Here are some easy instructions for creating the perfect backyard burger this summer!

Ingredients
1¼ pounds of ground chuck (85 percent lean or less)
MySpicer Steak & Burger Seasoning

Directions
1. Preheat your grill

2. Divide the burger meat and gently form it into 4 balls.

3. Flatten the balls into ¾ inch thick meat patties. Also make sure to flatten the top and sides of each meat patty. This helps to ensure that the thickness of the burger is consistent throughout and will help your beef burger cook more evenly.

4. Use your thumb and press into the center of the beef patty to make a shallow depression. This depression helps the burger from over-plumping when cooking.

5. Coat the patty with MySpicer Steak & Burger Seasoning. Work the rub evenly into both sides of the patty to get the flavor inside as much as possible.

6. Oil your grill grate using a pair of tongs and a paper towel dipped in canola oil or olive oil.

7. Cook, with the depression facing up, until the burgers release easily,  cooking approximately 4 to 5 minutes for medium. Do not press or flatten the burger while cooking.  Flip the patty and cook another 4 to 5 minutes additional.

8. Optional – add the cheese.  When making cheeseburgers don’t add your cheese until the last 2 minutes.  Make sure to cover the grill after adding your cheese. To get that oozing, melted effect – here are some tips: Cheddar, Swiss, or American should be sliced thin or grated.  Goat cheese, Feta, or Blue cheese should be crumbled on the burger.

Number of Servings: 4 Burgers

Doesn’t that look tasty?  Yum!

The post 7 Steps For Making a Delicious Beef Burger appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

Nothing beats the flavor of grilled asparagus.  This recipe will create a grilled asparagus with amazing flavor and a slightly crispy bite.  MySpicer Garlic Pepper is fantastic on this vegetable! Eat it with your fingers as a side dish.  This will compliment your BBQ fish or beef perfectly.

Ingredients
1 pound fresh asparagus spears
1 – 2 tablespoons MySpicer Garlic Pepper
1 – 2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. Preheat your grill

2. Prepare the asparagus by cutting off any tough bottom ends. Place the asparagus in foil

3. Coat the asparagus with butter and sprinkle MySpicer Garlic Pepper on them.

4. Grill over high heat for 5 – 10 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

5. Remove from the grill and serve

Number of Servings: 4 – 6

The post Grilled Asparagus appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

One of our favorite ways to make salmon on the grill is to marinate it in salsa before grilling. As I began preparing dinner, I opened the refrigerator and realized that we were out of salsa. It was getting a bit late and I didn’t want to go back to the store so I would need to improvise.

I opened up my spice cabinet and pulled out MySpicer Rib Rub.  I lightly scored the salmon and rubbed a generous amount of rib rub into the salmon.  I placed it in the refrigerator and let it soak in for an hour.

I grilled up the salmon with the rib rub, sprinkling a bit extra on each side as I turned the flank on the grill.  Then I served it with asparagus and a side of butter and herb rice.  I took a bite and all I could say was “WOW!”  MySpicer rib rub on salmon was absolutely amazing! My 9 year old son ate 4 servings of salmon (I’m not making this up) he loved it.

MySpicer BBQ seasonings and rubs are all fantastic so I expected it to be good but rib rub and salmon are a bit of an unusual combination. MySpicer Rib Rub turned my salmon into a masterpiece!

Salmon + Rib Rub = Perfection!

Salmon fully coated with rib rub – I lightly scored the salmon to help penetrate with as much rub as possible

Cooking on the grill – I sprinkled more rib rub on as I flipped the salmon

Delicious!

The post Salmon + Rib Rub = Perfection! appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

Pepper contains an alkaloid called piperine.  An alkaloid is defined as “Any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds of plant origin that have pronounced physiological actions on humans.”  Sneezing is definitely a physiological response.

So this alkaloid (piperine) stimulates and irritates the nerve endings inside the nose.  When my mucous membranes inside my nose encounter the piperine in the pepper, they involuntarily release a chemical called histamine. This histamine causes the muscle to constrict, resulting in a sneeze. That is how my nose rids itself of the irritant.

Any kind of pepper including white, black or green contains piperine and can make you sneeze.  Pink peppercorns do not contain this alkaloid because they are not actually peppercorns, but they are called this because they are similar in size to black, white and green peppercorns and have a similar flavor.

Some people are more sensitive than others and sneeze more often.  I’m probably one of these people.  Most times I walk into our building I have to cover my mouth and let out a sneeze. And of course it’s not just our pepper doing it, peperine is found in other spices as well. It’s totally worth it though.  Every time I open the front door the pleasant and distinctive aroma of our spices beckon me inside and I greet everyone with an enthusiastic sneeze!

The post Why Pepper Makes You Sneeze appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

If you are like me and truly enjoy eating food with lots of zest and flavor, one of the hardest things to have to cut out of your diet is salt.  We all know that eating too much salt is not good for you.  Consuming too much salt it linked with high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and can contribute to other medical problems such as heart attack and stroke. The recommended daily dose of salt for adults is no more than 2,300 milligrams (or around about a teaspoon of salt) a day. The World Health Organization (WHO), estimates that the current average intake of salt averages between four to ten times higher than the recommended daily amount.  That’s a lot of salt!

If you are trying to make a change for the better one of the hardest ways to reduce your salt intake is to quit “cold turkey.”  You are used to the flavor that salt provides and your food will probably seem very bland.  Instead, try a simple herb, spice or blend that will add flavor to your meals without the salt.

Here are some herbs and spices to try instead of salt to season your food.

Beef
Season your beef with one or a combination of the following:
Garlic
Marjoram
Basil
Pepper
Thyme
Celery Seed

Chicken
Season your chicken with one or a combination of the following:
Marjoram
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Tarragon
Paprika

Fish
Season your fish with one or a combination of the following:
Curry powder
Dill
Parsley

Blends
Here are some fantastic blends from MySpicer that will add delicious flavor to any dish:
Wacky Pepper
Lemon Pepper, no salt
Rocky Mountain Herb Blend

The post Replace Salt With Herbs and Spices appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

Paprika is a spice that comes from the dried fruits (bell or chili peppers) of the Capisum annuum.  The peppers are dried and ground into a fine powder which then becomes known as paprika.  Paprika is the fourth most consumed spice in the world.

Not all paprika is the same color
Paprika is rated by the amount of pigment it contains. It has different grades which are referred to as ASTA (American Spice Trade Association) standardized testing procedures. The more pigment the paprika contains the higher the ASTA number. So on the lower end our 85-ASTA paprika would have a light orange or brownish color and on the higher end our 140-ASTA paprika will have a much brighter red color.

Not all paprika is the same flavor
Paprika types also vary including such varieties as Domestic, Spanish and Hungarian.  In addition, depending on the peppers and process used in the making of the paprika they will be rated as hot, mild or smoked.

Domestic paprika has a warm, sweet flavor.  It works well as garnish or to add a mild flavor and color to your dishes. It also can act as a substitute for flour or other ingredients as a thickening agent in sauces and other recipes.

Spanish paprika has a lighter color than domestic paprika. It is a great ingredient for Mediterranean recipes and its flavor is essential for authentic Spanish cooking.  Depending on the dish you can use hot, sweet or smoked Spanish paprika.

Paprika Tips
I enjoy cooking vegetarian meals and can tell you that smoked, sweet Spanish paprika is a good replacement for ham or sausage in vegetarian soups because it adds the husky flavor that these meats would provide.

Paprika needs heat in order to release its flavor. For the fullest flavor, color, and aroma, dissolve the powder in warm/hot fat. Once dissolved, the fat should be cooled by adding meat or liquid to keep the paprika from scorching because it burns quickly.

MySpicer stocks 5 types of paprika

Domestic Paprika (85 ASTA)
Domestic Paprika (120 ASTA)
Domestic Paprika (140 ASTA)
Spanish Paprika (Hot, Smoked)
Spanish Paprika (Sweet, Smoked)

Give our paprika a try! Use the coupon code PAPRIKA10 to take 10% off your next order of MySpicer paprika.

The post What is Paprika? appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

Here’s how to make brisket that your family and friends will rave about!

Purchase hickory or mesquite chips for your charcoal grill.  Place your chips in a bowl and fill the bowl with cold water.  Cover the bowl with a towel and let the chips soak for 1 – 2 hours.

Wash and rinse your brisket in water and pat dry with paper towels.  Leave some moisture to help the rub adhere.

Take MySpicer Brisket Seasoning and rub into all sides of the brisket. The rub should fully coat the surface of the meat so it is distributed evenly into to the meat to get the flavor inside as much as possible. Apply the rub at least two hours before you plan to grill.  If you can rub in the seasoning the night before that is even better. This allows the seasonings to mix with the natural juices of the meat and add as much flavor as possible.

Start heating your charcoal grill to low.  Once heated to low add about 12 ounces of wood chips in with the coals.

Place the brisket on an aluminum pan and set it on the grill with the fat side facing up.   Close the cover of the grill and let the brisket cook for at least 6 hours.

Make sure to check and baste your brisket every hour by using the juices in the pan.  Also add about 10 fresh coals to the grill every hour.  I also suggest adding more wood chips for the first 3 – 4 hours each time you uncover to baste the brisket.

You will know the brisket is ready when it is soft and tender enough to shred it with your fingers. Once ready, remove from the grill and let sit for about 15 minutes.    Carve the brisket into thin slices.

Serve by itself with the juices from the pan over the meat or shredded on buns.

MySpicer brisket seasoning is the key to great tasting brisket! The chef’s choice for the best flavored and most tender brisket.

The post How To Make BBQ Brisket appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

I recently came across this video on YouTube about how to make homemade BBQ potato chips. I must admit that I was both pleased and surprised to see that the owner of this video “imstillworkin” was using our very own MySpicer BBQ spice for making these chips.   We didn’t pay her to use or endorse our BBQ spice, in fact we didn’t even know about it until I just happened to come across her video.  Here’s the link to our BBQ Spice.

Here’s the video.  If you decide to give her recipe a try make sure to comment on this blog page and let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

Homemade Potato Chips

by imstillworkin

The post How To Make Homemade Potato Chips appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

Here is some advice on how to get the most flavor when using our dry spice rubs.

Provide an even coat on your meat
A spice rub should coat the surface of the meat so work a rub evenly into to the meat to get the flavor inside as much as possible.   Sprinkle it on the meat and spread it around with your fingers. A little moisture will really help the rub adhere to the meat as well.

Rub it under the skin in poultry
If you are applying a rub to poultry try and get it in under the skin so it can better absorb the flavor.  Another great way to accomplish this is by lightly scoring your meat, poultry, and fish. This will help the rub flavors penetrate further.

Make sure to leave enough time
Apply your rub at least one hour before you plan to grill.  Large roasts, whole poultry, or briskets should be rubbed down the night before or at least several hours before you plan to grill.  This allows the seasonings to mix with the natural juices of the meat and add as much flavor as possible.

My recommended spice rub is our Ancho Rib Rub.  Your pork, beef, chicken, prime rib or other meats would be delicious on their own but by adding our ancho rib rub seasoning you will spice it up a notch and add an amazing, rich flavor.  This spice rub is rich, complex, a bit spicy and absolutely delicious. Your guests will be asking for your secret ingredient!

Try our ancho rib run on your next meal and let us know what you think.  In fact, we are offering 10% off this delicious rub for giving it a try.  Use the coupon code ANCHORUB at checkout.

The post Tips For Using Spice Rubs appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.

MySpicer.com stocks quite a few hard to find items.  In fact, we’ve offered an extensive selection of hard to find products on our website for over 10 years. Because they are hard to find but we stock them, we have become a popular resource for these herbs, spices and ingredients.  That means that when you order from us it will be fresh, and not stale because it sat on a store shelf for several months or years. We’ll ship these high quality industrial grade food ingredients, herbs and spices to your commercial kitchen or home.

Some of the most popular hard to find products that we carry include:

• Balsamic Vinegar Powder
• Malt Vinegar Powder
• Smoked, Sweet, Spanish Paprika
• Lemon Peel Granules (Lemon Zest)
• Beef Base Granules
• Chicken Base Granules
• Cardamom
• Star Anise
• All Natural Vanilla Powder
• Chervil

To see our entire list of hard to find product click here.

The post Looking for hard to find ingredients? MySpicer might stock them! appeared first on MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings.