After having a few conversations with my good smoking and homebrewing buddy,
I decided to go out and purchase a smoker. We spoke about marinades, wood and rubs etc.
Hes asked me when/if I was going to create a rub any time soon?
Knowingly, I am a professional chef by trade, I told him that I would probably develop another rub at some point, but had a rub a pretty versatile rub I created in 2001. aka "Dixie Dust"
To my surprise he found this link through google and called me.
So I thought I'd shed a little light on the rub and how it came to be in existance.
In 2001 I was recruited to work for The Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi MS.
To be exact, I was hired to take command of the culinary operations of Memphis Q a modern day smoke house/steak house.
Its ironic that Mike Mills is mentioned in this thread, because he's the sole reason Dixie Dust was created in the first place.
In 1998-199 Im not sure exactly, Mike Mills was contraced to open up the Memphis Q, from technique to plate using strictly his sauce and Magic Dust.
His products were shipped directly from his 17st Grill in Chicago and were bought in bulk.
Not only was shipping quite expensive, his sauces and rubs fetched premium prices as well.
All through his rub and sauces were of highest quality and were well made and very tasty, they were not cost effective and our executive chef Ron Ross had already begun looking into replacing his products.
Mills products were actually shipped out to a lab to get anylized for their proportion percentages.
With their lab data the chef team failed to make a comparable/cloned products.
So this is where the begininng of creating a rub and sauce began at the Memphis Q that later became know as Dixie Dust and the sauce...Mock Mills BBQ Sauce
While the former Memphis Q chef Gerald Quick and Ron Ross attempted to duplicate Mike products. I set out to make a quality rub and sauce that were similar, but distinctively original.
Arguably the sauces and Dixie Dust are very different in many ways.
My sous chef and good buddy Darrell Jackson and I spent a couple of weeks blending a variety of spice blends and ingredients until we felt we had a product worth presenting the company at a blind tasting.
The Dixie Dust was chosen over a few other rubs and Mikes Magic Dust- though to my knowledge Dixie Dust has never won any awards. But is a winnner in its own rights!
Executive chef Joe Friel later took over as the executive chef at the Beau fresh out of NYC and Ross went to open The Borgota in AC.
Chef Friel was promo-ed in the MGM- Mirage Players magazine and apparently was asked to contribute a recipe for the magazine, he asked me for the recipe and it was published and noted in the above link.
The recipe has since changed and no longer uses MSG granules, as the Hidden Valley Ranch enough of it already.
BTW- Yes Mike Mills Magic Dust has msg in it at least it did when we purchased it.
Dixie Dust
___________
Paprika- 2 parts
Chili Powder-1 part
HV Dry Ranch Dressing- 2 parts-- aka the secret "weapon"
Iodized Salt- 1 part
Gr. Black pepper- 1 part
Onion Powder- 1 part
Granulated Garlic- 1 part
Celery Seed Whole-1 part
Gr. Cumin 1/2 part
The Memphis Q restaurant is still in operations at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi- Im not sure if they are still using my rub.
I hope you enjoy it as much as the many people and I have over the years!
-Greg Rosace