Quote:
Originally Posted by Zaigrith
This looks great, I got the dulse and herbamare but does anyone know where to get the extra hot chili powder in a store? I was thinking of using cayenne as a substitute for today since I have to smoke this meat before it goes bad. Thanks!
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I know around here it is difficult to get really hot powdered New Mexico chile powder. The rub is very mild, and the only spicy ingredient is this chile powder, so unless you want absolutely mild you really need the heat from the hottest NM powder you can find.
I do not use NM powder for the heat though, otherwise I would pick a hotter pepper. The NM powder is specifically used for the FLAVOR. The heat is OPTIONAL.
Frankly, in my opinion, this rub is more about flavor than heat anyway, so substituting a lower heat NM powder is not too much of a stretch. A couple members have made it with homemade NM powder from average heat NM peppers available to them, and both reported it tasted fine. It will not be the same as the original, of course, and naturally it won't be the same as what I make. But I shared this recipe for people to use, and if that means you tweak it to your needs, so be it. I think one member even added a little cayenne. You could even substitute with only cayenne, but cayenne lacks a lot of flavor after cooking compared to NM powder. In my opinion, adding/substituting anything could upset the balance that is the key thing about this rub. But hey, do what you want with it, but don't dismiss it unless you make it as close to the original as you can. Otherwise you are judging your variation on it, which is not the same recipe.
I hope everyone enjoys the recipe, however they choose to use it.