How to Use Blacken

Welcome to Cap'n Ron's

One thing to remember when using my products is to remove the sifter. The only reason I leave it on is to help seal in the freshness of the product. If you try to use any of my Blackens with the sifter, you'll be shaking out the spices, without the herbs; and ending up with a spicier taste that has lost some of the flavors that were meant to be a part of the blend.

Butt Kickin' Blacken is much more than just a "hot" seasoning blend. When used as a light dusting, it seems to enhance the flavors of your meal, rather than just giving an overpowering "Blackened" flavor. Most of the recipes offered on this site are designed to be medium hot. But, you can adjust them to be hot, or not, depending upon the amount of blacken you use.

Using Blacken on a Grill

Although a lot of you probably don't cook on a grill as often as I do, that's my favorite way to cook almost anything. You can use it liberally in a marinade for any meat, or, use it as a "rub" and coat the meat prior to grilling. When putting directly on any meat destined for the grill, I'll usually oil the meat first, then add Butt Kickin' Blacken, and a little Kosher Salt. The oil helps the meat sear, and keep it's juices from evaporating during cooking. and the Kosher Salt won't melt in the heat of the grill or dry out the meat. It will actually crust up from the heat and lose a lot of it's saltiness. So, when you're grillin' over high heat, don't be afraid to use a little more Kosher Salt or Blacken than you think you should.

And, make sure you go to the recipe section to see some of my more common uses for Butt Kickin' Blacken, I've got over 100 recipes posted, including desserts. Plus, be sure to e-mail me with some of the ways you've found to use my special spice blend.

Blackening on a Stovetop

A lot of you have mentioned that you've tried to use Butt Kickin' Blacken on Seafood or Chicken in a screaming hot, black frying pan. Although, this is the traditional method to blacken something, it takes a little know how to make sure that the outside of the meat is blackened, without being burnt and inedible, and still have the meat done in the middle. Here are 4 methods that will help you Blacken a piece of Chicken, Fish, Steak, or Hamburgers in a frying pan.

Method #1:

For chicken, slice the meat in half, horisontally, it should be only 1/2" thick, season liberally with Butt Kickin' Blacken, and a little kosher salt. Kosher Salt is a coarse grained salt that won't melt in the heat, and helps to form a crust.

Place a well seasoned, black frying pan on the stove and turn the heat up. When the pan just begins to smoke, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then the chicken. Let sit, without moving it around, for 1 - 2 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes. Because you sliced the meat fairly thin, the insides will be cooked at this point, and ready to eat. If it's still pink, you can place the whole frying pan into a 350 degree oven until it's done.

Method #2:

Use this method when you want to "blacken" a thicker pieces of either chicken or seafood.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the meat, by coating it liberally with Butt Kickin' Blacken and Kosher Salt. Get a black frying pan smokin' hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and place the meat in. Cook for 2 minutes, without moving it around, flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Place the meat on a small pan, I use a small sheet pan, covered with parchment paper, for easy cleanup, and place it in the oven until the meat is cooked through.

thecapn@capnrons.com

Cajun Shrimp with Remoulade Sauce

Method #3

This is another way of blackening a thick piece of meat on a stove.

Season the meat liberally with Butt Kickin' Blacken, and a dusting of Kosher Salt, your not cooking on the grill where the salt will burn and crust so use sparingly. Get a fry pan heated to medium heat, I prefer a Stainless or Teflon lined pan for this method. The stainless will provide some nice flavors (fond) after you're finished cooking that you can make into a "pan sauce". Place 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan, then place the meat in. The oil will raise the burning temperature of the butter, yet you'll still get that buttery flavor.

Using a low temperature will let the inside of the meat cook without burning the outside.

If you've used a stainless steel frying pan, you can de-glaze the pan with a little beef or chicken broth, or, a little wine. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry, 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ½ cup cold water. And you've just made a sauce that will compliment the flavor of whatever meat you've cooked. Instead of the cornstarch slurry, you could add a little heavy whipping cream, and reduce until it's thick enough to serve. This reduction method produces a sauce who's flavors are very concentrated, so serve it sparingly.

This method will provide all the flavor of a blackened meal without being burnt.

Method #4

This is another way of blackening a real thick piece of meat on a stove.

Season the meat liberally with Butt Kickin' Blacken, a little Kosher Salt. Get a fry pan heated to medium / low heat, I prefer stainless for this method. Place 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan, then place the meat in. The oil will raise the burning temperature of the butter, yet you'll still get that buttery flavor.

If you're cooking a piece of beef that's 2" thick, you'll want to turn the heat down to low after you've placed it in the pan, or you'll burn it before it's done. Cook until a good crust has formed on the first side, flip and continue to cook to your desired internal temperature. I'll sometimes use this method for 2" thick , and I'll cook it to 110 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer for rare. If you find that the meat is burning too fast, you can turn the heat down a little more, and put a lid on. The lid will turn the frying pan into a mini oven-like appliance, and help the inside of the meat to cook faster without drying out the meat because you've already seared it.

If you've used a stainless steel frying pan, you can de-glaze the pan with a little beef or chicken broth, or, a little wine. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry, 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ½ cup cold water. And you've just made a sauce that will compliment the flavor of whatever meat you've cooked.

In fact, one of my favorite ingredients for de-glazing a pan that I've cooked beef in is an inexpensive Ruby Port Wine, Balsamic Vinegar, and a little sugar. Let this reduce until it's a syrup, and add a little heavy whipping cream to make a sauce. Turn the heat off, and add about 6 tablespoons of butter. Add one at a time, and stir until it's melted before you add the next piece. You'll end up with a terrific Port Wine sauce, that's rich and shiny.

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Happy Blackening,

Cap'n Ron