Paprika

What kind (brand, sweet or hot) and how fresh is it?

Brad

I would eliminate it all together. It really doesn't add anything to rubs. It's more of a filler than anything else. Instead use different chillis or more herbs and spices to add flavor to your rubs.

Paprika and very little flavor or heat for that matter to a rub, it's more for color. I personally find that there's a lot paprika in a rub that it tends to muddy things up.

Not knowing what the rest of the rub is made up of adding raw sugar may not be the answer. It would cut back on paprika to start, do a cook and then decide what changes should like to make it.

glad to know I'm not the only one who thought Paprika was just a filler! Unless you use smoked paprika, which I like.

I suggest you substitute the paprika with ground ancho chilis, they are mild, and similar color to paprika.

Some paprikas are better than others. if you are using the cheap stuff that comes in a tin can, you aren't going to get any flavor out of it and it will just burn at high heat. I recommend a good smoked paprika. It adds a decent flavor and color and you will be able use less of it in your rubs too.

missinTX wrote:

Some paprikas are better than others. if you are using the cheap stuff that comes in a tin can, you aren't going to get any flavor out of it and it will just burn at high heat. I recommend a good smoked paprika. It adds a decent flavor and color and you will be able use less of it in your rubs too.

I'm with missinTX on this one. The paprika I've bought in the supermarkets is really bland stuff and it doesn't do much more than add color.

However, I've been using Hungarian paprika lately and it makes a huge difference. I've used the McCormick brand a few times and it's OK, but my local Italian store has a brand called "Pride of Szeged" that's absolutely fantastic. I've used the sweet and the hot paprika, and both are excellent. Neither are smoked, though.

I found this link as well, if you need to order it online:
http://members.aol.com/HungImprts/Paprika.htm

I normally save smoked paprika and salts for sidedishes or grilling. I find that when it's going on the smoker you loose the flavors to the smoke produced by the smoker.

jminion wrote:

I normally save smoked paprika and salts for sidedishes or grilling. I find that when it's going on the smoker you loose the flavors to the smoke produced by the smoker.

Yeah, having never used smoked paprika, it seems kind of pointless to me to used the smoked stuff for something you will be adding smoke to on the grill or in the smoker.

I think most supermarkets have cheap paprika, I tried some from the stores here and was disappointed.

Went to a spice merchant and found the stuff there (smoked and sweet) was great, so I get my spices there.

Always seem fresher than supermarkets and price is not that bad, only slightly more but worth it for the quality.

I have a catering company and will go through 100 pounds of rub in a couple of months. I have a wholesale spice company with in 10 miles of my home, they make the rub up for me (I can't make for the price they charge me).

The fresher the better with it comes to spices. Stores that specialize in spices is always a better choice if available.