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The BBQ Republic Promise
354g BottleSweet Pork & Poultry Rub
Sugar + HoneySweet Southern Blend
Pork · Poultry · FishThe Versatile Sweet Rub
Gluten FreeNo MSG
The sweet pork rub that founded Meat Church. Honey Hog is Matt Pittman's sweet seasoning derived from his Southern American roots: a sugar and honey powder-based blend with paprika colour development, designed for pork ribs, pulled pork, poultry, fish and even roasted vegetables. One of the two original Meat Church seasonings that launched the brand, and one of the most versatile sweet rubs in the global BBQ rub market.
Where Hardcore Carnivore Sweet BBQ targets the Memphis-Kansas City competition rib niche, Honey Hog targets broader Southern sweet-BBQ tradition with wider protein versatility. The colour comes out amazing no matter the cook (paprika-driven, natural). The sweetness layers beautifully on pork ribs, pulled pork shoulder, smoked chicken, baked salmon and grilled vegetables. The result is a single rub jar that earns a permanent place in your seasoning cabinet.
As seen on BBQ Pitmasters. A Meat Church fan favourite from launch. Honey Hog became one of the most popular Meat Church rubs almost immediately on release and remains one of Matt Pittman's most-recommended seasonings on the Meat Church YouTube channel.
The Meat Church Founding Two
One of Matt Pittman's original seasonings.
Matt Pittman launched Meat Church with just two seasonings: the Central Texas-style beef rub Holy Cow, and the Southern-style sweet pork rub Honey Hog. These are the brand's founding products and remain the two most recognised Meat Church seasonings globally.
Holy Cow
The Central Texas brisket and beef rub. Built around the simple SPG-style philosophy of the legendary Austin and Lockhart BBQ joints (Franklin, Kreuz, Blacks, Smittys).
Honey Hog
This product. The Southern sweet pork and poultry rub. Built around sugar, honey powder and paprika to deliver the sticky-sweet finish that defines Southern BBQ tradition.
The Pittman Southern Tradition
Matt's Southern roots, in a bottle.
Matt Pittman grew up cooking BBQ in the American South, where pork ribs, pulled pork and smoked chicken are the headline traditions and sweet rubs are the default seasoning approach. The Southern BBQ school differs significantly from Central Texas tradition: Texas leans savoury (salt, pepper, garlic on premium beef); the South leans sweet (sugar, honey, paprika on pork and poultry). When Matt Pittman founded Meat Church, he needed both schools represented from day one. Holy Cow captured Central Texas. Honey Hog captured the South.
Honey Hog is built around the Southern sweet pork philosophy: sugar as the dominant flavour builder, honey powder layered in for complexity, paprika for colour development, and a backbone of dehydrated garlic and spice extractives for the savoury counterweight. The result is a rub that develops that distinctive sticky-sweet bark on pork ribs and pulled pork, the colour finish that defines competition Southern BBQ presentation, and enough versatility to also work beautifully on smoked chicken, beer can chicken, baked fish and even roasted root vegetables.
For Australian customers, this is one of the most respected American Southern BBQ rubs now stocked at BBQ Republic. Honey Hog is the rub for cooks who want authentic Southern sweet pork tradition with the versatility to season more than just ribs.
Honey Hog is built for low-and-slow cooking. Avoid high direct heat.
The sugar content in Honey Hog (sugar is the first ingredient, plus honey powder) is exactly what makes Southern-style ribs and pulled pork taste right. However, sugar burns at high direct heat (above 175°C / 350°F), which means Honey Hog is not the right rub for hot-seared steaks or smashburgers. Use Honey Hog on low-and-slow smoker or kamado cooks (typically 110-135°C), or apply Honey Hog to grilled meat in the LAST few minutes of cooking as a glaze finish rather than at the start. For high-heat applications, use Meat Church Holy Cow instead (the Central Texas SPG-style beef rub).
One of Meat Church's Founding Two
One of the two original Meat Church seasonings that launched the brand. Holy Cow and Honey Hog: the founding pair, the most recognised Meat Church rubs globally, and the brand's heritage SKUs.
Beautiful Colour Development
The paprika and natural ingredients deliver beautiful colour on cooked meat. As Matt Pittman puts it: "the colour comes out amazing, no matter the cook." Important for competition presentation.
Versatile Across Proteins
Pork ribs, pulled pork, poultry, fish AND vegetables. Honey Hog is among the most versatile sweet rubs available: works on more proteins than competition-focused alternatives.
Gluten Free, No MSG
Officially gluten free. No added MSG. Recognisable ingredients including sugar, salt, real honey powder, paprika, garlic. Suitable for customers with coeliac disease and MSG sensitivities.
Specifications
Product TypeSouthern-style sweet BBQ rub for pork, poultry, fish and vegetables
Net Weight354g (12.5 oz) standard bottle. Also available in 450g (1 lb) re-sealable bag and 2.27kg (5 lb) bulk bag. Contact us for competition catering quantities.
Flavour ProfileSweet (sugar dominant), honey-layered, paprika colour, classic Southern spice profile. Builds sticky bark on slow-cooked pork.
IngredientsSugar, salt, honey powder (refined syrup, honey), spices including paprika, dextrose, dehydrated garlic, celery, silicon dioxide (anti-caking, less than 2%), spice extractives
CredentialsGluten free. No MSG.
Cooking TemperatureBuilt for low-and-slow cooking (110-135 degrees C). High direct heat above 175 degrees C will burn the sugar content. Apply late in cook for grilled applications.
Best ForPork ribs (Southern competition style), pulled pork shoulder, smoked chicken (wings, drumsticks, whole), beer can chicken, smoked salmon and baked fish, roasted root vegetables, pork belly.
Not Ideal ForHigh-heat grilled beef steaks (use Meat Church Holy Cow instead). Brisket (Holy Cow). Anything requiring restrained savoury profile (Holy Cow).
Brand HeritageOne of the two founding Meat Church seasonings (alongside Holy Cow). Derived from Matt Pittman's Southern American BBQ roots.
Media ProvenanceAs seen on BBQ Pitmasters (US television). Featured across Matt Pittman's Meat Church YouTube channel.
Country of OriginUSA. Founded and produced in Waxahachie, Texas.
What to cook with Meat Church Honey Hog
- Pork ribs (the headline application, Southern competition style)
- Pulled pork shoulder (12-hour low and slow)
- Pork belly and pork belly burnt ends
- Smoked chicken wings, drumsticks and whole birds
- Beer can chicken (Southern sweet style)
- Smoked turkey (Thanksgiving and Christmas applications)
- Smoked salmon and baked white fish
- Roasted root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips)
- Pork chops and pork tenderloin
- Finishing dust on pulled pork sliders
Works perfectly with
Kamado Pork Cooks
Big Green Egg
The Big Green Egg is the ideal cooker for Honey Hog-rubbed Southern pork ribs and pulled pork. Tight low temperature control prevents sugar burning across long cooks. BBQ Republic is an Official Big Green Egg Platinum Dealer.
Shop Big Green Egg
Competition Pork
Yoder Smokers
Yoder pellet grills are the competition pellet grill of choice. The same teams that compete on Matt Pittman's Meat Church YouTube channel use Yoder cookers with Honey Hog as their pork rub. BBQ Republic is Australia's largest Yoder dealer.
Shop Yoder Smokers
The Southern Pork Smoke Pairing
Apple Wood Chunks
Honey Hog plus apple smoke is the iconic American Southern pork rib combination. Sweet rub builds the sticky surface; apple smoke layers in sweet fruit character. The classic American competition pork pairing.
Shop Apple Chunks
Explore the sweet pork rub range at BBQ Republic
Honey Hog is the Meat Church founding sweet pork rub (Matt Pittman's Southern tradition). For a Memphis-Kansas City competition alternative with a three-sweetener blend, Hardcore Carnivore Sweet BBQ (by Australian-born Jess Pryles) is the choice. Both are excellent sweet pork rubs: Honey Hog for Meat Church / Southern brand affinity and broader protein versatility (fish and vegetables too), Sweet BBQ for Memphis competition focus and three-layer sweetness depth. For the Meat Church beef sibling, see Holy Cow.
Shop All Rubs and Seasonings
Buy from a BBQ Specialist
The Sydney BBQ specialist for premium American rubs.
BBQ Republic cooks on this gear every day. We know which rub pairs with which protein, which smoke wood complements which seasoning, and which combinations the pitmasters of the American South would put together. Meat Church Honey Hog is on display and in stock at our Wetherill Park showroom for immediate pickup or Sydney metro delivery.
Frequently asked questions
What does Honey Hog taste like?
Sweet, sticky, with classic Southern BBQ character. The sugar-dominant flavour profile, layered with honey powder for complexity and paprika for warmth and colour, delivers the kind of sweet-savoury balance that defines Southern competition pork ribs and pulled pork. Not aggressively sweet (the salt and savoury spice components balance the sugar), and the paprika colour development is described by Matt Pittman as "amazing, no matter the cook." Versatile enough to also work on chicken, fish and roasted vegetables.
Honey Hog vs Hardcore Carnivore Sweet BBQ: which should I choose?
Both are excellent sweet pork rubs from different brand authorities. Honey Hog is the broader-versatility rub: works on pork, poultry, fish AND vegetables, with sugar plus honey powder as the sweetness base. Made by Meat Church / Matt Pittman, derived from his Southern American roots, and one of the brand's founding two seasonings. Hardcore Carnivore Sweet BBQ is the focused Memphis-Kansas City competition rib rub: three-sweetener formula (white sugar + brown sugar + honey powder), made by Australian-born Jess Pryles, more focused application range. Honey Hog has the gluten-free / MSG-free credentials explicitly displayed; Sweet BBQ does not list these. Both work brilliantly. For broader protein versatility choose Honey Hog. For Memphis competition rib focus choose Sweet BBQ. Many serious BBQ cooks own both.
Honey Hog vs Meat Church Holy Cow: what is the difference?
These are the two founding Meat Church seasonings and they target completely different proteins. Holy Cow is the Central Texas-style beef rub: simple SPG-derived profile (salt, spice, garlic), built for brisket and steaks, robust and savoury. Honey Hog is the Southern-style sweet pork rub: sugar-dominant profile with honey powder and paprika, built for pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken, fish and vegetables. Owning both gives you complete Meat Church coverage across beef cooks AND pork-poultry-fish cooks: the original Matt Pittman rub cabinet.
Will Honey Hog burn at high heat?
Yes, sugar burns at temperatures above approximately 175 degrees C (350 degrees F), so Honey Hog is NOT suited to high-heat direct grilling on its own. For low-and-slow cooks at 110-135 degrees C in a smoker, kamado or pellet grill, the sugar caramelises beautifully into sticky Southern-style bark without burning. For high-heat grilled chicken or pork chops where you want sweet character, apply Honey Hog only in the LAST 5-10 minutes of cooking as a glaze finish. For high-heat beef cooks (steaks, smashburgers, hot sears), use Meat Church Holy Cow instead.
What should I cook with Honey Hog?
The headline applications are pork ribs (Southern competition style) and pulled pork shoulder. Beyond that, Honey Hog is unusually versatile: smoked chicken wings, drumsticks and whole birds, beer can chicken, pork belly, pork chops, smoked salmon and other fish, and even roasted root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips). Matt Pittman explicitly recommends Honey Hog on vegetables, which is unusual for a sweet pork rub and reflects the broader Southern BBQ tradition of seasoning side dishes the same way as the proteins. Avoid using Honey Hog on premium beef cuts (use Holy Cow instead) or anywhere requiring restrained savoury character.
What is Matt Pittman's "Southern roots" reference?
Matt Pittman grew up cooking BBQ in the American South, where the regional BBQ tradition centres on slow-cooked pork ribs, pulled pork shoulder and sweet rubs applied across long low-and-slow cooks. Southern BBQ differs from Central Texas BBQ (which leans savoury with SPG-style beef rubs) in being focused on pork, sweet flavour development, and sticky bark presentation. Honey Hog captures that Southern sweet pork philosophy directly: sugar dominant, honey layered, paprika for colour. It is the rub Matt Pittman built to honour the BBQ tradition he grew up cooking before he relocated to Texas and built Meat Church.
Is Honey Hog gluten free and MSG free?
Yes, officially. Honey Hog is gluten free and contains no added MSG. The ingredients list is short and recognisable: sugar, salt, honey powder, paprika, dextrose, dehydrated garlic, celery, and a small amount of silicon dioxide (under 2%) as an anti-caking agent. Suitable for customers with coeliac disease, MSG sensitivities, and most premium ingredient requirements. As always, customers with strict dietary requirements should review the full ingredient label on the actual product or contact us with specific questions.
What smoke wood pairs best with Honey Hog?
Apple is the classic Southern sweet pork pairing. Sweet rub plus apple smoke is the iconic American competition pork rib combination: sweet rub builds the sticky surface; apple smoke layers in sweet fruit character. Cherry is the alternative for pulled pork (adds visual mahogany finish to the meat surface). Pecan also works beautifully for sweeter, milder smoke. Avoid mesquite (too intense for sweet pork) and hickory in heavy quantities (works but can overpower the sugar character).
What pack sizes are available?
Honey Hog is available in three sizes. The standard 354g (12.5 oz) bottle suits home cooks doing occasional pork rib and chicken cooks. The 450g (1 lb) re-sealable bag suits frequent cooks who go through more rub. The 2.27kg (5 lb) bulk bag suits competition teams, restaurants, and households with multiple cooks per week. Contact BBQ Republic on 0434 010 411 for current stock availability across the three sizes and for bulk competition quantities.
Can I pick up from the showroom?
Yes. Meat Church Honey Hog is on display and available for immediate pickup from our Wetherill Park showroom, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm. Sydney metro delivery is also available. Call 0434 010 411 to arrange. Multiple pack sizes typically in stock.
