I typically toast 1/4 cup peppercorns at a time (it's hard to grind much less) and use any extra powder in seasoning rubs, flatbreads, and stir-fries. However, once ground, this spice quickly loses its pungency—discard it once it is no longer vibrantly fragrant.
Recipe information
Total Time
20 min
Yield
Makes about 1/4 cup peppercorn powder (about 1/2 cup peppercorn salt)
Ingredients
Preparation
For peppercorn powder:
Step 1
Shake peppercorns in a sieve to get rid of dust, then spread in batches on a white plate and discard any twigs, leaves, thorns, or black inner seeds.
Step 2
Toast peppercorns in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until very fragrant and smoking, 3 to 5 minutes (be careful not to let them burn).
Step 3
Grind, while still hot, to a powder in an electric coffee/spice grinder and sift through a fine sieve, discarding hulls.
