Monday, December 15, 2014

Dry Rubs and Seasonings

We had a great pepper season and I was able to dry lots of cayenne peppers which I later ground into a powder. With plenty of cayenne, I made a couple of spice blends to keep in the pantry. I like to pass all the ingredients through a fine mesh sieve to eliminate spice clumps. Store seasonings in an airtight container and use within six months.

I add taco seasoning to enchiladas, soups and dips (and tacos, of course).
Feel free to add more or less cayenne, depending on how much heat
you prefer. I also added some of our dried cilantro. 

Taco Seasoning
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container. To season taco meat, add 2 Tbsp spice blend and 1/2 cup water to 1 pound ground meat. Simmer for 5 minutes.



Made with brown sugar, this BBQ rub pairs well with pork. I especially like to
rub on a rack of ribs and place in the fridge overnight before grilling.
 

BBQ Rub
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne
Combine all ingredients and place in an airtight container.



2 comments:

  1. how about a way to do the taco seasoning without the corn starch?

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    Replies
    1. The corn starch is there only to make the taco filling saucier. As it boils, the starch thickens the pan juices. You can substitute another thickener (flour, potato starch, arrowroot, etc) or leave it out completely.

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