The Backyard Southern Gourmet

Butt Rub Popcorn

Jeff — 2012-05-19T03:14:46Z

Looking for a new twist to the same old popcorn? It doesn't get much easier than this to add a lot of flavor to classic snack. Next time you make some popcorn, simply sprinkle a little Butt Rub on it. If you are not familiar with Butt Rub, it is a two-time award winning BBQ Rub and Seasoning from Bad Byron's in Florida. I promise it will give your evening snack an entirely different flavor.

"A Little Butt Rub Makes Everything Better"

How to Make Habanero Cornbread with Ass Kickin' Cornbread Mix

Jeff — 2012-04-17T01:08:30Z

Looking to spice up your next batch of cornbread? It doesn't get much easier to make some Cornbread with heat than using the Ass Kickin' cornbread mix. The ingredients include jalapeno peppers and a package of habanero powder.

We recently made some Ass Kickin' Cornbread. Everything but the dairy products are included in the kit. Be warned in advance...when using the habanero powder this is some "hot cornbread"!

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup butter
Ass Kickin' Cornbread kit which includes the cornbread mix (ingredients include Cornmeal, Flour, Baking Powder, Whole Corn, Onion, Jalapeno, Red Bell Pepper, Salt) and a separate packet of habanero pepper powder.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using butter, grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
Combine milk, eggs and corn bread mix. Stir about 30 seconds until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Melt butter.
Spread batter into pan and pour melted butter over the top of the bread mix.
Bake 50 - 60 minutes or until loaf is golden brown.

My favorite way to eat cornbread is with beans. We paired-up the Ass Kickin' Habanero Cornbread with a bowl of beans with sausage and ham! Through in a few pickled beats and chow-chow relish and this is a southern meal for a king.

One word of advice. Wait to put the hot sauce on your beans. The cornbread packs a lot of heat from the habanero peppers. I made the mistake of generously applying the hot sauce on the beans before tasting the cornbread. The result was heat coming at me from every angle!

Habanero Honey Vanilla Ice Cream

Jeff — 2012-03-29T00:34:20Z

We are already having 80+ degree days in North Florida and summer is just around the corner. Looking for a cool, soothing dessert?

People have been enjoying chilled desserts as far back as the Persian Empire. As early as the 10th century, ice cream was popular in many Arab cities, including Baghdad, Damascus, and Cairo. These days, ice cream is available in just about every imaginable flavor and the toppings are almost endless.

Today, we've got something a little different that you may not have tried. For years we have used pepper jelly as a topping on ice cream. There is something about the sweet and the heat. We may have discovered our new favorite ice cream topping - Habanero Honey.

It doesn't get much easier than this....scoop some Vanilla Ice Cream into a bowl. Drizzle a little Chocolate Ganache and Habanero Honey over your ice cream. The sweet from the honey and contrasting heat from the Habanero Pepper really had a whole new flavor dimension.

Simple bowl, simple ice cream, complex, incredible flavor!

Infused Honey At Armadillo Pepper

Jeff — 2012-03-05T00:38:46Z

Honey Infusions from Beehive Alchemy is now available at Armadillo Pepper. Each of these infused honeys is really a special treat.

Beehive Alchemy takes Wisconsin Clover Honey and then infuses the honey with different flowers, spices and peppers.

These are some of the most interesting honeys you will find anywhere. The infused honeys are the result of months of mixing, waiting, and sampling until the right flavor intensity has been reached. Each infusion is accomplished "cold" - meaning no heat is applied to speed up the infusion process. As a result all of the health benefits are still in the honey.

There are four Honey Infusions flavors:

Vanilla Bean Infused Honey - This honey is infused with pure Madagascar Vanilla Beans. You will taste the mild vanilla flavor immediately, followed by the silky, sweet, clover honey. This one is awesome drizzled over a warm chocolate chip muffin, or pound cake and also adds natural sweetness to tea.
Lavender Blossoms Infused Honey - For this honey, you first taste the clover honey and then the mild hint of lavender blossoms. This honey is an obvious addition to any tea. Very versatile, you can try this on a biscuit, toast or with bagels and cream cheese.
Rose Bud Infused Honey - Here again, you will first taste the delicious clover honey, then followed by the subtle rose buds. Another obvious choice for any tea. This infused honey also is a wonderful complement over a fruit salad or drizzled over goat cheese with a nice pepper cracker.
Habanero Infused Honey - Being a pepper head, this honey is extremely interesting. Upon your initial taste, you will savor the flavor of sweet, clover honey. You almost think they forgot to infuse it with habanero pepper, but 5 to 7 seconds later you start to taste the habanero. On a scale to 1 to 10, I would say the heat is about a three. This honey pairs nicely with Grilled Chicken Wings or Chicken Breasts as a glaze. This honey is equally appetizing drizzled lightly over beef or pork. We've already tried this one as a topper on ice cream. Another excellent pairing, as the cold of the vanilla ice cream and the mild heat of the habanero are a totally new experience.

Honey Infusions are truly unique. Each is so flavorful, you immediately start looking for ways to consume these honeys.

Each Honey Infusion is packaged in a 10 ounce square glass jar. The jar opening is large enough for a spoon, but narrow enough if you prefer to pour the honey out. Available individually or the complete set is available as an Infused Honey Gift Basket. Because these are so rare and difficult to find, this Honey Gift Basket makes the perfect gift for the honey lover.

Dough Pretzels and Datil Pepper Mustard

Jeff — 2012-02-17T03:39:20Z

I don't know about you, but around our home there is never enough time to go around. All of the Food Network television shows try to tell us how everything must be made from scratch, but really.....who always has that kind of time?

We've discovered a really simple way to "spice-up" a carnival/festival favorite - the salted dough (or soft) pretzel. In less than 5 minutes you can take a long-time favorite snack and elevate the flavor with the simple addition of Datil Pepper Mustard. The bite starts out sweet and then ends with just a little heat from the Datil Pepper.

Just because you can buy 10 different mustard varieties in your local grocery store, do not assume Datil Pepper Mustard is just another off-the-shelf item. With the addition of Onions, Bell Peppers, Vinegar, Datil Peppers, Sugar and Garlic, this is a truly flavorful mustard.

There is no need to make soft pretzels from scratch. You can find frozen SuperPretzels at most supermarkets, including all of the Publix locations here in Florida. Simply, run some water over the frozen pretzel, sprinkle the salt on and then bake for 3 minutes.

It's the Datil Pepper Mustard that sets these simple-to-make pretzels apart. So, the next time you are in the market for pretzels, just remember that all mustard is not alike!

Quick, simple and really tasty. Perfect for casual appetizers or just a snack.

Dat's Nice Mango Datil Pepper Sauce Review

Jeff — 2012-01-29T02:21:01Z

Every now and then you come across a hot sauce that's more than a "hot sauce". Dat's Nice M ango Datil Pepper Sauce is a hot sauce, a dipping sauce, a marinade and a BBQ Sauce.

This is a hot sauce with many different uses. It's complete with mango flavor and then a hint of Datil Pepper at the end. We recently grilled some chicken and used Dat's Nice Mango Datil Pepper Sauce as the finishing sauce.

The first ingredient on this sauce's label is Mango. Also included are Pineapple Juice, Sea Salt, Garlic Molasses and Datil Pepper. Before you even taste this sauce, this ingredient list has you wanting to try it!

The first flavor to hit your tongue from the succulent chicken is the sweetness of the mango. Then you get a little of the pineapple tang followed by just a hint of Datil pepper bite. It's just hot enough to let you know you've eaten some spice but, not so hot the "sissies" in your family won't enjoy it too.

The history behind Dat's Nice sauces says it all in the name. The "Dat's" kind of rolls right off the tongue just like the wonderful taste from the Datil Peppers that are indigenous to the St. Augustine, Florida area. The "Nice", well that's how you feel after eating the sauce on just about anything. Dat's Nice!

If you are looking for a nice flavor addition to your next meal of baked or grilled chicken, then we recommend you give Dat's Nice Mango Datil Pepper Sauce a try.

Hurricane Hot Sauce Key Lime Datil Pepper Jelly Review

Jeff — 2012-01-21T01:51:01Z

A fairly recent pepper jelly entry into the spicy jelly market is Key West Style Key Lime Datil Pepper Jelly from Hurricane Hot Sauce.

At first glance, the bright green color in the clear squeeze jar quickly becomes eye candy. With a flip top lid this pepper jelly is quite a bit different from the typical jar. However, when you start to dispense this pepper jelly, you immediately understand why it's packaged in a squeeze bottle and flip top lid. Key West Style Key Lime Datil Pepper Jelly has a thin consistency. Unlike other pepper jellies, it actually pours out of the bottle. For traditional jelly folks, this is something new and actually somewhat "odd" at first.

Once you taste this pepper jelly, you quickly move past the thin consistency and understand where this tasty pepper jelly plays. The first impression on your palate is the tart but sweet key lime. There is an immediate sweet, almost candy-like flavor and then a subtle heat on the finish from the Datil Pepper. You quickly understand where this pepper jelly fits in your arsenal of specialty condiments.

Key West Key Lime Datil Pepper Jelly excels as a glaze on baked ham (try this instead of pineapple), pork, chicken and quail. For us, it is not a good fit for a biscuit or toast due to the texture. On the other hand, this pepper jelly is awesome as a topping on vanilla ice cream. Like most pepper jellies, we found that it pairs nicely as a topping on cream cheese or you can also mix this pepper jelly with cream cheese in your blender as a spread on crackers. The flavor is very "key lime" and tasty.

On a heat scale, this pepper jelly is mild. The Datil Pepper (which is sweeter than a Habanero Pepper, but just slightly less hot) is felt at the very end. You are almost on the second bite before you start to feel the Datil.

For the key lime lover, Key West Style Key Lime Datil Pepper Jelly is a must try. I can tell you that we've found a place in our "frig" for this one.

Made in St. Augustine, Florida by Steve Underwood and Mike Adams at Hurricane Hot Sauce.

Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Vinegar, Key Lime Juice, Datil Peppers and Pectin.

Dat's Nice Datil Pepper Sauces

Jeff — 2012-01-14T04:37:23Z

There is another Datil Pepper Sauce company in town....Dat's Nice Datil Pepper Sauces. For those of you that are not familiar, St. Augustine, Florida is the home of the Datil Pepper. In fact 95% of the world's Datil Peppers are grown in the St. Augustine area. If you look in any direction 45 miles outside of St. Augustine, you will find Datil Sauce makers.

St. Augustine and its Datil Pepper have launched a Datil Pepper cottage industry in the region. So, what is so special about the Datil? The Datil Pepper quickly becomes a favorite of anyone who enjoys wonderful flavor and a bit of spice. Technically speaking, the Datil Pepper ranges from 100,000 to 300,000 Scoville units, just slightly less hot than the more infamous Habanero Pepper.

The really distinguishing factor is the sweetness. The Datil Pepper now only packs the heat, but it has a nice sweet flavor. That is why so many tourists that visit America's oldest city come to love the Datil Pepper Sauces.

Dat's Nice is one of the latest entries to the Datil Sauce market. Joe Stewart and his team over at Dat's Nice have created some really awesome tasting sauces. Flavor first, then the Datil heat. Everything from steak, chicken and ribs to wild rice and eggs are enhanced by these sauces.

These guys have rolled-out 4 sauces:

Dat's Nice Datil Pepper BBQ Sauce - flavorful blend of Datil Pepper, honey and brown sugar based BBQ sauce. This BBQ Sauce pairs well with Ribs, Pork Chops and Chicken
Dat's Nice Datil Pepper Hot Sauce - There is nothing that I can think of where you can use this sauce. A mild, very flavorful hot sauce.
Dat's Nice Datil Pepper Mango Sauce - There are lots of Mango Habanero sauces on the market, but this might be the 1st Datil Mango sauce. This one's wonderful on chicken, Caribbean rice and pork chops.
Dat's Nice Datil Pepper Chickin Dippin Sauce - This may be another first. Datil Pepper and mustard based sauce. Perfect BBQ Sauce for chicken, pulled pork or ribs. Also, awesome as a wing sauce.

The history behind Dat's Nice sauces says it all in the name. The "Dat's" kind of rolls right off the tongue just like the wonderful taste from the Datil Peppers that are indigenous to the St. Augustine, Florida area. The "Nice", well that's how you feel after eating the sauce on just about anything. Dat's Nice!

You know what they say over at Dat's Nice.....Dat's Nice Datil Pepper Sauce is not the original...It's not world famous...It's Just Awesome!

Available at Armadillo Pepper.

Peruvian Pork with Mango Mojo Sauce

Jeff — 2012-01-01T22:45:49Z

Looking for another simple and delicious meal? This recipe comes courtesy of Johnny and Nicole at Heartbreaking Dawns.

Grab yourself a 2 pound pork loin, throw it on the grill and sear on high heat for about 3 minutes on each side. Then move this to the crock-pot. Mix the following to make the glaze and then add to the crock-pot.

Glaze:

1/2 cup Heartbreaking Dawns Fiery Trail Preserves
1 tsp. Mustard
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 diced scallion

Cook on high heat until the internal temperature of your pork roast reaches160F (approximately 2 hours). Turn off the crock-pot and allow the pork loin to rest.

Next, prepare the Mojo.

The Mojo:

In a sauce pan simmer:

3 tbs olive oil
1/2 medium red onion
2 large diced garlic cloves
Add 1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup Orange Juice
4 tbs Heartbreaking Dawns Mango Habanero Hot Sauce

Cook down until reduced by half. Whisk in some fresh Cilantro and Salt to taste. Drizzle over the Glazed Pork Loin. We serve this one with Caribbean rice. Enjoy!

Salsa of the Month Review

Jeff — 2011-12-15T04:11:10Z

Looking for a unique birthday, Father's Day or Christmas gift? If so, then you may want to consider a Salsa of the Month Club gift. At Armadillo Pepper we offer many different premium salsas including garden style, blackberry, bourbon, roasted garlic, blue crab, Vidalia onion and many more in our Salsa of the Month Club.

Memberships are available in 3 Month, 6 Month and 12 Month plans and all Shipping is Free. 3 Month programs start as low as $69.95. In our Salsa of the Month membership, your gift recipient receives 2 sales each month for the duration of the program. A really nice aspect of a Salsa of the Month membership is the recurring deliveries. It is a gift that keeps on giving!

At Armadillo Pepper our Salsa of the Month Club specializes in hard to find, small boutique Salsa's that are fresh as well as excellent in flavor and taste. You will not receive any Salsa that is readily available in any grocery store.

How do we find these incredible salsas? We visit food festivals, food shows and send every salsa through our taste team. Any Salsa that becomes part of our Salsa of the Month program must receive a unanimous rating from our taste team.

So, the next time you are looking for a really unique and wonderful gift, consider the spicy gift that keeps on giving -- a Salsa of the Month membership.

Hot Sauce of the Month Gift for the Holidays

Jeff — 2011-12-02T02:45:59Z

It is that time of year. Christmas trees are for sale on every street corner. The sale papers are full of great deals, but you are still not sure what to get that special someone.

This year why not consider giving a Hot Sauce of the Month Membership. The beauty of this gift is that it keeps on giving even after the holidays. Depending on the membership that you purchase, your gift recipient can receive hot sauce for 3 months, 6 months or even up to 1 year. That's right, a Hot Sauce of the Month Membership delivers hot sauce once each month for up to 12 consecutive months.

At Armadillo Pepper, we've structured our Hot Sauce of the Month program to deliver award-winning and hard-to-find Hot Sauces. Most of the Hot Sauces in an Armadillo Pepper Hot Sauce membership are from small, boutique producers with incredible heat and flavor!

Every Hot Sauce of the Month includes a gift card and free shipping.

This is truly an awesome gift for the hot sauce lover and it is simple to purchase.

Select the number of months for the membership
Select 1 or 2 bottles to be delivered each month
Decide on your gift message

We take care of everything else. No hidden costs. The first shipment is within 10 days of order and the remaining shipments occur the last week of each subsequent month.

Each month when we ship the hot sauce to your gift recipient, you will automatically receive an email letting you know the hot sauce has been shipped.

So, this holiday season, consider giving the gift that keeps on giving and helps to keep that loved one "warm" through the winter months. Your Hot Sauce of the Month Club gift will be appreciated and remembered for many months after Christmas.

Crostini For The Holidays

Jeff — 2011-11-28T01:58:41Z

Looking for fast and easy appetizers to prepare for your holiday parties? Why not try some Crostini?

Crostini is similar to Bruschetta, but typically includes a topping that is more diverse than garlic, basil and tomatoes (like Bruschetta).

Made from thin slices of toast (we prefer Italian bread), the toppings may include various cheeses, meats, and vegetables.

For a quick and easy appetizer this holiday season try this recipe.

Ingredients

12 slices of Italian Bread drizzled with Olive Oil
1/2 cup black olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes; each halved
Orange zest (1 orange)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/4 cup Canola oil
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Your favorite Mango Hot Sauce. We like Hearbreaking Dawns Mango Habanero Hot Sauce. This all natural hot sauce includes a blend of red habanero peppers, mango and spices.

Steps

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Drizzle bread with olive oil.
Place bread in oven and toast until brown.
In medium bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, salt, pepper, canola oil, vinegar, Hearbreaking Dawns Mango Habanero Hot Sauce (add hot sauce for your taste) and whisk together.
Add olives, artichokes, tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese and mix well.
Spoon over toast and serve!

That's it. Simple, fast and delicious.

3 Sisters Chocolate - Chocolate Chili Cupcake Review

Jeff — 2011-10-30T00:26:21Z

Chocolate and cayenne pepper? Who knew this combination was made for each other?

Actually, this combination is not as absurd as one might think. Back in the day, the Aztecs drank chocolate flavored with chili peppers.

This Chocolate Chili Cupcake from 3 Sisters Chocolate & Bakery starts as a chocolate cupcake with cayenne pepper flakes mixed in with the cake. The cupcake is topped with chocolate buttercream icing and garnish with some more cayenne chili flakes.

At first bite, you taste the sweet chocolate and the creamy chocolate buttercream icing. As it works its way to the back of your palate, it finishes with a nice bite of the cayenne pepper. As you work your way toward the center of the cupcake, you are met with a very nice surprise....the cupcake is filled in the center with chocolate ganache (ganache is a mixture of cream and chocolate).

Not only does the flavor combination set this cupcake apart from others, but its size is almost double of cupcakes that you will find at other cupcake shops. If you like chocolate....if you like hot.....this is definitely the cupcake for you!

Tennessee Whiskey Steak & Burger Seasoning Review

Jeff — 2011-10-16T01:10:35Z

Just about all of us can add a little salt and pepper to our premium steaks, but the folks from Historic Lynchburg not only make this a little easier, they go a step further with Tennessee Whiskey Steak and Burger Seasoning.

The primary ingredients are kosher salt and black pepper; however, this mixture includes dill seed, coriander seed, red pepper, green pepper, garlic, onion, some spice and don't forget a little Jack Daniels Black Label Whiskey.

This is not a seasoning to just help a bad cut of beef become better. We recently put this seasoning to the test with some nice sirloin strips. Just sprinkle on your steaks 2-3 hours before grilling. This really allows the seasoning flavors to soak into the steaks. As you can see, the seasoning blend is coarse and there are nice chunks of garlic which really add that little extra flavor. The flavors in this seasoning don't mask the natural steak flavor, but instead really enhance the beef.

The ole' folks at Lynchburg have been seasoning their steaks since before the turn of the century. If you've ever had a little sippin' whiskey with a thick steak, then you know why these guys have added some black label to this seasoning.

Tennessee Whiskey Steak & Burger Seasoning is sugar free and has no MSG. Packaged as a generous 6 oz. shaker bottle. The next time you are grilling some Burgers, T-Bones, Rib-Eyes, or New York Sirloin Strips give this seasoning a try. We guarantee you won't be disappointed with the wonderful blend of flavors.

Four Men And A Pig Gourmet Barbeque Sauce Review

Jeff — 2011-09-26T23:19:58Z

Make sure you read the complete review. There is a Chicken Wing recipe after the review.

Four Men & a Pig Barbeque sauce is from arguably one of the best BBQ cities in the world, "Kansas City". This BBQ Sauce comes with a very eye-appealing label backed up with a list of BBQ awards.

1st Place Ribs - 2003 Jack Daniels World Invitational
1st Place Pork - 2005 Jack Daniels World Invitational
3rd Overall Grand Champion - 2007 Jack Daniels World Invitational
Grand Champion - 2005 Great Lenexa BBQ Battle
Grand Champion - 2003 American Royal Invitational
1st Place Chicken - 2003 American Royal Invitational
Grand Champion - 2004 American Royal Side Dish
Grand Champion - 2008 American Royal Open

When you open the Four Men & a Pig Barbeque Sauce bottle the first aroma is a sweet tomato from the ketchup and brown sugar. The consistency leans towards thick and there are nice "chunks" of ingredients. The thickness is helped by the addition of honey and molasses, which makes it nice for sticking to your ribs or chicken.

The flavor starts sweet followed by garlic about mid-way and then finishes with a very subtle spice. The mild spice flavor is a result of the jalapeno pepper juice ingredient. We often characterize sauces as "kid friendly", meaning very mild spice and this sauce fits that profile.

With it being the start of football season, we were anxious to try this sauce on some tailgating wings. One of the challenges we always face when using a thin BBQ sauce with wings is achieving "sticking power". Because of the thickness with the Four Men & a Pig Barbeque Sauce, we were anxious to try this one with some wings.

From the picture you can see how nicely this sauce sticks. You can grill the wings or bake them. On this particular day it was pouring rain outside, so we baked the wings. Simple and easy tailgating recipe follows:

Four Men & a Pig Gourmet Barbeque Sauce Chicken Wing Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter the bottom of a baking dish
Bake wings for 40 minutes
Remove wings from oven and cover with Four Men & a Pig Gourmet Barbeque Sauce
Bake another 40 minutes until done.

On this Sunday our team the Jacksonville Jaguars lost, but everyone enjoyed some great wings!. We made wings with three different sauces on this day and the overwhelming favorite was the Four Men & a Pig.

Heartbreaking Dawns Fiery Trail Preserves Review

Jeff — 2011-09-23T02:04:26Z

Forget about the really awesome label....it's another really interesting and tasty treat from Johnny and Nicole over at Heartbreaking Dawns.

Fiery Trail Preserves is not really a fruit jam, a chutney or a pepper jelly......it is a combination of all three. Perhaps, the best way to describe Fiery Trail Preserves is as a sweet, tart, fruity and spicy jar of "deliciousness".

After removing the lid the first aroma is the sweetness of fresh peaches. Next, is a hint of ginger. The complex flavors are then accented with the deep fiery heat of Peruvian Orange Peppers. The texture is similar to chutney with real chunks of fruit.

We recently made some Panko Chicken Breasts and served with Fiery Trail Preserves. The pan-fried Panko chicken is a nice alternative to heavier deep-fried chicken with less muss and fuss. Simply dip cutlets into an egg wash and coat with panko bread crumbs. Fry in a little canola oil and voila! Panko chicken.....just add Fiery Trail Preserves.

You could also use this as a glaze on pork chops or pork loin, a dipping sauce for fried shrimp or as an appetizer by mixing with cream cheese. If you want something really incredible, try Fiery Trail Preserves as a topping on your next bowl of vanilla ice cream. It's awesome!

BBQ Stu’s Steel City Blast Furnace BBQ Sauce Review

Jeff — 2011-09-10T02:38:49Z

It was time to try out our new smoker. The pork butt was begging to be smoked. After a long 12 hours on the smoker and the neighbors getting jealous, it was time to put BBQ Stu’s Steel City Blast Furnace BB Sauce to the test.

It lived up to our expectations. First of all my family was born and raised in the Northeast, and when we saw this BBQ sauce was from Pittsburgh, PA, we had to give it a try. We love the label, simple, cute, and easy to figure out what it was.

Then we read the ingredients, because my wife doesn’t really like sauces that are too hot. We were surprised to see that pineapple was used.

We always smell our sauces first, it smelled a little smoky, which we like, and a little sweet. We did smell a little hint of heat. The consistency was good, not too thick, not runny at all. We like the thicker sauces.

Now it was time for the butt to be introduced to our new friend. It tasted perfect with the pork butt. It stuck to it, just like we like. And of course my daughter used it to dip, like she always does. It tasted just as sweet and smoky as it smelled. It wasn’t too overpowering. The heat crept up on me, but it really started to grow on me.

We could see why BBQ Stu's Steel City Blast Furnace has won awards. We would definitely recommend this BBQ sauce to our friends. Stu has four flavors, which could appeal to every kind of BBQ Sauce Lover. We are looking forward to trying some of the other flavors.

Review by Mark "Jersey" Pisano

Knox's Yummy Chicken Dry Rub Review

Jeff — 2011-08-31T23:34:00Z

Knox’s Yummy Chicken Dry Rub is the creation of Bryan and Tim Knox. Coming from central Kentucky, the Knox family is no stranger to creating dry rubs, seasonings and spice blends and using them on just about everything.

The Knox brothers strive to make quality seasonings from traditional recipes and that is exactly what they’ve accomplished with Yummy Chicken Dry Rub. The no MSG, no preservative, all natural ingredients include sea salt, onion, garlic, black pepper, brown Sugar, thyme, savory, chili pepper, sage, oregano, basil and rosemary.

As soon as you remove the lid, the aromatics hit you with an extremely pleasant and appetizing smell. The blend is well-balanced with no single ingredient overwhelming another. Yummy Chicken Dry Rub will take all the work out of preparing a spice blend from scratch for chicken, Cornish hens, turkey and even quail. I could even see how this dry rub would complement steamed veggies. Yummy Chicken Dry Rub comes packaged in a light-weight plastic shaker, which is easy to use and reduces shipping cost when puchasing.

For a quick and simple meal, try Yummy Chicken Rub by rubbing a thin layer of olive oil on some chicken breasts, sprinkle Yummy Chicken Rub on both sides and gently rub it in the meat surface - then bake until done. The results are extremely flavorful chicken that adults and kids will like.

Pork Barrel All American Spice Rub Review

Jeff — 2011-08-28T21:28:45Z

Pork Barrel BBQ was started just a few years ago by a couple of tired United States Senate staffers who were working late every night, while dreaming of making and eating some good BBQ! Of course, while the boys were dreaming about BBQ, the Senators were arguing the merits of more Pork Barrel Spending!

Pork Barrel BBQ makes Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce and Pork Barrel All American Spice Rub. Today we are reviewing their Spice Rub.

The no MSG, all natural ingredients in Pork Barrel All American Spice Rub include salt, spices, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, Ancho chile and Chipotle chile. This rub comes nicely packaged in a glass jar with a well designed label. We find the aroma and flavor to be well balanced. No single ingredient overpowering any other. Although there are anchos and chipotle peppers included in the ingredients, it is mostly the flavor from the peppers that comes through. There is minimum heat to this rub....meaning it is very "kid friendly".

When tasting, the onion, garlic and papika flavors come through initially with a mild pepper flavor at the end. Although we can easily see this rub going well with chicken or any type of pork, we find the nice mild flavor of this rub to pair well with Pork Loin or Pork Chops.

If you want to make something tasty and quick after a long day at work without spending too much effort, then sprinkle some Pork Barrel All American Spice Rub on both sides of a nice, thick pork chop. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until done.

Review - Legends Sweet and Smokey Rib Rub

Jeff — 2011-08-28T20:04:40Z

Down in St. Petersburg, the Master Chef and creator of the Legends BBQ Sauces, Tony Kreger has been at it again. He has developed a set of rubs and seasonings including Sweet and Smokey Rib Rub. You can find all three of the seasonings: Sweet and Smokey Rib Rub, RG's Steak Seasoning and Roasted Garlic Pepper Seasoning in our store.

As with all new sauces and seasonings at ArmadilloPepper.com, we ran this one through the taste team. The first major decision to make was which cut of meat and as you might have guessed, ribs were the choice of the day.

We started by seasoning the naked ribs with Legends Sweet and Smoky Rib Rub. Upon opening the lid, the aroma was nice and sweet. I expected it to be sugary, but was delighted to taste the blend of spices and smoky flavors. We then placed the ribs on the grill and let the fun begin. While the ribs were cooking we added some more rub after turning. The smokiness really came through in a tasty way. The flavor had just the right touch of sweetness. The rub also had a nice kick of heat to it. I could easily see this rib rub pairing well with other cuts of pork as well. In summary, Legends Sweet and smokey Rib Rub made our plain ribs stand up and sing!!

One additional comment on this rib rub. The seasoning blend has a wonderful flavor, but the grind is a bit coarse compared to many other rubs. This rub actually adds a little texture to your pork.

Special thanks to my friend Mark for leading this taste tasting and preparing this review.