my Fort Lancaster Pork Rub. I whip this stuff up in small batches for Twisted Lizard Mercantile, ’cause good seasoning deserves the same attention you’d give a new saddle or a cranky mule. Fourteen spices go in—Ancho, Chipotle, Smoked Paprika, and a smidge of brown sugar to keep it from barkin’ at ya. This blend’ll make a pork roast so good it might just trot back to the table askin’ for another helping.

Now let me tell you why it’s called Fort Lancaster. That place stretched across the desert like it was tryin’ to hold Texas together with grit and wishful thinkin’. Soldiers, pioneers, mail riders, and every dusty soul headin’ to California wandered through there. Some looked so tired they could’ve used a nap in a rattlesnake den.

And here’s the kicker—camels. Yep, real-life, hump-backed, desert grumblers. The Army hauled ’em in, thinkin’ they’d replace mules. Those camels strutted around like they owned the fort, complained the whole time, and spit at anybody who looked at ’em crooked. I kinda admired ’em.

Now, the hills around that fort were also traveled by Native folks followin’ the seasons and the sweet drink of the Pecos River. Beautiful country—but their paths and the soldiers’ paths didn’t always braid together peaceful-like, and the place saw its fair share of ruckus.

So when I shake out this rub, I like to think it carries a little of that old frontier spirit—bold, smoky, stubborn, and just sweet enough to talk its way out of trouble.

Sprinkle it on your pork, give it a good rubdown, and you’ll have yourself a meal that’ll make your boots tap the table leg.