The Rubs

Fennel, Then Smoke

Salt and brown sugar first, then toasted fennel and smoked paprika arriving together behind them.


What it is

A pork rub first. Whole fennel seed toasted in a dry pan and ground the same morning, then mixed with salt, brown sugar, sweet Spanish pimentón, and ground ancho. The usual warm spice here is cumin, and fennel shares an anise register with stone fruit instead, so it carries pork toward an orchard rather than a desert. About a third of the tin is brown sugar, there to set a bark rather than to sweeten the meat.

In the order it arrives

  1. 1Salt, and plenty of it
  2. 2Brown sugar, just behind
  3. 3Toasted fennel and smoked paprika, together

Put it on

  • A pork shoulder going into a smoker, which is what it was built for
  • Thick-cut pork chops off a grill
  • Chicken thighs, with a lighter hand
  • Roasted carrots or winter squash
Heat
Mild. Goes on by the handful rather than the pinch.

Contains mustard.


Batches

Every jar, on the record

No batch of this one has been bottled yet. It is a recipe and an intention, and the first jar is the next step.