Franken-Bling Dust and The Rise of Custom Seasonings
So my friend Billy Brooke known as @macmaninc on the interwebs (check him out on Instagram), makes some mean "dust" that he has dubbed, "Franken-Bling. If you're unfamiliar with what "dust" is, it's the common name for a season blend in the custom season blending world. One of the more famous "dusts" out there is popular "HATE Dust" which is elusive and difficult to obtain on purpose. You can't just go order it, it is "dropped" in small batches and traded for on morale patch groups on Facebook and such. The sub-culture behind the dust is nearly larger than the use of the seasoning. Fortunately for myself MacMan Inc. makes his small batch orders available to order on his website as well as through the various sub-culture channels on Facebook and Instagram. I have had "HATE 666" (one of the blends of HATE Dust) so I was very interested in trying out MacMan Inc.'s small batch of Franken-Bling.
I had an opportunity to speak with Billy and he gave me some insight into his blending process as well as the Franken-Bling blend. He told me that the "Franken-Bling blend hits on all levels. It perfectly melds with chicken, seafood and pork".
I decided to give it whirl and put the Franken-Bling to the test on one of my favorite foods, bacon! I used Wright brand Applewood Smoked Bacon that I purchased from my local grocer. Although it's not a standard Oscar Meyer type of bacon, it's not a local bacon from the meat market I typically like to frequent, Patak's Meats. If you are in the Austell, GA area, you REALLY need to check out Patak's Meats for authentic, hand made, local butchered and smoked meats from the old world of Czech and Poland.
The first thing I noticed about the Franken-Bling is the precise and tight packaging. The tightly rolled and perfectly weighed triple bag packaging provides an initial appearance of tight tolerance, quality and precision. Upon opening the contents, a sweet aroma is the first note to touch the nose with a follow up hint of cayenne pepper, making for an anticipated "sweet heat". I took a pinch and placed it on my tongue to get a feel for the flavor profile. The "dry" taste test is a one-two-three punch of initial sweetness followed by a smokiness with a heat at the end that is both pleasant and slightly addicting.
I cut the long strips of bacon in half to fit better on the rack. I wanted to make this batch of bacon a little sweeter, so I took a pinch of dark brown sugar between my index finger and thumb and distributed it lightly across the bacon. Then I took the Franken-Bling and placed a liberal amount on all of the strips. I placed the rack over pan and placed it in the oven at 350º for about 17 mins or so.
I took the bacon out of the oven when it reached the level of crispiness desired. I then allowed it to sit for a few mins to cool and allowing the excess grease to drip off and the seasoning to set in the dark brown sugar to harden as a very light glaze.
Now the best part, tasting the final product. The first note to hit the pallet is the smokiness. Unlike the "dry" taste that I described above, the flavor profile does a switcher-roo once it's activated in the oven. The deep, rich smokiness of the Franken-Bling tastes like a Boston Butt that has been smoked low and slow in a Big Green Egg. Immediately after the smokiness arrives a nice sweet flavor. I'm certain the additional dark brown sugar that I added attributes to this, however the Franken-Bling has a very nice sweet taste on it's own. Finally, a hint of heat sneaks in on the backend with a smooth finish.
The verdict? I will placing Franken-Bling on all my bacon from now on as well as trying it out on other items including my smoked Boston Butt, chicken, fish and steamed or grilled vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, in my Brunswick Stew and Chicken Chili. I must warn you, it's highly addicting.
Billy is a Southerner, based out of Georgia. He is always experimenting and coming up with new blends. He strives to make all of his blends with as much organic spices as possible. Check out his site and tell him Southeast Traders sent you!
Franken-Bling Dust
Base Contains:
Organic pure cane sugar, organic coconut palm sugar, natural sea salt, Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne, ground ginger powder, jerk seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard *special blend of additional peppers and spices.
Packaging: Bagged securely in plastic sacks and mailed in a padded bag.
Price: $15
Shipping: Shipped 1st Class w/tracking.
Order here: http://macmaninc.bigcartel.com
Note:
*Sacks will fill standard 4oz. spice jars (available at places like Bed, Bath & Beyond or The Fresh Market, etc...)
** Billy has another one called the "Dirty Bird" that is supposed to be phenomenal on poultry.
Continue reading this and other original Southeast Traders article here.
So my friend Billy Brooke known as @macmaninc on the interwebs (check him out on Instagram), makes some mean "dust" that he has dubbed, "Franken-Bling. If you're unfamiliar with what "dust" is, it's the common name for a season blend in the custom season blending world. One of the more famous "dusts" out there is popular "HATE Dust" which is elusive and difficult to obtain on purpose. You can't just go order it, it is "dropped" in small batches and traded for on morale patch groups on Facebook and such. The sub-culture behind the dust is nearly larger than the use of the seasoning. Fortunately for myself MacMan Inc. makes his small batch orders available to order on his website as well as through the various sub-culture channels on Facebook and Instagram. I have had "HATE 666" (one of the blends of HATE Dust) so I was very interested in trying out MacMan Inc.'s small batch of Franken-Bling.
I had an opportunity to speak with Billy and he gave me some insight into his blending process as well as the Franken-Bling blend. He told me that the "Franken-Bling blend hits on all levels. It perfectly melds with chicken, seafood and pork".
I decided to give it whirl and put the Franken-Bling to the test on one of my favorite foods, bacon! I used Wright brand Applewood Smoked Bacon that I purchased from my local grocer. Although it's not a standard Oscar Meyer type of bacon, it's not a local bacon from the meat market I typically like to frequent, Patak's Meats. If you are in the Austell, GA area, you REALLY need to check out Patak's Meats for authentic, hand made, local butchered and smoked meats from the old world of Czech and Poland.
The first thing I noticed about the Franken-Bling is the precise and tight packaging. The tightly rolled and perfectly weighed triple bag packaging provides an initial appearance of tight tolerance, quality and precision. Upon opening the contents, a sweet aroma is the first note to touch the nose with a follow up hint of cayenne pepper, making for an anticipated "sweet heat". I took a pinch and placed it on my tongue to get a feel for the flavor profile. The "dry" taste test is a one-two-three punch of initial sweetness followed by a smokiness with a heat at the end that is both pleasant and slightly addicting.
I cut the long strips of bacon in half to fit better on the rack. I wanted to make this batch of bacon a little sweeter, so I took a pinch of dark brown sugar between my index finger and thumb and distributed it lightly across the bacon. Then I took the Franken-Bling and placed a liberal amount on all of the strips. I placed the rack over pan and placed it in the oven at 350º for about 17 mins or so.
I took the bacon out of the oven when it reached the level of crispiness desired. I then allowed it to sit for a few mins to cool and allowing the excess grease to drip off and the seasoning to set in the dark brown sugar to harden as a very light glaze.
Now the best part, tasting the final product. The first note to hit the pallet is the smokiness. Unlike the "dry" taste that I described above, the flavor profile does a switcher-roo once it's activated in the oven. The deep, rich smokiness of the Franken-Bling tastes like a Boston Butt that has been smoked low and slow in a Big Green Egg. Immediately after the smokiness arrives a nice sweet flavor. I'm certain the additional dark brown sugar that I added attributes to this, however the Franken-Bling has a very nice sweet taste on it's own. Finally, a hint of heat sneaks in on the backend with a smooth finish.
The verdict? I will placing Franken-Bling on all my bacon from now on as well as trying it out on other items including my smoked Boston Butt, chicken, fish and steamed or grilled vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, in my Brunswick Stew and Chicken Chili. I must warn you, it's highly addicting.
Billy is a Southerner, based out of Georgia. He is always experimenting and coming up with new blends. He strives to make all of his blends with as much organic spices as possible. Check out his site and tell him Southeast Traders sent you!
Franken-Bling Dust
Base Contains:
Organic pure cane sugar, organic coconut palm sugar, natural sea salt, Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne, ground ginger powder, jerk seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard *special blend of additional peppers and spices.
Packaging: Bagged securely in plastic sacks and mailed in a padded bag.
Price: $15
Shipping: Shipped 1st Class w/tracking.
Order here: http://macmaninc.bigcartel.com
Note:
*Sacks will fill standard 4oz. spice jars (available at places like Bed, Bath & Beyond or The Fresh Market, etc...)
** Billy has another one called the "Dirty Bird" that is supposed to be phenomenal on poultry.
Continue reading this and other original Southeast Traders article here.
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