Tag: spices

It’s All Pickle Relish and It’s All Good!

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After a review of various recipes for chow-chow pickle relish and learning that there is no set recipe but more a list of loose guidelines or starting points from which to prepare your own. I realized that there is a great deal of latitude when preparing it. All items should be cut or chopped rather small. About 1/4 inch is about right and even smaller is okay too. In my list below, beans and corn do not need to be modified. The simplest relish can contains just a few of the above ingredients. I know someone who only zuchinni squash cut up into very small pieces for her relish which she called “cha-cha”. I knew right away that there is plenty of freedom to make changes – even in the name itself. So, it seems that pickle relishes not matter what you call them or how you make them evolve over time, but the various base ingredients stay relatively the same.

A list of possible vegetable ingredients for chow-chow:

  • Cabbage – red or green
  • Tomatoes Green or Ripe
  • Onions
  • Cucumbers
  • Squash
  • Bell Peppers – Green, Yellow, Red
  • Hot Peppers – Jalapeno, Serrano, Hot Chili, Tobasco
  • Celery
  • Cooked and Drained Kernel Corn
  • Cooked and Drained Beans – Pinto, White, or Black
  • Cilantro
  • Fresh Garlic Cloves
  • Horseradish (Louisianna Cajun style)

The base liquid is water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.

Along with these 4 main ingredients a variety of spices can be added:

  • Turmeric
  • Cayenne Powder
  • Flaked, Dry Cayenne
  • Garlic Powder
  • Allspice
  • Dry Garlic Flakes
  • Peppercorns – white and/or black
  • Dry Mustard
  • Celery Seeds or Celery Salt
  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Bay Leaves
  • Cinnamon

It seems that chutney and picalilli are all cousins to chow-chow and chutney may, in fact, be the parent of the other two. They all contain the same basic pickling “foundation” of water, salt, vinegar, and sweetener (sugar, honey, molasses). The ratios differ, but the base ingredients seem to be the same. There are minor and arguable difference between chow-chow and picalilli. Some say that picalilli has cauliflower and chow-chow does not. Others say that picalilli is cut up much finer than chow-chow. I call these minor differences. Chances are that there was a divide at some point from the original relish. It all may be a choice of name more than anything else.

More on Chutneys

6 Chow-Chow Recipes

The Rub

I like Lefty’s Fish and Chicken Mix which is also great with pork.  There are a couple ways of using it.  You can mix it with water to make the meat moist. Then you can roll the moistened meat right into the Lefty’s mix.  Alternately, you can simply pat the Lefty’s seasoning right on the meat.  You get a lot of it in a reasonably priced, resealable bag. I don’t really consider Lefty’s a rub, but it is good and way to very lightly bread your meat. It can be used in baking, frying, and grilling your meats.

Lefty’s seasoning Ingredients (on the package)

  • Wheat Flour
  • Corn Flour
  • Salt
  • Dehydrated Onion
  • Dehydrated Garlic
  • MSG
  • Lemon Juice Powder
  • Corn Starch
  • Paprika
  • Cayenne
  • Other (unspecified) spices

But, if you want to create your own rub, I have a list of possible ingredients that you can experiment with and a couple of rub recipes to get you started.

Dry Rub Possible Ingredient List

  • Paprika
  • Dry Mustard
  • Chili Powder
  • Black Pepper
  • Unrefined Salt
  • Cayenne
  • Coriander
  • Cumin
  • Dried Lemon/Lime Zest
  • Brown Sugar
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Oregano

Paprika is the base for the majority of dry rubs. Many use an equal amount of 10 different spices (from above list). Here is a basic dry rub recipe:

  • 3 parts paprika
  • 1 part cayenne pepper
  • 1 part onion powder
  • 1 part black pepper
  • 1 part unrefined salt
  • 1 part sage
  • 1 part lemon pepper
  • 1 part dried lemon zest

TIPS:

  • Adjust the cayenne for heat/spiciness.
  • Paprika and ground black pepper will take the rub closer to blackening.
  • The longer the rub has in contact with the meat the more flavors will mix with it.
  • The best way to get a crispy crust is to make sure the cooking surface it hot.
  • Cook it for several minutes on the hot heat. Then turn it down. The hot heat will sear the rub into the meat quickly.

Alternate Rub Recipe (1-/12 cup yield):

  • 1/2 Cup Paprika
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 Unrefined Salt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon celery salt
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust for heat)

Wet Rub

Generally speaking, a wet rub is a dry rub with something moist added to it. Water is the initial additive. However, honey, lime juice, bourbon, beer, soy sauce, and/or vinegar can be added to taste according to your taste. The wet rub can be basted on as the meat cooks or it can be used as a marinade and used as a baste after the meat marinates in it. Marinating essentially has some of the same effect that a brining solution. The meat become moister and the spices move into the meat along with that moisture.

Also read: Pork Rub

Pork Roast Rub for Smoking

  • 2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
  • 1 Tsp Cumin
  • 1 Tsp Garlic
  • 1 Tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 1 Tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Mustard
  • 1/8 Tsp Celery Seed
  • 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder

Alternate Recipe:

• 1/4 cup Paprika
• 1/8 cup Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 1-2 tablespoons Onion Powder
• 1 tablespoon or more Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 cup Coarse Salt
• 1/4 cup Brown or White Sugar

Once you have rubbed the meat, save it.  Add water, maybe a little vinegar and make a “mopping sauce”.  Once the meat browns the way you want it, start “mopping” the sauce on the meat.  Do this occasionally until it is finally done.

Also read: The Rub