With the beginning of summer with the longest day, June 21, there is so much to celebrate!  Beautiful blossoms, sunshine, good friends and family to name a few.  I want to share in the fun--making your own barbecue sauce with our pure chiles is as good as it gets...and I am making it easier for you with our 25% OFF for this week. 

Also, I am sharing one of my favorite rubs for you to make--or you can order our ever popular Gordon's Rub.  Do remember when you are using a rub, to use a spoon to place  the rub in a few places--then rub it in--using a very thin layer or rub--but not just a sprinkle.  Once you have touched the meat, be sure to always use a spoon rather than contaminating the rub with your fingers.  I always like to refrigerate or freeze the rub to keep it fresh.

We had such a fun, fun time in our barbecue class last week, making all manner of sauces, rubs and a couple of marinades.  We are repeating the class, this Thursday and there are just a very few spaces left.  So if you can spare the time, the class starts at 5 PM this Thursday, June 20--the last day of Spring!

This summer, we have two week long class sessions set--July 15-19 and July 29 - August 2.  In the week long class, the days start at 8:30 AM with a make it yourself Southwestern or Mexican breakfast and each day has a theme.  You will learn the history of the major ingredients such as chiles and corn and  then make favorite and famous dishes using the ingredient or concept of the day.  You will learn how to make such specialties as chiles rellenos many ways including Chiles en Nogado; tortillas and tamales; moles; famous stews; chilaquiles and much, much more including desserts and of course Perfect Margaritas.   We would love for you to join us!

Our next day class after this week will be August 15, featuring Grilling all manner of dishes from appetizers through desserts, plus lots of techniques.

We are also busy doing lots of private classes--when you are coming let us know and we can plan the class of your dreams--with just what you want to learn.

Here's a couple of favorite recipes for barbecuing--

JUST RUB IT ON!

Chiles are so important to our health and well-being. You only have to eat a little bit of chile each day, say a half teaspoon or so of the  hottest chile you can endure, to keep the chile level at a healthful amount in your system.

Rubs really are a terrific way of getting chiles into your diet and enhancing the flavor of meats and vegetables—even tofu. You can use a rub by itself or combine it with a marinade to add extra flavor.

If you are salt conscious, the salt can be cut back or left out, and if desired, a salt substitute can be used. You can add and subtract ingredients to suit your palate and what you have on hand.

FRESH LEMON ZEST CHILE-HERB RUB   This rub is wonderful on chicken, pork, or spareribs. You can also use it on any other cut of pork or poultry. With this rub, barbecue sauce quickly becomes optional. Yield: 8 to 12 ¼ cup salt ¼ cup sugar 1 Tablespoons each pure ground hot and mild New Mexican chiles  1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 Tablespoon minced lemon zest 1. Mix all ingredients together, then spoon mixture lightly onto chicken pieces, or ribs—rubbing it into surface with your fingers. Freeze any leftovers.  ^Top

GORDON’S WEST TEXAS—NEW MEXICO BORDER RUB Crushed caribe chile—the Northern New Mexican special red chile is a wonderful addition to this rub, rather than the cayenne or super hot ground red chile frequently used in Texas. The caribe chile adds heat, yet is not overpowering for grilled or smoked meat. Once you get started using a rub on grilled meats, you’ll be amazed how great they are! Also, try this rub on vegetables, pot roasts in the oven, and lots of other foods—even popcorn. Yield: 3-1/2 cups ½ cup crushed caribe chile ½ cup coarsely ground black pepper ½ cup dried minced onion ½ cup granulated garlic ½ cup salt 1. Mix all the ingredients together, then spoon mixture lightly onto beef or other food, rubbing into surface with your fingers. Freeze leftover rub. Recipes from Jane Butel’s Southwestern Grill  ^Top