Anyway, AB is adamant on his shows and web site that one should NEVER use store-bought chili powder. He offers instead a fairly simple recipe for making your own. He is right...the powder you buy in the store is tasteless compared to freshly-made. Make a batch and it will last in an air-tight container for 6 months and STILL be better than anything you purchase off the shelf.
After reading swindon_ed's recipes for sauce and rub, both of which include chili powder, I thought I might bring the group's collective attention to the homebrewed stuff:
AB's Chili Powder
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004
Prep Time:
10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
5 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
approximately 3/4 cup
Ingredients
* 3 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
* 3 cascabel chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
* 3 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
* 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Directions
Place all of the chiles and the cumin into a medium nonstick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, moving the pan around constantly, until you begin to smell the cumin toasting, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.
Once cool, place the chiles and cumin into the carafe of a blender along with the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Process until a fine powder is formed. Allow the powder to settle for at least a minute before removing the lid of the carafe. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
