Ancho Chile Dry Rub

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Here’s a great rub to use on meats which will be smoked or grilled.

Ingredients

Ancho Chiles, Peppercorns, Celery Seed, Cumin Seed, Annato Seeds

Instructions

Here’s a great rub to use on meats that will be smoked or grilled. Since anchos are sold in fairly pliable condition, place them in the oven on low heat until they are brittle.

  • 4 ancho chiles, stems removed and seeded, dried in the oven

  • 2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

  • 3 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed

  • 1 teaspoon thyme

  • 1 small bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon annato seeds

  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

Blend together all the ingredients in a spice mill or blender. Pack in a glass jar after using.

Yield: About ½ cup

Heat Scale: Mild

Caribbean ‘Crayfish’ with Tasty’s Wet Rub

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

I was served what the Anguillans call crayfish, but they’re considerably larger than the Louisiana kind yet smaller than a spiny lobster. Don’t ask me their scientific name. Substitute large lobster tails for them if they don’t live in your neighborhood. The wet rub or marinate is from Dale Carty at Tasty’s and it’s quite unique. The yield is about 1 cup.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil

  • 1 1/2 inch long piece of ginger, peeled and grated

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon thyme

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons Scotch bonnet or habanero hot sauce

  • 2 large lobster tails, removed from the shell

Instructions

In a bowl, combine all the ingredient for the rub. Add the lobster tails to the rub and coat well. Marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Grill over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes a side, turning once. You will have to re-coat the tails with the rub when they are on the grill.

Grilled Chicken Parts with Tasty’s Barbecue Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

The ingredients for this sauce were given to me by Dale Carty and I must say that I admired him for making his sauce from scratch rather than buying a commercial one. That’s probably why his restaurant is named as it is. This sauce is added to the chicken during the last half of cooking, and the chicken is best when it’s smoke-grilled (used wood chips soaked in water), so keep it quite a distance from the fire, close the lid on the barbecue unit, and grill it slowly. The sauce yield is about 3 cups or a little more.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped

  • 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons mango chutney

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, dry roasted and ground

  • 1 teaspoon thyme

  • 1/4 cup Scotch bonnet or habanero hot sauce

  • 1 medium chicken, cut into 8 pieces (2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 breasts)

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and saute an additional 5 minutes. Add the pepper and saute another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and saute, covered for 20 minutes. Uncover, add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree.

Smoke grill the chicken until half done, brush the parts with the sauce, and continue smoke-grilling until done.

Malawi Curry Powder

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This blend is the hottest curry powder we found in Africa, although some pastes like berbere might top it on the heat scale.  Traditionally in Malawi, the spices are sun-dried before being ground and are not toasted.  Note the large amount of cloves in this recipe, which is a possible influence form nearby Madagascar, a clove-growning island.

Ingredients

  • 10 small, hot dried red chilies, such as piquins or santakas, seeds and stems removed
  • 3 tablespoons coriander seed
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seed
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seed
  • 1 tablesppon cumin seed
  • 1 tablespoon powdered turmeric
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a spice mill and process to a fine powder.

Smoked Leg of Lamb

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Leg of lamb is a classic holiday meal but with the availability of lamb year-round it is becoming more and more common on the dinner table. A whole lamb leg is too large for mast families so the leg is usually cut into two sections:  the lean shank half and the tenderer (but bonier) sirloin half. Lamb shoulder which is less tender and less expensive could be substituted. This recipe requires advance preparation to allow the lamb to marinate overnight.

Ingredients

1 (5- to 6-pound) boned sirloin half leg of lamb
5 fresh rosemary springs (for smoking)
Fresh mint leaves, finely shredded

For the rub:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion peeled and quartered
10 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary

Instructions

Prepare the paste by combining all the paste ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender and process to combine. With the processor running, pour in the oil and continue processing until a paste forms. Spread the paste generously on the lamb. Place the lamb in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Prepare your smoker or indirect grill with hickory and cherry and bring it to 220 to 250 degrees F. Add the rosemary springs to the coals and place the lamb, skin side up, in the smoker or between the two piles of coals on the indirect grill. Cook for 30 minutes and then turn the lamb skin-side down; continue smoke-cooking until the lamb is medium-rare, about another 20 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 140 degrees F.

Remove the lamb when done, tent with foil, and let it rest 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh mint. Serve with roasted new potatoes and onions and steamed asparagus.