Our Story

I met Granny in the summer of 1962 and we married in 1965. At the time, we were both still in college and each worked 2 jobs to stay in school and put food on our small table. When I started cooking and grilling for the family, I used a 55 barrel cooker. I used charcoal and burnt everything I attempted. I eventually graduated to a water smoker but still used charcoal for a better taste, however nothing had the flavor that I was looking for.

Fast forward to the mid-seventies, and Granny and I were raising 2 sons and a daughter. At some point, a propane company was going out of business. They had made several offset cookers and put them on sale for a real bargain. They were made from very thin metal but offered me a great opportunity to decrease the learning curve when it came to grilling. It was then that I began using mesquite to cook steaks, brisket, pork butt and loin, and chicken. Mesquite wood was the key to the flavor that I had been looking for. I used mesquite to cook for Granny and the kids for many years. I began using better quality meats, and eventually was able to cook a pretty good steak over mesquite coals.

By 2008, Granny and I were the proud grandparents of 7 grandchildren. I had become well-versed in grilling and smoking all sorts of meats in our backyard. One day, my son called and asked why I hadn’t ever signed up for the Texas Steak Cook-Off in Hico, Texas. Granny and I decided to attend that May to see if it was something we’d like to compete in. It was a great experience to witness the high level of cooking and great skill that made for some top of the line steaks. I knew we could cook, but there was something missing from the flavor of the meat. We needed a GREAT flavor if we wanted to stand a chance in Hico. We started developing our M5 Steak Rub using trial and error. We had friends over to try our steaks with various rub concoctions and got their critique: too much salt, too sweet, etc. We settled on what is now our signature spice blend for the M5 Steak Rub and feel it is the best in the country.

We entered the Texas Steak Cook-Off in 2009 and with the help of some friends and family placed second out of the hundreds of contestants present that year. It was the experience of a lifetime.

Today, Granny and I have been blessed with one great-grandchild. We have a small farm with plenty of mesquite wood, and we still love to make our rub and cook all sorts of things. Our rub is great on all kinds of meats, veggies, and anything else you could grill, smoke, roast, or saute.

I thank God for the privilege of living in America, for my great big and loving family, and especially for Granny, who was, is, and always will be the love of my life.

- Don “Gramps” McMillon