# Chili powder in Q sauce?



## smokyokie (Oct 11, 2006)

Does chili powder belong in authentic BBQ sauce recipes?

What is the actual definition of "chili powder"?

Chili powder would, I suppose, literally mean powdered chili peppers.  However, most commercially available products that are labeled as "chili powder" contain other things as well.  Most notably cumin.  In fact generally speaking, cumin is the prominent flavor in most "chili powders" that we have seen.

We feel that cumin is better used in other ways than Q sauce unless you're going for that "southwest" flavor.  

As to pure powdered chili peppers, we haven't experimented enough to have an opinion.

Have you?  And what is your opinion?


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## cajunsmoker (Oct 11, 2006)

I personally like a little chili powder in my sauces.  I especially like it on a more southwest type sauce for briskets and other beef roasts.  I can take it or leave it on pork.  My vote was for prepared chili powder.


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## bluefrog (Oct 14, 2006)

Dickeydoobbq,
The answer to your chilli powder question is in the spelling.  Chile powder  is made from only ground chile peppers.  Chilli powder is the stuff with cumin, garlic etc. in it as well as chile powder.

Scott


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## smokyokie (Oct 16, 2006)

Scott,

          Per my experience, and per Merriam-Webster, chile and chilli are variants of the preferred spelling chili defined as a type of small hot pepper.  Chile is also Spanish for chili.  Chile is also a country in S. America.  

It's kinda confusing, especially when you go to an authentic ( like illegal alien owned) Mexican restaurant and they serve "chilly rellenos" :lol:

It's also my experience that when you get down around New Mexico, the serious S.W. chef will make his own chili powder out of selected types of dried chilis, and would throw a bottle of prepared "chili powder" right back at you.


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## joed617 (Oct 17, 2006)

From my experience and tatse buds I don't like chili powder in my Q sauce.  Kinda get's me right here, I also don't like 'Liquid Smoke" in my sauces either. "that gets me right there too" I like a sauce with a nice, fresh and clean after taste and I don't want to taste it for the next 4 to 6 hours. Just my 2 cents 

Joe


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## smokyokie (Oct 17, 2006)

You summed up very concisely what my thoughts are.  Save the cumin for the S.W. cuisine, and middle eastern, and why would anyone use liquid smoke when they have real smoke?


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## ma?tley ca 1/4 e (Oct 29, 2006)

My vote was no. I like chili powder in my rub, but I like a sweeter sauce to compliment it.


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## up in smoke (Oct 29, 2006)

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve switched my spices a bit, if I want a chili powder anymore, (except for chili con carne) I tend to go with a nice pure unadulterated cayenne powder, works for me. Of course there is always srirachi sauce for tweakin if ya donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t mind the garlic! :lol:


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## smokyokie (Oct 30, 2006)

Up in Smoke";p="18529 said:
			
		

> Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve switched my spices a bit, if I want a chili powder anymore, (except for chili con carne) I tend to go with a nice pure unadulterated cayenne powder, works for me. Of course quote]there is always srirachi sauce for tweakin if ya donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t mind the garlic! :lol:[/
> 
> A magical fluid :!:


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## dionysus (Oct 31, 2006)

I would tend to agree with the no chili powder. My family likes its sauce a little on the sweeter side and I find that chili with the sweet combination, for some reason,  does leave that "after taste". Now for me personally, load up the rub with lots of spice, including chili and especially the cayenne and forget the sauce.


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## smokyokie (Oct 31, 2006)

I must stand corrected.  Since making this post, I have found a BBQ sauce where chili powder does belong.  This one http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1604

I questioned it when I first saw it in the recipe.  In fact, my first thought was to replace it with paprika, but , as usual, I wanted to make it true to the recipe.

When it was first done, I still questioned it, but over the next 12 hours or so, as the flavors melded, the chili powder became one with the other flavors.

While this is not a traditional Oklatex style tomato sauce, this is very good, and is not as good w/o the chili powder.

So I guess I should ammend my statement to say " chili powder doesn't belong in sweet tomato BBQ sauces"


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