As the World Spice Cookbook Club gears up for grilling season, we’re taking a peek inside the June 2016 selection for our monthly Meet & Eat. Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes is an impressive compendium of of more than 400 flavor combinations by Jim Tarantino. We always appreciate a unique flavor combination, and this totally original Ancho Espresso Dry Rub piqued our interest, and it even has several variations to try!

If you don’t want to grind your Ancho Chiles into a powder, you can try substituting Ancho Chili Powder in place of the chile, garlic, and onion.

Ancho-Espresso Dry Rub

Ingredients

• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup ancho chile powder
• 1/3 cup espresso-grind coffee (very fine grind)
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder or Red Onion Powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grain salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar, chile powder, coffee, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a spice mill or a blender and grind to a coarse powder. Stored in a clean, airtight container, this will keep in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.

Notes

ANCHO-COCOA DRY RUB: Replace the espresso with cocoa powder.
LEMON-ESPRESSO RUB: Replace the ancho chile powder with 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, and replace the cinnamon with crushed red pepper flakes.
TIP: While testing the ancho and cocoa versions of these recipes, I gave the leftover rubs to a friend, who then mixed the two of them together for a Mocha-Ancho Rub.

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Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes is the June 2016 selection for the World Spice Cookbook Club. Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes is currently available for purchase at our retail store and online.

Reprinted with permission from Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes published in 2006 by Ten Speed Press. Text © 2006 by Jim Tarantino. All rights reserved.