What Is SPG Seasoning?

SPG seasoning is salt, pepper and garlic mixed into one blend. The letters stand for exactly that. It started as a barbecue rub for brisket and steak, and it works on almost anything savory: burgers, chicken, roasted vegetables, eggs and potatoes.

That is all it is. Three things you already own, in one shaker, so you stop reaching for three. The rest of this page covers what it tastes like, what to put it on, how much to use, and what to look for on the label if you buy it instead of mixing it.

What does SPG taste like?

Like well-seasoned food, and not much else. That is the point of it.

Salt brings out the flavor already in the meat. Black pepper adds a little bite. Garlic fills in the middle with something warm and savory. There is no heat to speak of, no sweetness, and no herb that shouts. A good SPG disappears into the food. People do not say "what is that seasoning?" They say "this is a really good steak."

What do you use SPG seasoning on?

Barbecue cooks made it famous on big cuts of beef, but it earns its spot on the counter with everyday cooking. Here is where it does its best work:

• Steak and burgers. Season generously right before a hot pan or grill. The garlic toasts into the crust. We go deeper on timing in How to Season a Ribeye Steak for a Perfect Grilled Crust.
• Brisket, pot roast and pork shoulder. The classic low-and-slow coat. Season the night before if you can.
• Chicken thighs and whole roast chicken. Under the skin and over it.
• Roasted vegetables. Potatoes, broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts. Toss with oil, shake, roast hot.
• Breakfast. Scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sliced tomatoes, avocado toast.
• The holiday table. Mashed potatoes, green beans and the turkey all take it well.

Where it does not belong: anything sweet, and anything delicate enough that garlic would take over, like a mild white fish with lemon.

How much SPG should you use?

Our house rule is about one tablespoon per pound of meat. For vegetables, start with a teaspoon per pound and taste after roasting.

One thing to remember: SPG is your salt. If a recipe calls for salt and pepper and you use SPG instead, leave the other salt out. Taste at the end and add more only if the dish asks for it.

Can you make SPG at home?

You can, and plenty of people do. There is no official ratio. A common starting point is two parts kosher salt, one part coarse black pepper and one part granulated garlic, mixed in a jar and adjusted to your taste.

Two tips if you mix your own. Use granulated garlic, not garlic powder, because the fine powder sinks to the bottom and clumps. And match the grain sizes as closely as you can, so every shake gives you all three and not just the salt.

What to look for when you buy it

Turn the bottle around. An SPG blend should have three ingredients. If the list runs longer, the extras are usually there for the factory, not for your dinner. Things like silicon dioxide or calcium silicate keep the powder flowing through machines and out of the shaker. They are not flavor.

Reading a spice label is a skill worth having, and it takes about ten seconds once you know how. We walk through it in Is Sea Salt Lower in Sodium? How to Read a Spice Label.

The SPG we make

The OG is our SPG. It has three ingredients: sea salt, organic garlic and organic black pepper. It is USDA Certified Organic, with no MSG, no fillers and no anti-caking agents. The name stands for Ode to Garlic, which tells you which of the three we are most sentimental about.

Because there is nothing in it to keep it flowing, it may clump a little in a humid kitchen. Give the pouch a squeeze or break it up with a fork. That is just three real ingredients behaving like three real ingredients.

It comes in a 5 oz resealable pouch, which is the one we would buy. SPG is the blend you reach for most nights, so you go through it faster than anything else in the cabinet.

And when you want more going on than three ingredients, Divine Bovine is the next step up for beef. It starts with the same sea salt, garlic and cracked black pepper, then adds whole caraway, coriander, mustard and dill seeds for a steakhouse crust.

Quick answers

What does SPG stand for?

Salt, pepper, garlic. Some people use it as a verb: "just SPG it." It means season the food with those three and leave it alone.

Is SPG the same as garlic salt?

No. Garlic salt is two ingredients, salt and garlic, and it is usually ground fine. SPG adds black pepper and is usually coarser, which is why it builds a better crust on meat.

Is SPG seasoning gluten-free?

Salt, pepper and garlic contain no gluten on their own. Blends can pick it up from added starches or fillers, so check the label. Every Flavor Seed blend is gluten-free, The OG included.

That is SPG. Three ingredients, one shaker, and a lot less rummaging through the spice cabinet at 6 p.m. Free shipping kicks in at $25 if you are stocking up.