Matt Bray, Author at PepperScale

Anaheim Pepper Vs. Jalapeño: PepperScale Showdown

Two popular grocery store chilies go head to head… There’s a wild world of chilies on the pepper scale – some simple to find, others…not so much. These are two of the former. Anaheim and jalapeño peppers both are common sites in stores of all …

Homemade Jerk Seasoning

by Matt Bray

A savory seasoning with heat.

When you think jerk seasoning, you think Jamaican foods, jerk chicken, shrimp, and steaks. And it’s true – this homemade jerk seasoning is perfect with all of these things. But it’s a seasoning that’s actually a whole lot more versatile. Try sprinkling it on pizza and sandwiches for a little extra savory oomph. Mix it with mayonnaise to make a phenomenal dipping sauce. Sprinkle it on sweet potato fries or your morning scrambled eggs. You’ll find lots of uses in your kitchen. The heat source: cayenne pepper powder.

Poblano Corn Chowder

by Matt Bray

Creamy and mild.

This is about as family friendly as a chili pepper-based soup can get. The mild simmering heat of poblano peppers adds just a hint of spice to this creamy corn chowder. It’s delicious and quite filling too. If you want a little more heat, try swapping out the poblanos for jalapeño peppers. Serve with crackers and shredded white cheddar (as an optional topping.)

Sweet Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

by Matt Bray

Sweet maple syrup meet smoky chipotle…

Talk about two rich flavors that are at the opposite ends of the taste spectrum. Yet together, they are magic. On one side you have rich, sweet maple syrup, on the other smoky, spicy chipotle pepper. Paired in a barbecue sauce, you have a taste bud explosion for your next cookout. Try it on steak, pork, or chicken. It’s great, too, as a barbecue dipping sauce for your favorite fried foods. If there’s too much heat here, lessen the amount of chipotle used to two.

Smoky Sweet Chipotle Dry Rub

by Matt Bray

Rich and intense flavor for your BBQ meats.

Chipotle powder is one of those spices that once you try it, it’s hard not to crave it. That smoky heat is special, and it’s also a ton of fun to experiment with, especially with barbecue. This chipotle dry rub recipe layers that flavorful smokiness with the earthy sweetness of brown sugar and the pungency of garlic and onion powders. Most any well-stocked kitchen can pull this together out of the spice rack, and it’s simply delicious on grilled steaks, pork, chicken, and seafood.

Purple Jalapeño Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, uses

by Matt Bray

What are purple jalapeño peppers? When you think of jalapeños, your mind likely first jumps to green chilies. For those that have grown them or bought them late in the season, you may also envision some red. But a purple jalapeño pepper? That’s not a …

Kung Pao Pepper: Putting POW In Pao

by Matt Bray

Versatile, with very eatable heat…

Scoville heat units (SHU): 7,000 – 12,000
Jalapeño reference point: Equal to 5 time hotter
Origin: Asia
Products and seeds: Kung Pao pepper on Amazon

If you’ve ever dined at (or ordered from) a Chinese restaurant, you’ve likely seen on the menu a few dishes labeled “Kung Pao”. Let’s set things straight out the gate – these dishes aren’t named for this chili. Kung Pao pepper is a recent hybrid chili, and Kung Pao dishes have been around for generations. But Kung Pao pepper does taste great in this dish – and it’s perfect for using in Asian, Thai, and Sichuan cuisine – as it’s an excellent less spicy alternative to Thai peppers and cayenne.

Creamy Spaghetti Chipotle With Sausage

by Matt Bray

Rich, smoky, and savory.

If we had three words, that’s how we’d describe this creamy spaghetti chipotle recipe. The smoke and spice of the chipotle chili is matched well with the savoriness of the hot sausage and bacon. It’s an easy meal to whip up that’s big on flavor. If there’s too much heat, lower the amount of chipotle or choose regular sausage instead of hot.

Aji Panca Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are aji panca peppers? In Peruvian cuisine, the aji panca (a.k.a. aji brown) is only second in popularity to its golden bright cousin, the aji amarillo. But that’s in no way a comment on its flavor. In fact, the aji panca is just as flavorful …

Smokin’ Hot Habanero Burger

by Matt Bray

A burger with big ol’ bite! This one’s not for those with moderate spicy food tastes. This habanero burger is over-the-top and smokin‘ hot. It’ll knock your tastebuds to another zip code. There’s so much heat here, and in so many ways, that it’s a must to …