The latest culinary tricks of the trade come from chefs who share their special spice blends in their cookbooks or recipes published in magazines and newspaper features. A few are nothing more than salt and pepper whereas others are more complex. Ultimately it’s the proportions that count, a blending that promises to make your food sing with flavor.
I’ve found six noteworthy chef blends that I use fairly regularly to season roasts, chops and steaks to more specific needs such as a wonderful recipe for glazed pork ribs and another for an awfully good meatloaf. Here’s the selection.
From top middle, clockwise: dried onion powder, pork rub, Savannah Rub, Perfect Roast Blend, Four Season Blend, Magic Dust
Barbecue master Adam Perry Lang offers the Four Season Blend in his book Charred and Scruffed. I now use it to season meats of all stripes from chops and steaks to roasts. It’s basically kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt and cayenne.
Formula: 1 cup kosher or sea salt; 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons garlic salt and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Mix all together and put in a spice blender to grind until sandy in texture. Note: I’ve omitted this step and preferring the blend on the coarse side instead.
A recent food article in the Wall Street Journal showcased Philadelphia chef Damon Menapace of Kensington Quarters for country style pork ribs that are marinated in his seasoning blend overnight. It was a terrific recipe, which I’ve made many times over and now keep a jar of the spice blend in my pantry.
Formula: 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup dark brown sugar; 1 tablespoon paprika; 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.
Mix everything together and sprinkle over the meat to marinate overnight. (See recipe link for Country Style Pork Ribs ). Otherwise store in an air-tight container. A good general spice blend for pork
Spices stored in jars re-used from put-up farmers’ market products
A most intriguing blend is offered by author Miss Robbie in her book Sweetie Pie’s Cookbook in which she calls for homemade dried onion soup mix used in recipes such as meatloaf to black-eyed peas. This is a great alternative to Lipton’s onion soup mix; and all the ingredients are natural. Though I admit that the use of beef bouillon powder was a bit off putting since I could only find a brand that had the beef flavor but not the real thing in dehydrated form. I’ve used chicken bouillon powder, which is less processed.
Formula: 1/4 cup beef (or chicken) bouillon powder; 3/4 cup dried minced onions; 1/2 cup onion powder; 4 teaspoons dried parsley flakes; 1 tablespoons ground turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon celery salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar. Put all the ingredients in a food processor or other grinder and pulse until it’s mostly powder; you should still be able to see bits of the dried minced onions. Store in a jar.
Some of the blends are no brainers such as in author Bruce and Eric Bromberg’s cookbook Blue Ribbon. Their Perfect Sauté Seasoning is just salt and ground white pepper. But the Perfect Roast Seasoning gains some character with the use of kosher salt, finely ground black pepper and dried thyme. It’s a good all-purpose mix.
Formula: 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper and 1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme. Mix everything together and store in a jar.
In A Real Southern Cook in her Savannah Kitchen, author Dora Charles swears by her Savannah Blend. She uses it a lot on chicken, meat, eggs and vegetables. Its main ingredient is Lowry Salt, an old stalwart of the American kitchen. I’ve used it in sauces, egg dishes and on pork chops.
Formula: 1/3 cup Lawry’s seasoned salt; ¼ cup kosher salt; 2 scant tablespoons granulated garlic or garlic powder and 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything together and store in a glass jar.
From what I consider one of the best books on BBQ cookery, Peace, Love and Barbecue by Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe is Magic Dust, an incredible spice rub that will make your ribs and other BBQ meats and preps absolutely delicious.
Formula: 1/2 cup paprika; 1/4 cup kosher salt; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons mustard powder; 1/4 cup chili powder such as ancho;1/4 cup ground cumin; 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper;1/4 cup granulated garlic and 2 tablespoons (or to taste) cayenne. Mix all together and stir in a jar.
