Americans insist on doing things their own way, don’t they?
“Oh, the world uses the metric system? We’ll make our own unit of measurement!”
“Football? Oh, no! We call that soccer. We have our own football.”
“The world spells it ‘kebab?’ We’ll go with ‘kabob.'”
We can’t settle all of these inconsistencies in one day, but we will start with ‘kebab.’ We’re siding with the rest of humanity on this one. K-E-B-A-B.
But, no matter how you want to spell it, these steak kebabs were made for our Midnight Toker blend. And they should be on your grill, like, yesterday.
The Midnight Toker blend has been a best-seller with barbecue dudes, grill masters and all around gangsters of love since we started. It includes some badass Syrian import chiles like the Aleppo chile flake — one that has more of a fruit flavor than the heat you’d expect. It’s the perfect blend to blast onto something as simple as kebabs and have the whole crew asking how you became a flavor master overnight.
Feel free to experiment with the meat and veggie combos on this recipe. Not only would it be great with chicken, you could also sub out some interesting vegetables depending on the season. Really, the only non-negotiable here is the Midnight Toker.
Everyone knows that when it comes to football, the tailgating is just as important as the watching. So, let’s make the part that we CAN control a real winner this season… Okay, coach?
This football season, just say no to sh*tty tailgate food. You can’t fix your team, but you can fix the food you’re eating on Saturday and Sundays.
And, we’ve got just what you need to win the Heisman of tailgating this year.
Basically, we’ve taken four of our best spice blends for tailgating and put ’em in one convenient place for you. Let’s break it down. Inside you’ll find…
A tailgate box exclusive! It may not feel like it’s time yet, but fall will be here before you know it. Nothing says, “I want to feed a crowd, but I don’t want to do a ton of dishes,” like chili. You’ve got this one in the bag, no matter how many beers you have on board. One pot, one spice blend. Use this to replace the spices in your favorite chili recipe.
Mango Chipotle Rub
Great on wings, grilled fruit, fish tacos and more, Mango Chipotle is for the folks who like to kick their tailgate game up a notch. If you like to switch up your weekend tailgating menu as much as Tennessee likes to swap coaches, this is the blend for you.
Want to add a little heat to the party? Sprinkle Sriracha Pow on anything that needs a kick in the pants. Terrific on tacos. Fantastic on fries. Stupendous on steak. I think we’re done here.
We also threw in another tailgate box exclusive — a dime bag of our nacho cheese blend (!!) You know, in case of emergencies. It’s for when your team’s really letting you down. Great on chips, popcorn, nachos, sauces and straight with your hands. (Just kidding… sort of.)
Like football season, this box won’t be here for long. Whether you’re the Saban of hosting tailgates or the mooch that owes the host a thank-you gift, there’s someone in your life that needs the tailgate box. Grab yours here.
Hot weather is ahead, and that means one thing — barbecue season.
Because everyone loved our cook chicken like a champ post, we decided to ring in the most wonderful time of the year (no offense, Christmas) with a post on how to cook pork like a pro. Starting with ribs, because, well… RIBS. You know?
But, if you like this porky post, we’ll keep rolling through different parts of the pig in the upcoming weeks, so let us know.
To learn about prepping pork, we consulted with our friends Tony Roberts and Dan Casey over at Proud Souls Barbecue. Not only do they cook amazing ‘cue, the also offer deals on specialty barbecue supplies, cooking classes, catering and more in their shop. You can check out their store for cookers, seasonings & supplies — including a custom blend we worked on together called Soul Swine. They’re located at 2485 N Federal Blvd., Denver. Click here to learn more.
How to Cook Pork Like a Pro — Ribs 101 with Proud Souls BBQ
1. Consider the Cut
“In the store, we prefer to cook spare ribs, preferably St. Louis cut,” Tony and Dan explained. “That’s because there is a higher fat content in spare ribs versus baby back ribs because that cut is closer to the belly of the pig. With more fat content, the ribs have a bigger window of time to be cooked successfully — basically, it’s less likely that you dry them out. Spare ribs are like bacon on a stick.”
Bacon on a stick? That’s poetry right there.
A rack of St. Louis cut spare ribs will typically have 10-12 bones, Tony and Dan estimate having 2-3 bones per person for a party where other items will be served. While you’re in the store, you’ll also need to grab apple juice, aluminum foil, butter and make sure you have your Spice Guy seasonings waiting for you at home.
2. Prep Properly
Once you’re home, unwrap the ribs, pat them dry and grab a knife.
“On the back of every rack is a membrane,” they explained. “We like to peel that off the bone-side because it helps the seasoning penetrate the meat itself. It also yields a better texture at the end. The finished product will be a lot more tender.”
After that, Tony and Dan said there are a lot of directions you can date. You can do a wet marinade (they like apple juice or peach nectar), but to keep things simple and delicious, they suggest going for a dry rub.
If you can’t head over to Proud Souls and buy your own container of Soul Swine, you can DIY it at home with brown sugar, smoked paprika, kosher salt, dark chili powder, ground mustard and cilantro flakes. Apply it liberally to both sides and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
“It’s important not to leave it in there too long,” they said. “That amount of time helps the ribs ‘sweat’ and absorb the spices, but you don’t want this to go on for too long. It’s important to keep most of the moisture in that meat since it will be cooking for a long time.”
3. Smoke or Bake
Now, while the ribs are marinating in the fridge, prep your oven or smoker. If you don’t have a smoker – the oven works wonderfully! Just preheat that baby to 275 degrees.
Once the oven and ribs are ready, pop them in there uncovered for 2 hours.
When that time is up, remove the ribs from the oven, and take out a big piece of aluminum foil. Curve the foil and add one cup of liquid and a quarter stick of butter. add the ribs on top and wrap in the foil completely. Add it back into the oven for an hour and a half.
“This helps tenderize the meat,” they explained. “You can get really creative with that cup of liquid, though. We like apple juice, but you could use Coca-cola, a beer, peach nectar — anything, really.”
After that time has passed, remove the ribs from the foil and add them to a cookie sheet. If you’re going to add a wet sauce, do it now to the meat-side of the ribs. Or, add another layer of the dry rub. Then, put them back in the oven for 10 minutes to let that set.
Remove from the oven, let rest for five minutes and serve!
Are you going to give this rib recipe a go? If you do, tag us on social media @thespiceguyco — we want to see it!
BBBG adds the smoky grill flavor without having to light one up. But, if you do have one to use, it just doubles the fun for those taste buds.
For a simple summer recipe, we smother chicken in the BBBG blend, grill it and add it to a grilled romaine salad and summer produce for a mouthful of summer. Try this one out, and we promise you’ll never look at romaine lettuce the same way again.
2 cups of small potatoes, softened (we used purple)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Salad dressing of your choice (we used blue cheese)
Instructions
Prep all veggies. Slice onion into long strips, wash and halve cherry tomatoes, wash and halve romaine lettuce lengthwise, scrub potatoes.
Trim and pat chicken breast dry. Cover in Buffalo Bill’s Black Gold seasoning, set aside.
Preheat grill or grill pan — see recipe notes below.
Preheat large skillet to medium heat on the stove.
Add olive oil or butter to skillet and caramelize onions for 20-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, but allowing onions to char. The longer the better.
While onions are cooking, prepare potatoes using your preferred method — you can roast, boil or microwave. We boiled, cut in half and added to onions for the last 10 minutes to crisp.
Add seasoned chicken to grill and grill for 10 to 15 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Set aside.
Brush cut side of romaine halves with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill until charred, for 2-4 minutes, checking often. They burn fast!
Assemble salad and serve.
Notes
If you don’t have a grill, the chicken is great in a skillet too. The Buffalo Bill’s Black Gold will give you the charred, grill taste regardless.
Make the recipe your own — switch up the vegetables, try different dressing, try a different protein, add fruit (grilled peaches, anyone?), etc.
While we love selling spices online to home chefs, we will never forget where we started — in person, with restaurants. What began as a few wholesale spice orders to restaurants in the Rocky Mountains has grown to more than 400 restaurant partners across the country. We’re inspired by these chefs every day, so we figured it’s only fair to share them with you so you can be inspired in your own kitchen too.
Dana Rodriguez, Co-Owner & Chef — Work & Class
If you know Denver food, you know Dana Rodriguez. This powerhouse is the co-owner and executive chef of Work & Class. She’s been nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest twice, and she and her partners (Tabatha Knop and Tony Macaig) are on their way to open Super Mega Bien next door this May. We’ve been working with Dana for more than a year now, and we can’t wait to help supply spices for Super Mega Bien this summer.
Why do you choose to work with The Spice Guy?
I met Zach while doing Denver Five because he was donating all of the spices to the dinner and we hit it off immediately. I really love what he does. The most important thing to me is supporting local businesses with organic products. He just does the right thing. He’s the best source for restaurants when you need something that’s hard to find. Lots of suppliers only offer what they have, but Zach is happy to go out and look for things. I think it’s fun for him.
What TSG products do you incorporate into your dishes?
Oh wow, a ton. The things we use most are the creole and cajun spices. He has powders from South America that you can’t find anywhere else. Yes, other people have Oaxacan peppers, but I have to wonder how long they’ve been sitting around. I don’t with Zach. And, the blends he makes are great for the menu that we serve here.
What do you wish more people knew about using herbs and spices?
To me, like with anything else, it’s important to know the source. Even with spices. You should treat all ingredients with respect. They don’t need chemicals to be great. It’s important to buy from people who are promoting that.
And, if I could get home cooks to try something new, I’d point them to Oaxacan peppers. People hear peppers and assume they’re going to be spicy, but they’re flavorful. Some are sweet, some are smoky. I want people to taste and try other things that help them realize not all peppers are spicy.
What are you most excited about right now?
The most important thing on my mind right now is opening Super Mega Bien. It’s going to be a pan-Latin dim sum place, with small plates inspired by countries across Latin and South America. We’re going to have the opportunity to change the menu all the time, and we’re never going to run out of inspiration with all of those countries. There will be small plates and family-style options. Like a lecon (half pig) with plantains and rice to share as a group.
At Work & Class, we try to make a difference in the industry with how we source and how we treat our employees. We want to open another restaurant to keep going and give our Work & Class team an opportunity to grow. We have people that have been with us for 10 years, and we’re excited to give them new opportunities.
I'm Zach. In 2013, I started selling spices to restaurants in Colorado. Today, THE SPICE GUY is growing faster than I could have imagined. This blog is where our team shares recipes, tips, interviews with influential food folks and more.
