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homemade chili powder
Tonight’s menu had grilled steak tips on it. I love steak tips, but Melanie is not as a big of a fan. She likes her steak to have just stopped mooing, and steak tips tend to get a bit more well-done. Plus she doesn’t like the char.
So the marinade I had chosen for the tips was southwestern and a prime ingredient as chili powder. Unfortunately, when I went to the cupboard both our “in-use” jar and reserve stash were depleted. (Somebody forgot to put it on the spice shopping list.) What to do? Why, make our own of course!
I went online and looked at a bunch of recipes. Some were basically ground chili peppers and cumin and lacking in complexity, while others had everything from cinnamon to turmeric. However, I think what I eventually put together was just right and not too time-consuming to make.
Ingredients:
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5 Tablespoons ground ancho chili pepper
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a dry non-stick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Don’t skip this; the dry heat causes the natural oils in the herbs and spices to bloom and meld. Cook, stirring constantly, for about four to five minutes. You will start to see smoke near the end of the process and you should smell the cumin toasting.
Makes about 1/2 to 3/4 cups. Store in an airtight container where it should last for up to six months, but sure we won’t get to test that limit. We go through a lot of chili powder around here.
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