What's New

Visit us at the Great American Cooking Expo! Try tasty samples and SAVE on special show deals!

2009-09-14T08:39:52Z

We'll be cooking and selling Char Crust® Dry Rub Seasoning in Booth 302 at the Great American Cooking Expo October 23, 24, and 25, 2009. The Expo is open to everyone, so bring the family out to Harper College, Bldg M, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine, IL 60067.

Show hours are:

Friday, October 23, 2009 - - - - - 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday October 24, 2009 - - - -11:00 AM - - 5:00 PM
Sunday October 25, 2009 - - - - -11:00 AM - - 5:00 PM

Visit their website http://www.thecookingexpo.com for more information.

Come on out! We'll be offering special deals on Char Crust® Dry Rub Seasoning, cookbooks, and other fun things. We look forward to meeting you.

See Our Ad in Fine Cooking Magazine!

2009-05-06T22:47:43Z

From Susan: My favorite food magazine is Fine Cooking. Whether you are a complete kitchen novice, or a culinary pro, they do a great job of teaching you all about food and how to cook it. Not only do I read every issue, I save them and use them. So when we decided to advertise for the first time ever, Fine Cooking was our choice.

So look for our very first ad in the June/July issue on sale May 19, then the special "Grilling" issue on sale June 16 at newstands only.

Char Crust Website Gets a Major Makeover

2009-05-01T19:51:41Z

Back in 1995, we were ahead of the curve by having a website. Most people were actually impressed, and some visited our site almost as a novelty.

Within a few years, our pioneer days were over, and the internet was a crowded place. A few years after that, we found ourselves completely left in the dust. Many websites became slick and sophisticated, and in the age of iPods, we had become an eight-track tape!

After much procrastination, we have finally gotten a badly-needed makeover, and we hope you like what you see! New features include:

Store Locator -- simply enter your zip code and nearby stores with maps will appear.
Rub-Your-Meat Char Crust Fan Club -- sign up and we'll send special promotions to you.

Happy reading, clicking, and eating!

— Bernie, Susan, and the rest of the Char Crust Family

Visit Our Booth at the 55th Annual Fancy Food Show

2009-04-29T20:29:45Z

We will be cooking up a storm with Char Crust® Dry Rub Seasoning in Booth 1556 at the 55th Annual Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, June 28 - 30, 2009. Produced by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) since 1955, the Fancy Food Shows are North America's largest specialty food and beverage marketplaces for the trade.

Please note that this show is to the trade only.

For more information, visit www.specialtyfood.com/do/fancyFoodShow/LocationsAndDates.

Wines to 'steak' a claim with

2009-02-06T17:26:45Z

By Louis Marmon, The Vine Guy

January 29th, 2009

A big "thank you" to Louis Marmon, The Vine Guy at the DCExaminer.com, for mentioning Char Crust Dry Rub Seasoning in his wine-pairing article, reprinted below.

WASHINGTON – One of the ways we coax our son to visit us from college is to prepare his favorite meal: a grilled rib-eye steak prepared with Char Crust® Hickory rub

For someone who is just starting out exploring wine, The Palm's Kurt Hamilton suggests an American-grown Bordeaux-style blend known as a "Meritage" (rhymes with heritage). A combination of various amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, a Meritage is "very drinkable with tannins that are not too harsh." He recommends the "bold with great balance" 2005 Beaulieu Vineyards Reserve Tapestry ($40) with blackberry, cassis, chocolate and spice flavors that would "complement any steak with pretty much any seasoning."

The first thing that came to mind for Nadine Brown from Charlie Palmer Steak was also a Bordeaux blend from California, the "crowd-pleasing and consistently well-made" 2005 Girard Artistry ($40) that "has a bit more Cabernet Franc than you see in other blends, which gives it more earthiness and a sense of place. Very balanced, with not over-extracted dark fruit and soft tannins that make it ready to drink as soon as it is opened."

Morton's Brian Carpinello has an "out-of-the-box suggestion for a hickory rub," a Riesling specifically the 2007 Chateau Ste-Michelle Eroica ($19) from Washington State. This wine's brisk acidity and complex citrus, pear and mineral flavors would "go well with an appetizer such as a shrimp cocktail and would also transition nicely into the steak course." His more conventional option is the 2006 Stag's Leap Napa Petite Syrah ($35) which is "more jammy and has great blackberry flavors with a thicker body and smooth finish that won't overpower the flavors of the beef."

Nicole Saladyga is in charge of the wine at one of D.C.'s newer establishments, Chef Laurent Tourondel's BLT Steak. "Rib-eye is one of the fattiest cuts, and therefore one of the most flavorful. You want a wine that is big and full-bodied to stand up to the flavors." If price is no object, her suggestion is a "powerful, 'in-your-face' Napa Valley wine," the 2005 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon ($122) that is "big and luscious" with black fruit, hazelnut and spice flavors. She would also consider a 100 percent Syrah from the Cote Rotie, the 2005 Domaine Francois Villard Le Gallet Blanc ($78), a "powerful, rich expression of blackberry, raspberry and dark fruit with some earthiness and mineral qualities."

The wine list at another D.C. newcomer, Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak, is supervised by Brick Loomis, who proposed the more reasonably priced 2005 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah ($23) from Washington State.

"A great grilling wine from a dynamic winery," he explained, "It has a pronounced smokiness as well as the bacon fat and other expected syrah flavors that are strictly from the vineyard rather than anything the winemakers do in the cellar. Like getting Bergdorf quality at Kmart prices."

Zinfandel is another option but Loomis is not enamored with many of the latest releases. "Zins have a natural tendency to become too roasty, plumy and pruney. And it can be difficult to keep the alcohol in check." He does like the 2005 Neyers Tofanelli Vineyard Zinfandel ($28) that is "understated, sleek and polished with cassis, red berry fruit and just a little of the Zin spice."

Fleming's Billy Sullivan would open one of his favorite Australian Shiraz, specifically the "flavorful and full-bodied 2005 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes ($24). It is very easy drinking, with a nice spiciness along with big blackberry, boysenberry and other fruit flavors. It is not tannic but has the structure to hold up to the grilled rib-eye." He also loves the "incredibly smooth 2005 Tintara Shiraz ($19), a great value made by one of Australia's oldest wineries. It is hand-crafted with spicy blueberry, blackberry and white pepper flavors. Its pleasant texture and balanced tannins will not overpower the steak."

Currently at The Prime Rib, Jim Ross has been in the food and wine business for more than 30 years.

"Our meat is roasted," he said, "but I do love a grilled steak or lamb chop. Your rib-eye will need a bold wine. I am a huge fan of the Pacific Northwest wines so I would go with the 2005 Spring Valley Frederick ($45) from the Walla Walla Valley."

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it is an "all-purpose wonderful steak wine that is very fruit-forward with beautiful structure and the guts to match the steak. It is a wine that you will remember."

Sizzling Summer Cheeseburger - even in the middle of winter!

2009-02-06T03:43:29Z

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: about 20 minutes

A big thick juicy burger that tastes like summertime - even in the middle of winter - with our Char Crust® Hickory Molasses Dry Rub Seasoning.

Ingredients:
Ground chuck -- allow 6 oz per person
Char Crust® Hickory Molasses Dry Rub Seasoning -- about 3/4 Tbsp. per burger

Preheat your choice of cooking appliance:
Broiler, George Foreman® Grill, Stovetop Grill Pan, or Outdoor Grill.

Form hamburger patties by rolling ground meat briefly into a ball, then smushing the ball between your palms until it is about 3/4 inch thick. Do not overwork the meat. Cover all surfaces of the burgers with Char Crust® Hickory Molasses Dry Rub Seasoning.

Sear burgers until desired doneness. Use meat thermometer for safety. Remember, even well-done burgers will stay juicy with Char Crust®.

Option:
Use ground turkey instead of beef. Normally dry and tasteless, turkey burgers come out juicy and yummy with Char Crust® Dry Rub Seasoning.

Pan-Seared Tilapia

2009-02-06T03:26:58Z

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: about 20 minutes

Have a great dinner ready faster than you can order out or go through a drive-thru! Our Char Crust® Amazin' Cajun Dry Rub Seasoning makes it easy!

Ingredients:
Tilapia fillets -- about 6 oz per person
Char Crust® Amazin' Cajun Dry Rub Seasoning -- about 1/2 Tbsp per fillet
A little oil, canola is good
A little butter (optional), at room temperature

Heat a cast iron pan on the stove until very hot. Season one side of the fish with Char Crust® Amazin' Cajun Dry Rub Seasoning, generously covering the surface. Drizzle a little oil all over the seasonings, using your fingers to rub in and distribute evenly. Seasonings will look moist and darken a bit. Place the fish, seasoned side down, into the pan. It should sizzle immediately, and you may get some smoke. Cook a few minutes until just cooked through. Transfer to plate with seasoned side up and place pat of butter on top.

Option:
We actually prefer this recipe with catfish, but tilapia seems to have more fans.

Roasted Cornish Hen with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2009-02-06T02:43:47Z

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour

A tasty alternative to chicken using our Char Crust® Roto Roast Dry Rub Seasoning! Follow the directions below to serve as many people as you like. For lazy cooks (like us) we recommend baking the sweet potatoes to avoid having to peel them, then cook the hens while you mash the potatoes.

Ingredients for the hens:
Cornish Hens -- allow 1 per person
Char Crust® Roto Roast Dry Rub Seasoning-- about 2 Tbsp. per bird

Preheat oven to 450°. Rub entire surface of birds with Char Crust® Roto Roast Dry Rub Seasoning, including inside the cavity. Roast in roasting pan for 10 minutes, then turn oven temperature down to 375°. Continue cooking until juices run clear. Use meat thermometer for food safety.

Ingredients for the sweet potatoes:
Sweet potatoes or yams, medium-sized -- one per person
Milk or cream -- 1/4 cup per potato
Butter -- as desired
Southern Comfort® -- 1/2 teaspoon per potato
Dark brown sugar -- 1 Tbsp. per potato

Preheat oven to 350°. Poke potatoes with a fork, then bake them in oven, directly on rack, with a cookie sheet or foil on another rack below (to catch drips and keep your oven clean). When potatoes are cooked through and soft, remove from oven. Cut each potato in half and let cool a bit. (Now would be a good time to start the cornish hens).

Once the hens are cooking, use an oven mitt to hold each potato half while you use a big serving spoon to scoop out the flesh into a oven-safe bowl. (So much easier than peeling!). Add other ingredients and use a hand masher to blend everything together. Serve immediately or cover the bowl with an tightly fitting oven-safe lid, or with foil, and put into oven while the hens are cooking.

Holiday Beef Tenderloin

2009-02-06T02:30:27Z

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour

Fast and fabulous... exactly what you need during the busy holidays! So easy Char Crust® Original Hickory Grilled Dry Rub Seasoning, it shouldn't be called a recipe.

Ingredients:
Beef tenderloin -- allow 6 oz per person
Char Crust® Original Hickory Grilled Dry Rub Seasoning -- about 2 Tbsp. per pound of meat

Preheat oven to 450°. Rub entire surface of tenderloin with Char Crust® Original Hickory Grilled Dry Rub Seasoning. Place in roasting pan and place in oven. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn oven temperature down to 350°. Cook to desired doneness. Use meat thermometer for best results and for food safety.

Char Crust Exhibiting at the ACF Central Region Conference

2009-02-05T22:48:47Z

We will be exhibiting at the Central Region Conference of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) on Saturday, February 21, from noon to 4:00 p.m., in Schaumburg, IL. We will be cooking with Char Crust dry rub, and product may be purchased at our booth, located in the Illinois Products Pavilion.

You must be registered for the conference in order to attend this trade show.

Please visit the ACF website here for more information.

Southwest Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce

2009-02-05T21:57:16Z

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Great pot-luck dish. Not only does everyone love it, but they are so impressed! It is ridiculously easy with our Char Crust® Smoky Spicy Southwest Dry Rub Seasoning, we don't blame you if you want to keep the recipe to yourself. We like serving it with a side of cous-cous.

Ingredients (for 2 to 4 servings):
1 whole pork tenderloin (about 1 lb, or a little over)
3 Tbsp. Char Crust® Smoky Spicy Southwest Dry Rub Seasoning
1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 325°. Empty cranberry sauce into roasting pan, then add 1 can of water to the pan. Stir well to blend.

Rub all surfaces of the tenderloin with Char Crust® Smoky Spicy Southwest Dry Rub Seasoning. Be generous; you want to cover every bit of the meat so Char Crust® can seal in the juices. Sprinkle excess Char Crust® Dry Rub Seasoning directly into the cranberry sauce.

Place tenderloin on roasting rack and place in the pan, right on top of the cranberry sauce. You may also place tenderloin directly in the pan, but the bottom of the meat will not develop a crispy crust of seasonings.

Roast about 40 minutes. Use a meat thermometer for safety.

Garlic Peppercorn Salmon

2009-02-05T21:56:49Z

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

This is a heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth recipe for salmon. The savory garlic and spicy bite of the black pepper of the dry rub seasoning really complement the rich, oily salmon. The cool sour cream adds a great contrast of taste, texture, and temperature.

Ingredients (for 4 servings - 4 oz each):
1 lb. salmon fillet
2 Tbsp. Char Crust® Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Dry Rub Seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onion, mostly white part, some green
cooking oil (as needed)

Preheat broiler with broiler pan on the top rack (as close to heat as possible).

Completely cover fleshy side of salmon fillet with Char Crust® Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Dry Rub Seasoning, then drizzle or spray the seasoned side with oil. Broil for 4 - 5 minutes with seasoned side facing the heat source. Do not overcook! Salmon should be very moist. Serve immediately with side of sour cream for the salmon, sprinkling everything with the chopped green onion.

Option:
This recipe is great on the grill! Just remember to face the seasoned side towards the heat.

Steak Dunigan: from the Pink Adobe Restaurant, Santa Fe, NM

2009-02-05T21:55:31Z

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Our friends at the Pink Adobe -- the famous restaurant in Santa Fe -- use Char Crust® Original Hickory Grilled Dry Rub Seasoning for this signature dish. They tell us that people drive for hours just for this steak.

Reprinted here from Pink Adobe Cookbook, Rosalea Murphy, Santa Fe, NM

Ingredients (for 2 to 4 servings):
2 14- to 16-ounce New York sirloin
strip steaks
2 Tbsp. (heaping) Char Crust® Original Hickory Grilled Dry Rub Seasoning

Sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 cup chopped roasted green chile,
preferably New Mexican
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. minced cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. minced jalapeÃ±o (optional)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 large mushrooms, sliced thin

Preheat broiler, grill, or heavyweight pan. Set aside steaks and let them come to room temperature. (Cut the steaks in half for smaller appetites.)

SautÃ© the onion in the oil briefly, until soft. Add the remaining ingredients (except mushrooms) and cook for 5 minutes. Keep the sauce warm. SautÃ© the mushrooms in the butter until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Keep them warm.

Rub the Char Crust® Original Hickory Grilled Dry Rub Seasoning all over the steaks and grill, broil, or pan-sear to the desired doneness, turning them once. Transfer the steaks to a platter. Spread the mushrooms over the tops of the steaks and cover each with green chile sauce. Serve immediately.

My Sister's Holiday Orange-Glazed Roasted Chicken with Oven-Roasted Potatoes

2009-02-05T21:52:34Z

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus occasional basting time
Total time: 2 hours

This will become a favorite holiday meal for your family.   With Char Crust® Roto Roast Dry Rub Seasoning, it is so easy and so good, you'll make it for other days, too!

Ingredients (for 2 to 4 servings):
1    Chicken (or favorite pieces)
3    Tbsp. Char Crust® Roto Roast Dry Rub Seasoning
1    tsp. garlic powder
1/2    cup honey
12 oz.    concentrated orange juice, thawed
1    med. can of mandarin oranges
20   small new potatoes, cut in quarters

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray all chicken with no-stick cooking spray (or drizzle with cooking oil), liberally sprinkle with Char Crust® Roto Roast Dry Rub Seasoning and garlic powder, then place in oven-safe baking dish.

Drain syrup from can of mandarin oranges into bowl with the concentrated orange juice. Blend the juice and syrup and pour juice mixture all over chicken. Bake uncovered for half an hour.

After half an hour, add potatoes, baste everything, and then scatter orange sections over the chicken. Cover and bake another half an hour. Then baste again and drizzle with honey. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until golden brown and chicken juices run clear. Use meat thermometer for safety. If you wish, broil for a few minutes for crispier skin.

Transfer chicken onto serving platter, and potatoes into a bowl. Then drain pan juices into another bowl and serve.

We Love Our Fans

2009-02-05T20:48:23Z

Since 1957, Char Crust® has been blessed with intensely loyal fans. We think our dry rub seasoning is great, but when you tell us how great it is, you really make our day! Your stories illustrate how unique our products really are among all the dry rubs and seasoning blends on the market today. Most importantly, when you tell your friends and family about us, we appreciate it so very much. Keep passing it on!

We invite you to sign up with our Rub-Your-Meat Char Crust Fan Club. From time to time, we will send special promotions to our Fan Club members as a way to say, "thank you!"