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A jar of homemade spice mix, freshly ground ancho and guajillo chilies with cumin, on a marble counter.

Knock-Your-Socks-Off Spice Mix

Manon Lapierre
The house Mexican chili blend — toasted ancho and guajillo chilies, cumin and allspice, ground fresh. Nothing store-bought comes close.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Condiment
Cuisine Basics
Servings 1 jar

Equipment

  • cast iron pan
  • Food processor or spice grinder

Ingredients
  

  • 2 dried ancho chilies stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried guajillo chilies stemmed and seeded
  • 3 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 allspice berry
  • 1 tbsp garlic salt
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds

Instructions
 

  • In a cast iron pan, toast the chilies quickly on both sides until fragrant — no further, or they turn bitter. Set aside.
  • Toast the cumin seeds and the allspice berry in the same pan until they smell nutty.
  • Transfer everything to a food processor or spice grinder and grind finely. BAM!

Notes

Keeps several months in a sealed jar, away from light. Make a double batch before a trip — it is the one seasoning that carries a whole camp kitchen.
Keyword basics, camping, condiment, knockyoursocksoff, pantry, spice