Give Your Rub the Rub. Try a Chile Marinade.


chile01.jpg

The next time you decide to smoke a Boston butt or a picnic shoulder you may want to consider an alternative to a simple rub. At most competitions you’ll see competitors viciously rubbing their pork with pounds and pounds of homemade rubs, the ingredients of which are a secret that they will certainly die for.

While I can appreciate the rub and its uses in competitive barbeque, I think its good to deviate from the standard once in while. Besides, the toasted chilies in this recipe in combination with the spices can add unbelievable depth of flavor that may not be possible with an ordinary rub.

What you’ll need:

  • 8-10 medium Guajillo peppers
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tsp. oregano
  • 1 Tsp. black pepper
  • 2 TBSP salt
  • Water

Step 1: Stem and Seed Use a sharp knife to cut out the stems of the peppers and discard them. Slide the knife down one side of the pepper, splitting it open. Pick out all of the seeds and discard.

Step 2: Toasting Heat an iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. place three or four peppers flat on the dry skillet or griddle and toast them for a few minutes on each side. Be careful of any smoke that wisps up. It will singe your eyes and lungs. Don’t forget … these are hot peppers.

Step 3: Hydration Place the toasted peppers in a large bowl and fill with enough warm tap water to completely cover them. Set a medium bowl inside to keep the peppers submerged. Soak them for 30 minutes.

chile02.jpg

Step 4: Make the Puree Place the re-hydrated chilies in a food processor or blender and add a couple of cups of the soaking liquid. Puree until smooth. You may have to add more water to keep the mixture smooth and running through the blades. Season this mixture heavily with the salt. The peppers by themselves can be very bitter.

chile03.jpg

Pour the marinade over the pork butt and use spatula or your hands to work it into the cracks. Marinate overnight before smoking.

Adam Byrd is the Editor-in-Chief of Men in Aprons. He love to celebrate good times, come on. And he swears to God there was no intentionally innuendo in this post



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March 23rd, 2007
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Todd M. Johns
Posted on:
March 23, 2007 at 3:32 pm

This looks to be excellent on pork steaks or chops! Yum.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Neil Murray
Posted on:
March 26, 2007 at 3:46 am

Innuendos aside, is this the sort of thing that could be injected into the butt, or is it too strong?

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Dr. Biggles
Posted on:
March 27, 2007 at 7:10 pm

OH yes, love the roasted chile action. The recipe I’ve been using uses sugar to deal with the bitter chiles. While I don’t use sugar in my rubs, it works exceptionally well here. It brings out the warm, round flavors of the chile pepper, so nice.

I’ve used many combinations of chile peppers and rely on New Mexicans as my base and then play from there. You’d think it was a very strong flavored sauce, it’s just the opposite. Especially when smoked for many hours. If I’m thinkin’ far enough ahead, I’ll let it sit in the baggie for 3 days.
During the smoking process squeeze fresh lemon juice over. Then to finish it gets a light dusting of habanero (don’t roll that N!) powder.

This is also a great base for making a pot of good chili. MmMmmm, chili.

Biggles