south-of-the-border essential: all-round spice mix

How To Make south-of-the-border essential: all-round spice mix

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  PREP/PREPARE
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  You will need a spice or coffee grinder to make this mix.
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  Helping Spices Out Most spices, with the exception of things like salt, can benefit from an additional step before using… Pan heating. Add the spices to a cold pan, and then bring it up to medium heat. Continue to stir until the spices smell fragrant, about 2 – 3 minutes. Be advised that from the moment they smell fragrant to the moment that they overcook and burn, is a matter of 10 – 15 seconds, so as soon as you smell them, remove the pan from the heat, then immediately remove the spices from the skillet. Even if you turn off the heat, the spices will continue to toast in the residual heat of the pan. Why Does This Work Since the whole point of using spices is to enhance the flavor of the dish you are making, it makes sense to do everything you can to make them more flavorful, yes? Heating the spices (blooming) draws out the oils from the spices, emphasizing and emboldening their flavors. It can even take spices that are a bit long-in-the-tooth and bring them to new flavorful life. Note: If you are making a spice mix, do not cook the spices when you make the mix, cook them just before you “use” the mix in your recipe.
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  Salt If you are on a salt-restricted diet, then you can leave it out, or reduce it. You can always add a bit more later. Chili Powder The chili powder contributes to the heat and overall flavor of this spice mix. I like ancho for its deep smokey flavor notes, but if you have a favorite chili powder, use it. Full Stop. Paprika Smoked paprika works best, but if you have mild or hot, feel free to substitute. Dehydrated Onions The dehydrated onions add a mellow onion flavor to the mix; almost, as if you sautéed the onions before adding them. I use them in all kinds of dishes. If you do not have any, no worries, just replace them with about 2 teaspoons of onion powder. My goal of using the ancho chili powder and smoked paprika was to give the spice mix some nice mellow smokey flavor notes, and the white pepper imparts a nice sweet heat.
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  Storage of homemade condiments and spices Because homemade spices and condiments do not contain any preservatives, it is important to store them properly. Non-reactive (glass) containers with tight-fitting lids are a must. If I am making a dry spice, I love to use old spice bottles that I have run through the dishwasher. If I am doing homemade sauces, I love using Weck jars. They are all glass, come in all sizes and shapes, and have excellent leakproof lids. If you shop online, you can go to Amazon, and type in “Weck Jars” and you will find a ton of them. Dry spices should be kept in a cool space, away from sunlight (spice cabinet), and sauces, in most cases, should be stored in the fridge. If properly stored, this spice mix should last up to a year.
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  Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
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  Mix all the ingredients together, grind to a uniform consistency, then store according to the provided suggestions.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Use in any Mexican dish where you want to kick it up a bit. Enjoy.
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  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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