Spicy Mexican Rub

I came across this recipe in a Raley's grocery ad a few years ago. It's spicy without being too hot and it has been my go to solution for several Mexican dishes, not just a rub. It's inexpensive, super quick to assemble, and it works well with beef or chicken.

Spicy Mexican Rub

Ingredients

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground oregano

¼ tsp pepper

juice from one lime

½ cup salsa

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Rub combination on both sides of meat.
3. Grill over medium to medium-high heat until done.
4. Squeeze lime juice over meat and brush both sides with salsa.
5. Cook 1 minute longer on each side.

This is one of my more flexible recipes. I've served the meat along with rice and beans, sliced in tortillas as burrito, taco, or fajita, and cooled and sliced over salad.

I also use this spice combination any time a recipe calls for taco seasoning. I like this better than store-bought seasoning both for the taste, and because I control exactly what's going in there. We do a lot of low-sodium cooking because of Scoob's blood pressure, and you know those store-bought packs are loaded with sodium.

To make with ground beef or turkey as taco meat, in addition to the ingredients above, you'll need:

1 15oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

¼ c water

(You won't need the lime juice unless you want it; maybe as a garnish after cooking.)

1. Brown 1 lb. ground meat and drain off fat.
2. Add kidney beans, seasoning mixture, salsa, and water. Simmer until liquid is reduced.