Chili Powder
Chili powder is a ready-mixed blend of dried chiles, cumin, garlic, and oregano that does in one shake what would otherwise take five jars.
What It Is
Chili powder is an American spice blend, not a single spice. The base is dried red chile peppers, ground fine, with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and sometimes a touch of paprika stirred in. The exact proportions vary by producer, but the goal is always the same: a warm, earthy, mildly hot backbone that builds fast.
It sits closer to savory than hot. If you want fire, you add more. If you want smoke, smoked paprika alongside it does the job. On its own, chili powder tastes like the smell of a pot of chili starting to come together, which is exactly what most people reach for it to do.
What To Do
The obvious use is a pot of chili, where you might start with two tablespoons for a four-person batch and adjust from there. But chili powder earns its place outside the pot too. Rub it onto chicken or pork before roasting. Stir it into taco meat or black beans with a little cumin. Shake it into cornbread batter or over roasted sweet potatoes.
Start with less than you think you need. A tablespoon bloomed in a little oil at the start of cooking will go further and taste deeper than the same amount added at the end. Store in a cool, dark spot and use it up within a year.
