Too much chili powder results in a dry rub that is too spicy.
Dry rubs transform food from ordinary into extraordinary. The flavors of the rub permeate the meat, chicken or fish. Dry rubs work their magic on vegetables as well. Before getting started with a new commercially made dry rub or new recipe you're trying for the first time, stir a bit of it into sour cream. Taste the mixture to see if has just the right amount of spice for you. If it's a five-alarm spice flavor and you can only tolerate two-alarm, you'll need to tone the rub down.
Instructions
Before the Rub
1. Add mild dry herbs such as parsley or paprika to the dry rub. If it's very spicy, add 1 tbsp. of herbs to every 3 tbsp. of dry rub.
2. Mix 1 tbsp. brown sugar into the dry rub. The sweetness cuts the heat. Start with 1 tbsp. to every 1/4 cup of dry rub.
3. Make an extra 1/4 cup of your dry rub recipe without the hot pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, mustard, black pepper or other seasoning used for heat. Combine the two mixtures together.
After the Rub
4. Scrape off as much rub as possible from the meat or chicken with a butter knife. Reapply fresh rub made without the hot spices. What you couldn't scrape off will still flavor the meat, but the spice level won't be as hot.
5. Rinse off the rub with fruit juice. Enough of the rub will remain to be somewhat flavorful. The fruit juice's sweetness cuts the heat.
6. Start over by holding the meat under running water. Pat dry. Tone down the rub with additional herbs then reapply.
After Cooking
7. Make a sauce for the meat that doesn't include any spices. Serve over the meat.
8. Shred the meat. Combine with sweet peppers, mild onions or other vegetables and serve. The vegetables add bulk to the dish and spreads the spiciness out.
9. Cut the meat into shreds. Combine with sweet peppers, mild onions or other vegetables and serve.
Tags: Combine with, Combine with sweet, cuts heat, cuts heat Start, fruit juice
