Make sure this is prepared outdoors because of the heavy smoke. A cast iron skillet works best for this recipe. If you can eat salt, feel free to add salt at the seasoning stage of this recipe. The fillets can be marinated overnight in lime juice (and salt option) if desired. Serve over a bed of white rice or dirty rice. Top the cooked fillets with some of our “Traditional Red” salsa as an option.
(Fresh catfish fillets cut in half.)

 
Start with fresh catfish fillets cut in half. Brush both sides with olive oil and squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Melt one stick of butter in a pan.
(Seasoned catfish.)

 
Season fillets generously with “Salt-Free Blackened” seasoning and add salt if desired. Start an outdoor burner and warm a cast iron skillet until it starts to smoke.
(Catfish smoking.)

 
Add catfish to the hot skillet and drizzle butter over the top. The fish will start smoking immediately. Turn very quickly and drizzle a small amount of butter on the opposite side. Turn often until fish starts to separate. The fish pieces can be finished in a baking pan at 350° if the fish is very thick and starts to get too blackened.
(Final blackened catfish.)
The catfish should be juicy and flake easily with a fork. Serve over a bed of white rice or dirty rice. Top the cooked fillets with some of our “Traditional Red” salsa as an option.

Fried rabbit in my opinion is “the other white meat”. This fried recipe works for domestic or wild rabbits. The wild rabbits can be marinated in buttermilk and spice overnight if desired. For this example I used an electric skillet to smother fry the rabbit pieces. When we cook outdoors I use a cast iron pot and open fry. The gravy can be made with hot water or milk. Serve with a glass of sweet tea, hot buttered cornbread, purple hull peas and mashed potatoes with gravy.
(Rabbit before seasoning.)

 
Cut two to three rabbits into pieces (depending on size) and make sure to cut across the backbone. Sprinkle generously with “Jalapeño Dusted”™ seasoning on the outside.
(Seasoned rabbit in the flour.)

 
Fill your electric skillet to desired level with your oil of choice. I use canola clear fry or peanut oil. Start heating the oil until it reaches 325°- 350°. Dredge the seasoned pieces in flour and tap together to remove excess flour. I like to use a double lined brown paper bag to shake and coat each piece evenly.
(Rabbit legs frying nicely.)

 
Add rabbit in batches of same size pieces. Cover with lid to smother fry or open fry each batch. Turn every 4 minutes until done (12-15 minutes).
(Starting the gravy.)

 
When the rabbit is finished, remove the majority of grease leaving a small amount on the bottom of the skillet. Do not strain the grease, the scraps add flavor. Sift flour on top and work in with a wooden spatula until it starts to thicken up. Once it turns thick and pasty, add hot water or milk, salt, pepper and “Jalapeño Dusted”™ to taste.
(Final Jalapeño Dusted fried rabbit.)

 
When my wife Barb made this plate for me to photograph, I got so excited about sinking my teeth into that leg staring at me, I forgot to add the cornbread. Make some sweet tea to compliment this wonderful Southern treat.

Our “Jalapeño Dusted”™ pre-seasoned fish fry is perfect for fresh and saltwater fish, shrimp, oysters and veggies. A simple egg wash (egg and milk) is an option to the buttermilk used in this recipe. If you like additional zest, sprinkle some “Jalapeño Dusted”™ spice on your seafood prior to battering or after removing from the deep fryer. Serve with fries or onion rings, hush puppies and salad.
(Shrimp soaking in buttermilk.)

 
Peel and de-vein some medium to large gulf shrimp. Shake off excess water by bouncing in a colander or blotting with a paper towel. Place shrimp in a glass bowl, pour buttermilk over shrimp, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
(Shrimp on batter ready to coat.)

 
After draining the buttermilk off the shrimp, heat a cast iron pot with Canola or peanut oil to 350°. Add some shrimp to the “Jalapeño Dusted”™ pre-seasoned dry batter. A container was used above that has a sifter in the middle to separate batter from the shrimp. This product can be purchased at discount and outdoor stores.
(Final fried shrimp.)

 
Fry the shrimp in batches at 350° until golden brown and starting to float in the grease. Line a pan with paper towels and add the shrimp as they finish frying. I normally shake some additional “Jalapeño Dusted”™ spice at this point.

This entree will take about 2.5 hours from prep to plate but is worth every ounce of effort. This entree is rated hot-fiery depending on how many fresh chilies are used.
Ingredients:

• 12-fresh roma tomatoes-2 lbs. (blanched, peeled and course chopped)
• 2-large white onions (chopped)
• 3-large jalapeño (seeded and chopped)
• 12-fresh pequin chilies (crushed and chopped)
• 4 oz-soft melt white cheese
• 5 oz-tomato sauce (bottled crushed roma tomato all-natural from Italy if available)
• 14 oz-can of chicken broth (low sodium/msg free)
• 2-limes (juice and pulp)
• 12-fresh garlic cloves (peeled, some crush and some chopped)
• 1-large bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
• “Southwestern Sizzler ” (4-5 tsp)
• Sea Salt (1 tsp if desired)
• 7-stuffed queen olives (sliced for garnish)
• 1-jumbo avocado (sliced for garnish at the end)
• ½ bunch chopped cilantro

Start by crushing the pequins, three garlic cloves and some lime juice in a molcajete.

 
Add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil to a hot cast iron pot and sauté the crushed mixture, onion, chilies, garlic and bell pepper. Add juice and pulp of one lime once the vegetables start to soften up.

 
Once the vegetables soften, add the chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, juice/pulp from the second lime and cilantro. Allow this mixture to cook at least 15-20 minutes on high while rendering down. Stir often with a wooden spoon to avoid sticking.

 
Once the sauce begins to render, reduce heat to medium and add the tomato sauce, 4-5 tsp. of “Southwestern Sizzler ” and 1 tsp of sea salt. Cook additional 15-20 minutes and reduce heat to lowest setting stirring occasionally. Add the grated cheese right before serving allowing it to melt and gently blend it in.

 
While the sauce is on cruise control, break out the fresh fillets.
Season with your favorite TSS blend including “Jalapeño Dusted”™, “Herbal Red”™ or “Rattlesnake Dust”. I used a “Herbal Red”™ base with “Rattlesnake Dust” as a kicker.

 
Bring an electric skillet up to 300-325 degrees and add some olive oil and a small pat of real butter. I like the flavor butter adds to olive oil. Do not use too much butter because it will get dark.

 
Cook the fillets (depending on thickness) 3-4 minutes on each side. Season the backside after the first turn. Cook until meat starts to separate. Use two spatulas to keep from breaking the fillets. If you have several fish fillets to cook, keep the cooked pieces on a hot plate in the oven uncovered on 200 degrees.

 
Garnish the final entree with sliced queen olives and serve with sliced avocado seasoned with “Rattlesnake Dust” and “Southwestern Sizzler ” Spanish rice.

 
Southwestern Sizzler Spanish Rice
Start by browning one cup of long grain rice (not instant)in 1/4 cup of oil and add salt to taste. Add 2-3 cloves of fresh chopped garlic and 1/2 cup minced white onion and sauté. Add a can of chopped tomato with green chilies, 1 1/2 cups of water and 2 tbs of “Southwestern Sizzler “. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until rice becomes moist and excess water is cooked down. NOTE: Parboiled, peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes with fresh chopped jalapeño can replace the canned mixture. You will need to increase the water by 1/4 cup.

 
Southwestern Sizzler Beans ala Charra

• 1 lb. bag of dried beans
• 2 tbsp. “Southwestern Sizzler “
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup fine chopped white onion
• 5 tsp. fresh chopped garlic
• 1/3 bunch Cilantro (leaves) fine chopped
• 2 slices of bacon
• 2-3 large peeled and chopped fresh roma tomatoes

I rinsed and covered the beans in water and let soak for two hours. Drain and rinse again and cover beans with water by three inches. Bring to a boil for about twenty minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add water if needed-do not drown in water though! Add onion and garlic. Cooked for 45 minutes then reduced heat to low and added little water, dry seasonings, bacon, cilantro and tomato. Cook on lowest setting an additional hour or until beans are soft and the soup thickens up. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

This entrée was created for our TSS cookbook. The chutney is definitely “fiery” if cooked as written. The tropical fruit and blazin’ pork ribs complimented each other well. Leftover chutney can be a topper for baked pork roast or chicken breasts seasoned with “the Juicy Pig”™ or “Wild Bill’s Blazin’ BBQ”. The fresh ginger can get overpowering in both side dishes so be cautious if this is your first time using ginger root. Both coconut milk (very thick) and coconut juice (watery) with pulp are used in the chutney.

 
“Gas and Go” is what a good friend of mine and avid TSS user Jerry Miller would say and that’s exactly what I did with this rack of pork ribs. After cutting into sections they were seasoned with “Wild Bill’s Blazin’ BBQ” cooked over a bed of mesquite coals. When cooking over direct heat, be sure and turn the ribs often to avoid burning the seasoning. When the meat starts to pull away from the bone, wrap in foil and move to the stack end of the pit to finish. They will come out fork tender and flavored to the bone!
Tropical Fire Chutney

• 2 cups course chop fresh pineapple
• 3 cups course chop fresh mango
• 2 tbsp. fine chop fresh ginger root
• coconut milk
• coconut juice (strain juice and save pulp)
• 1 cup fresh pureed apples (I used fuji apples in a food processor with skin on until it turned into applesauce)
• 4 or 5 seeded and chopped fresh red habanero
  NOTE: This was fiery hot. Reduce habanero to taste.
• 5-6 cloves of fine chopped fresh garlic – 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses – juice of 1/2 lemon
• TSS “Wild Bill’s Blazin’ BBQ”
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt

Start by heating a dry cast iron skillet and then add habanero, garlic, ginger and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Continue to add coconut milk as it cooks down to avoid sticking and/or burning. It will take 2-3 times of adding more coconut milk until the ginger starts to soften.

 
Next, add coconut juice until it is above the level of ingredients and the coconut pulp. Reduce heat to medium high for 5 minutes.

 
Next, add all other ingredients including another 1/2 cup of coconut milk and a tsp. of “Wild Bill’s Blazin’ BBQ”. Fold in gently and reduce heat to medium for another 5 minutes then reduce heat to lowest setting to simmer.

 
Once the chutney simmers for about 25 minutes it will thicken. Gently scrape the bottom and fold in with a wooden spoon over this 25 minutes. If your chutney is still thin, continue to simmer.

 
Before starting the veggies, bring to a boil two cups of free range organic chicken broth with a tbsp. of butter and “Pequin Garlic Sea Salt” to taste. Stir in proper amount of dry couscous according to directions on box, remove from heat, cover and let stand until stock is absorbed.

 
Veggies: Start by sautéing shredded carrots, chopped green onion, fresh garlic and ginger root in olive oil. When veggies start getting soft, reduce heat, add snow peas, season with “Pequin Garlic Sea Salt” and add 1/2 cup free range organic chicken broth. Cover halfway and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Toss and serve over the couscous.

Our fajita seasoning, “Southwestern Sizzler “, is perfect for pork, chicken, beef and shrimp fajitas. It also seasons taco meat, Spanish rice, pico de gallo and refried beans. If you make chili or have a recipe that requires chili powder, “Southwestern Sizzler ” will take its place as well because it has a fine blend of southwest chilies including ancho, pasilla and New Mexico red with plenty of comino and garlic.
Below are some pics and recipes:

 

Southwestern Sizzler Taco Meat: Start with browning 2lbs. of taco meat and drain grease. Add 3/4 cup chopped white onion and 3-4 large cloves of fresh chopped garlic and sauté. Add 3 tbs. of “Southwestern Sizzler ” and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 10 min covered on medium heat or until water cooks down.

 

 

Southwestern Sizzler Spanish Rice: Start by browning one cup of long grain rice (not instant)in 1/4 cup of oil and add salt to taste. Add 2-3 cloves of fresh chopped garlic and 1/2 cup minced white onion and sauté. Add a can of chopped tomato with green chilies, 1 1/2 cups of water and 2 tbs of “Southwestern Sizzler “. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until rice becomes moist and excess water is cooked down. NOTE: Parboiled, peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes with fresh chopped jalapeño can replace the canned mixture. You will need to increase the water by 1/4 cup.

 

 

Quick Southwestern Sizzler Refried Beans: Sauté 1 chopped clove of garlic and 2 tbs chopped onion in a tbs of oil until soft. Add a can of jalapeno pinto beans and heat on high. Reduce heat, add a sprinkle of “Southwestern Sizzler ” and soft mash with a potato masher.

 

See my homemade “Southwestern Sizzler ” beans ala charra recipe that will make excellent refried beans. This was used on tostadas and does a great job for that purpose.

 

 

Fresh fried corn tortillas with all the trimmings. The cheese tostada just has shredded co-jack cheese until the next picture!

 

 

Adding the final touch! Top beef & bean tostada along with the cheese one has red pequin reserve. The bottom one has los tres chilies!! Man these were outstanding and the heat was on for sure after this plate disappeared.

The aroma of fresh crushed pequin takes me back to the summers spent on Grandma & Grandpa Garcia’s ranch in Alice, Texas.
Start by crushing some fresh pequin (or any blazin fresh pod), fresh garlic and a small amount of lime juice. I generally press a meat cleaver flat against the large garlic pods to flatten then work it in the molcajete. Squeeze just enough lime to keep it moist and form a paste. Reserve mixture will be used in drawn butter later.

 
Butterfly jumbo shrimp deep into the back and insert crushed pequin. Season with “Rattlesnake Dust” or “Jalapeño Dusted”™ and insert piece of jalapeño cheese. Wrap in bacon and secure with toothpicks.
Wrapped shrimp ready for the mesquite bed! I season the bacon while turning on the pit.

 
Grilling up nice over a mesquite coal bed around 300 degrees.
Closer shot. Can ya smell em? Outside bacon seasoned with “Rattlesnake Dust”.
The wait is over!! Mesquite grilled pequin shrimp, pineapple pico ge gallo, drawn butter with reserve pequin paste, avocado slices dusted with “Rattlesnake Dust” and “Southwestern Sizzler ” beans ala charra. See recipes below.
Juicy Pig Pineapple Pico De Gallo

• 24 oz. peeled and chopped fresh roma tomato
• 8 oz. chopped fresh white onion
• 10 oz. fresh pineapple fine chopped
• 2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 oz. chopped fresh pequin and serrano
• 1 oz. fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tsp “the Juicy Pig”™

Fine chop all vegetables. Mix in a large bowl with the lime juice and dry seasonings. Mix well and let sit overnight to marinate.
Southwestern Sizzler Beans ala Charra

• 1 lb. bag of dried beans
• 2 tbsp. “Southwestern Sizzler “
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup fine chopped white onion
• 5 tsp. fresh chopped garlic
• 1/3 bunch Cilantro (leaves) fine chopped
• 2 slices of bacon
• 2-3 large peeled and chopped fresh roma tomatoes

I rinsed and covered the beans in water and let soak for two hours. Drain and rinse again and cover beans with water by three inches. Bring to a boil for about twenty minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add water if needed-do not drown in water though! Add onion and garlic. Cooked for 45 minutes then reduced heat to low and added little water, dry seasonings, bacon, cilantro and tomato. Cook on lowest setting an additional hour or until beans are soft and the soup thickens up. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

 
Pequin paste

• 3/8 oz fresh pequin
• 1 oz. garlic
• fresh squeezed lime as needed

This salmon recipe features “the Juicy Pig”™ rub on fresh smoked salmon. The marinade should soak in the fish at least one full day. Teriyaki sauce or honey can be added if desired. This fish is great cold on mini-bread and crackers with fresh sliced apples. Serve warm salmon with a chilled citrus fruit and leaf lettuce salad and honey mustard dressing. Pour a glass of fruity white wine or sweet tea.
(Salmon after oil and seasoning.)

 
Start with juicing one grapefruit, two oranges, two limes and one small lemon with pulp. Marinate the salmon overnight turning every couple of hours. Honey or Teriyaki sauce can be added if desired. After marinating, remove the fish and place on wax paper. Brush with olive oil and apply a generous amount of “the Juicy Pig”™.
(Salmon over mesquite bed.)

 
Burn some charcoal and mesquite chunks down until the pit reaches 325°- 350°. Place a secondary rack above the expanded metal. Turn every 10-15 minutes. Use clean spray bottle to add remaining marinade after each turn and re-season.
(Final salmon in foil pan.)

 
After 45 minutes the salmon should be moved to a foil pan. Cover with foil and let the fish steam for another 10 minutes. The salmon can be cooked longer if a softer, well-done fish is desired.

This salmon recipe features “the Juicy Pig”™ rub on fresh smoked salmon. The marinade should soak in the fish at least one full day. Teriyaki sauce or honey can be added if desired. This fish is great cold on mini-bread and crackers with fresh sliced apples. Serve warm salmon with a chilled citrus fruit and leaf lettuce salad and honey mustard dressing. Pour a glass of fruity white wine or sweet tea.
(Salmon after oil and seasoning.)

 
Start with juicing one grapefruit, two oranges, two limes and one small lemon with pulp. Marinate the salmon overnight turning every couple of hours. Honey or Teriyaki sauce can be added if desired. After marinating, remove the fish and place on wax paper. Brush with olive oil and apply a generous amount of “the Juicy Pig”™.
(Salmon over mesquite bed.)

 
Burn some charcoal and mesquite chunks down until the pit reaches 325°- 350°. Place a secondary rack above the expanded metal. Turn every 10-15 minutes. Use clean spray bottle to add remaining marinade after each turn and re-season.
(Final salmon in foil pan.)

 
After 45 minutes the salmon should be moved to a foil pan. Cover with foil and let the fish steam for another 10 minutes. The salmon can be cooked longer if a softer, well-done fish is desired.

This salmon recipe features “the Juicy Pig”™ rub on fresh smoked salmon. The marinade should soak in the fish at least one full day. Teriyaki sauce or honey can be added if desired. This fish is great cold on mini-bread and crackers with fresh sliced apples. Serve warm salmon with a chilled citrus fruit and leaf lettuce salad and honey mustard dressing. Pour a glass of fruity white wine or sweet tea.
(Salmon after oil and seasoning.)

 
Start with juicing one grapefruit, two oranges, two limes and one small lemon with pulp. Marinate the salmon overnight turning every couple of hours. Honey or Teriyaki sauce can be added if desired. After marinating, remove the fish and place on wax paper. Brush with olive oil and apply a generous amount of “the Juicy Pig”™.
(Salmon over mesquite bed.)

 
Burn some charcoal and mesquite chunks down until the pit reaches 325°- 350°. Place a secondary rack above the expanded metal. Turn every 10-15 minutes. Use clean spray bottle to add remaining marinade after each turn and re-season.
(Final salmon in foil pan.)

 
After 45 minutes the salmon should be moved to a foil pan. Cover with foil and let the fish steam for another 10 minutes. The salmon can be cooked longer if a softer, well-done fish is desired.

This is one of my favorite recipes that can be made with rabbit, chicken or fresh redfish. My good friend Geno (the “rabbit man”) has the freshest rabbits in Santa Fe and was nice enough to dress some out for this recipe. We all gathered at the Santa Fe Lounge that Sunday afternoon to eat what you see in the last picture along with some “Jalapeño Dusted”™ fried rabbit. Erna served up the cold Lone Star beer to go along with these spicy entrees.

 
Redfish will not require as much cooking time as rabbit and chicken. The can tomato with green chilies vs. tomato sauce and water is an option based on taste as well as salt and pepper in the gravy. A large roasting pan (electric or cast iron) will be required for the final step if the recipe is cooked as written. The gravy can be cooked down and smaller portions used with fish or a reduced amount of rabbit or chicken. Remaining gravy can be frozen. Serve over white rice.
(Rabbit before seasoning.)

 
Cut two to three rabbits into pieces (depending on size) and sprinkle “Jalapeño Dusted”™ seasoning on the outside. Brown the rabbit pieces in a cast iron skillet with olive oil turning often to avoid sticking. The idea is to brown the meat and lock in juices. Do not over-brown or char the meat because this will affect the final flavor.
(Rabbit after baking.)

 
Line a deep baking pan with foil and add browned rabbit. Re-season the pieces with a generous amount of “Jalapeño Dusted”™. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for one hour. The meat should be close to falling off the bone. Set covered pan aside until the sauce piquant is cooked down.
(Sautéed vegetables.)

 
While the rabbit is baking, chop the following ingredients and sauté with olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Add additional Jalapeño and Serrano if you desire a higher heat level.

• 4 large white onions peeled and chopped
• 5 green bell peppers chopped
• 5 whole garlic pods peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 2 whole bunches of green onions chopped
• 6 fresh jalapeños chopped
• 6 fresh Serrano peppers chopped

(Cooked down gravy ready for baked rabbit.)
When the vegetables start browning and are halfway soft, add the following ingredients.

• 5 lbs. chopped fresh roma tomatoes
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes with green chilies OR
• 1 can of tomato sauce

Salt and pepper to taste
Continue to cook on high heat for 20 minutes stirring often to avoid sticking. Add water in small increments. Add salt/pepper to taste if. The idea is to cook the gravy down to a thick consistency over time.
After 20 minutes reduce heat to low and add the following ingredients.

• 6 Tbs. “Herbal Red “™
• 4 Bay leaves
• 1 Tbs. Granulated garlic

Juice of three limes
Cover the skillet with a sheet of foil and stir every 10 minutes making sure this does not stick. Add water in small increments and re-season to taste after cooking down. This process of cooking down thick gravy will take at least two hours. If you prefer thinner gravy add additional water to achieve desired consistency. After gravy cooks down, re-season with “Herbal Red “™, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
(Final rabbit sauce piquant.)

 
After cooking down the gravy add the rabbit pieces and stock from the baking pan. A large roasting pan (electric or cast iron) will be required at this point to allow for the large volume. Gently fold in and simmer on low heat another 30 minutes until the meat begins to fall off the bone. Serve over a bed of white rice.