Tasso Spice Rub

Tasso is the secret weapon in a Cajun kitchen. That heavily spiced, smoke-kissed pork finds its way into gumbos, jambalayas, red beans, and anywhere you need deep, complex flavor in a hurry. But the magic starts here, with the cure.

This rub does three things at once. The salt draws moisture from the meat while the spices penetrate inward. The cayenne and black pepper bring the heat that tasso is famous for. And the warm spices (cinnamon, allspice, clove) give it that mysterious depth you can't quite put your finger on but would miss terribly if it weren't there. My grandmother Evangeline kept her tasso recipe in her head, adjusting the cayenne depending on who was coming to dinner. I've written mine down so you can make it your own.

At Lagniappe, we go through pounds of tasso every week. It's the backbone of half our menu. Once you have this rub in your pantry, you're three days and some smoke away from the real thing.