Celebrating Community with Fighting Monkey Press: Recipes

The Eighty Six Barbecue Rub

Ingredients:

Dried Chilies

2 parts Turbinado Sugar

1 part Salt

1 part Various Seasonings

You will also need:

Food-Processor

Jar with a Lid

I like using a food-processor to grind everything into a fine consistency, but if you don't have one, you can use pre-ground chili-powder and/or paprika. How much? Depends on your taste and the heat of your powder.

Step One:

Measure your jar. Find out how many cups it holds and divide that by five. That will be “one part”.

Step Two:

Take the stems from a handful of chilies and grind them in the food processor. I get japones and anchos cheap at my favorite market, so I typically use those, but use what you like. I can't say that I count or measure them. This whole thing will take some experimenting before you get it the way you like. Also, I don't know how hot you like it. I have to dial mine down a little because my family doesn't have my tolerance for capsaicin.

Grind the chilies for a half-minute or so until they've broken into little bits. Take the lid off the food-processor and take a deep whiff. If you have a cold. Or just love to sneeze.

Smoked Pork Loin with Bacon and Wild Rice Stuffing

Step Three:

Add the sugar and give it another spin. The graininess of the sugar will break the chilies down further. I like the turbinado (raw) sugar because it has more flavor than white sugar without the moisture of brown sugar. If you make this with brown sugar, it will clump together.

Step Four:

Add the salt and spin it again. I use kosher salt, sea salt or both. Adjust the amount of salt to your personal taste.

Step Five:

Add the seasonings. Whatever you got. Whatever you like. Onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, cumin, curry, ground black pepper, dry mustard. If you're feeling funky add celery seed, coriander or a tiny bit of anise. Often this portion is a bit larger than the salt portion because I have so many good things I want to put in there. Spin it again.

Step Six:

Take off the lid, being careful of fumes and dust, and give it a taste. It should be intense. It should grab you by the boo-boo. You should get a balance of sweet, salty, spicy and savory. Decide now if you need a little more of any flavor. When it's done, pour it into your jar after stabbing some holes in the lid.

My Pork Spare-Ribs

Step Seven:

Put it on anything. We put this on everything but cereal in my house. Of course, I like this on things I'll barbecue, especially ribs, but that's another post. For tips on barbecue or anything food, ask my cooking guru Alton Brown.

Find more great recipes at the Fighting Monkey Press Celebrating Community Event.