Spicy Cowboy Sparkle Dust: My Lazy-Day Secret (Salad in a Jar)

Sometimes I’m a lazy cook.

Don’t bother me with a recipe and don’t make me pull out a cookbook. Just give me some sparkle dust (seasoning mix) to transform my plain meat or veggies into something wonderful and marvelous.

My favorite homemade seasoning mix is slightly adapted from A Cowboy in the Kitchen by Grady Spears of Reata Restaurant fame. I know there are a bazillion rubs and seasoning mixes on the market (see my cabinet for a few half-empty jars of mystery spices), but I prefer to make it myself so the ingredients will be fresh, and then I’ll know exactly what’s in there.

Don’t think this mix is just for the grill and/or steaks. We love it on chicken, ribs, pork roast, fresh corn, squash, and almost any Mexican recipe that calls for chili powder-type flavors.

Dried peppers are readily available at my grocery store–for cheap. Experiment with other types of chilies, especially if this specific kind is not available.

Pull off the stems and dump out the seeds. Grinding the seeds along with the peppers will yield even more heat if that’s what you’re after, but not me, so I throw them away.

I don’t use this coffee grinder for coffee ever since I discovered this German coffee online. The grinder has been repurposed solely for grinding spices.

I recently bought a label maker. Can you tell?

I found this stray picture in a file, but no pictures of the finished ribs. Nevertheless, maybe it will show you how to use this seasoning mix. Sprinkle over the top to your taste and grill, bake, or cook as desired.

Homemade Spicy Seasoning Mix
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A blend of ground chili peppers, salt, and other seasonings to add flavor to meats and veggies
Author: Adapted from A Cowboy in the Kitchen by Grady Spears Recipe type: Condiment
Ingredients

1 1-1/2 ounce package dried guajillo peppers
4 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons dried granulated garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground thyme

Instructions

Remove stems from peppers, split them, and take out the seeds.
Place into a skillet set on medium and cook until dark and crispy. Be careful not to let them burn.
Remove skillet from stove and allow peppers to cool. Break crispy peppers into smaller pieces and use a coffee grinder to grind into a powder.
In small bowl, combine ground peppers and remaining ingredients.
Store in a covered jar in the pantry. Does not need to be refrigerated.

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Paula Rhodes

Spicy Cowboy Sparkle Dust: My Lazy-Day Secret