Adding Heat to Memphis Dust and KC BBQ Sauce

[ILMsmoke]

New here so go easy on me. What is the best ingredient and amount to add some kick to the Memphis dust and KC Bbq sauce recipe?

[rickgregory]

I'd default to cayenne powder assuming you mostly wanted to increase heat and not drastically alter the rest of the flavors.

[ILMsmoke]

Any suggestions on amount if I'm doing the by weight recipe?

[rickgregory]

That's going to be dependent on what you want (a subtle boost or 5 star alarm). I'd try 1-2% by weight (so if you were making 500g or about 1lb of a rub, add 5g about 1teaspoon. But that's just a starting point. Start small (maybe even half of that) and add more if you want more heat. Easy enough to add more, impossible to remove it if you added too much.

[Jim White]

You might want to experiment first with the sauce. Put a little bit into a smaller container, mix in a small amount of cayenne and sample it. Keep adding until it hits the heat level you are comfortable with. That should give you some clue for how much to add to the rub, but generally rubs seem capable of handling much more heat in them before they get overwhelming, at least in my experience.

[CaptainMike]

Wut he sed.

[DaveD]

However you tweak the rub first time around, might also be worth using it only on a small piece of something just to see how it works out. Cut a third of a rack of ribs off, or some such, if you're smoking a couple racks so that you don't commit your entire payload Will be interested to see your results - I love MMD but I could see how a touch more heat might not be a bad thing. Or one could keep two versions on hand... sorry, nerding out there.

[JCBBQ]

Make the sauce. Then add this. Depending on your preference (a little or a lot at a time). This is hands down my fave. It tastes like food not just heat. Delicious w plenty of heat. Enjoy.

[JCBBQ]

efincoop definitely at a Mexican/Latin American grocery. But El Yucateco is pretty popular. Check regular grocery stores especially if they have a Mexican or international aisle. I see it in lots of stores. Amazon if all else fails.

[efincoop]

JCBBQ will do, thanks!

[JCBBQ]

CaptainMike yeah I’m a huge fan of the carrot based/Caribbean style hot sauces. To me, they just taste way better than the red ones.

[ILMsmoke]

My goal is to give it a little back end heat. Not much, just enough to notice. It takes a little more heat for me to notice than the average person, especially since I haven't smelled a darn thing in 6 months since Covid....

[JCBBQ]

The el yucateco will give you back end heat.

[barelfly]

Well, you said not much heat, so I guess that rules this out

https://www.oakridgebbq.com/product/oakridge-bbq-crucible-ghost-chile-rub/

and welcome, from the Land of Enchantment and chile capital of the world!

[Strat50]

Add some chipotle powder. I use it in my rub. It's then easy to not only regulate the heat level, but to add another dimension to the smokey flavors as well. If more heat is desired, use any hot dried chili you desire. Chile de arbol, thai, etc.

[glitchy]

I love chipotle powder. Though it does add more or it’s own flavor element than cayenne. It would be the first thing I tried, but probably in a smaller batch to be sure.

[RustyHaines]

I replace the paprika with red chili powder. I buy medium and hot Hatch red chili powder and mix them together to get the heat I want. I have been doing this for years and it works for me. IMO it must be Hatch red chili powder though. It has great flavor.

[learning pellets]

Fresh ground black peppercorn, double the cayenne, & 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground chipotle pepper flakes work for me. Brightens it up with little delayed heat.

[Huskee]

I am a big fan of a double or triple dose of coarse ground black pepper. It really impresses me how spicy yet flavorful black pepper can be when used heavily, without killing my mouth like cayenne can do.

[DennyWoo]

I have to agree with you Huskee. A buddy of mine did some ribs a few years back that had a heavy dose of coarse ground black pepper in the rub, and it kind of changed my life.

[Reds Fan 5]

I second this! Penny’s Tellicherry peppercorns are especially good for this purpose

[ILMsmoke]

So, I added 10 grams of cayenne to 203g of Memphis dust. I felt like that was way too much, but I could really taste it much on the finished product. I'll double it next time and report back

[texastweeter]

Reaper or ghost dust really kick it up a bit. Habanero works best to me, just not as hot.

[Argoboy]

I just made a batch of Meatheads KC BBQ sauce and I added a large jalapeño pepper, 1 tablespoon chipotle chilli power and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce with good results. Once it was cooked I blended it smooth with the immersion blender.