Magic Grilling Seasoning
Did you know that my mom built a harpsichord? She also painstakingly gold leafed the exterior when it was finished. That crazy lady! She used to tune it for HOURS when I would fake sick and stay home from school. Well played, Dale…..
Mom did lots of things, but one thing she did exceptionally well (and professionally) was music. She played piano beautifully and studied at Duke and then the Music Conservatory of Westchester. Lots of people in Chapel Hill knew Mom as “Mrs. Reed, their piano teacher”. I hear that Mom was an amazing teacher, although I never took from her. I switched to violin early on because I wanted to be able to “slide into the right note”. (I saw this as a gray area, piano was too black & white. Listening to me practice must have been a challenge.) When Mom got sick with cancer, lots of students came forward to express their affection, one calling Mom the “Southern Matriarch of Music”, a term that I think is wonderful! Mom was involved with music in many ways, whether it was her performing trio with Susan Black & Brent Wissick, or her multiple terms as President of the Piedmont Youth Orchestra, where my sister and I (and James Taylor, if it’s to be believed) once played. Mom was a gifted accompanist and would play with the UNC students of Brent Wissick (cello) and Richard Luby (violin) as well as accompanying Penelope Jensen (soprano), my sister (cello) and her musician friends. She sang alto in the Chapel of the Cross choir for 48 years and had a cool stint performing Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius” with Goldsmiths’ Choral Union at the Royal Festival Hall in London when we lived in England in the 1970s. She could pretty much play any instrument she put her mind to, most notably piano, harpsichord, mountain dulcimer, and guitar. Legend has it that she ironed her hair and played folk guitar in coffee houses in Durham and Cambridge, MA in the 1960s. She also memorably entertained the guests at her engagement party in East Tennessee with a rousing version of “House of the Rising Sun”. What a badass.
So, to compliment this mixed bag of musical memories, I give you her recipe for her Magic Grilling Seasoning which can be used on literally anything. It’s got some zang and is super delish!
MAGIC GRILLING SEASONING
3 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
4 tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
4 tsp dry mustard
7 Tbsp white vinegar
4 tsp dried basil
2 tsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp honey
1 ½ tsp dried thyme – if using chicken
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ lbs pork or chicken.
Combine dry stuff. Add 4 tbsp vinegar and mix well. Add remaining vinegar (order is important). Then add honey, lemon juice, vanilla in order. Use abt 6 tbsp for 2 ½ lbs pork, 5 tbsp for chicken. Spoon over meat in plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
AS USUAL, KEEP ME POSTED!
Email and subscription button below.