From Army Cookouts to North Carolina Smoke

At the Hearth with Seasoned Sorcery: Our Kitchen-Tested Recipes

There was a time when our kitchen smelled like calendula oil and beeswax.

Double boilers humming.
Herbs drying above the sink.
Infusions steeping where dinner should have been.

For years, the kitchen was my apothecary.

Then Jon built me a workshop.

He didn’t just build shelves and counters — he built me a sanctuary. A place for Green Magick Apothecary to grow beyond the stove. And when the apothecary moved out, the hearth went quiet.

Not for long.

Because if you know Jon, you know the fire never stays dormant.

Army Weekends & Learning by Feeding People

When we first left home for the Army, Jon’s BBQ skills were… developing.

He knew how to make things taste good. He had instinct. He had confidence. But mastery? That came through repetition.

Our house quickly became the gathering place for everyone in his company.

The rule was simple:

You came to the house.
You brought your meat — seasoned or unseasoned.
We cooked it.
We provided the sides.

Some four-day weekends meant four barbecues.

Smoke in the yard. Coolers on the porch. Laughter spilling into the street.

That’s where Jon truly honed his cooking — not in culinary school, but in feeding people over and over until instinct turned into skill.

Hawaii & The North Carolina Spark

When we moved even farther from home — all the way to Hawaii — something shifted.

Distance makes you nostalgic.

We spent countless afternoons watching grillmaster shows, studying techniques and debating smoke woods like they were strategy sessions.

Then one day we saw it.

A feature on the North Carolina pig-pickin’.

Whole hog.
Low and slow.
Vinegar-based sauce.
Community gathered around the table.

I was instantly transported back to my childhood in Raleigh — where barbecue meant whole hog and tangy vinegar, not heavy, sweet sauce.

We looked at each other and said:

Let’s try to make it.

Where Boarfire Was Born

Boarfire began as the pork rub we used for over 20 years to make North Carolina-style pulled pork.

It evolved slowly — batch after batch, barbecue after barbecue.

Tweaked.
Adjusted.
Perfected.

The original version included salt and sugar. But as Seasoned Sorcery grew, we made a deliberate choice to leave those out.

Because you should control your salt.
You should control your sweetness.
You should control your heat.

Boarfire now gives you the structure — the smoke, the spice, the savory backbone.

You finish it your way.

That’s not just seasoning.

That’s culinary alchemy.

🧂 What’s in Boarfire?

Boarfire is intentionally salt-free and sugar-free — built as a foundational barbecue rub that lets you control the finish.

There are no fillers.
No anti-caking agents.
No artificial smoke.

Just real spice architecture.

Boarfire (Classic) Contains:

• Paprika

• Black Pepper

• Garlic Powder

• Onion Powder

• Dry Mustard

• Celery Seed

Balanced. Smoky. Savory. Built for pork — but incredibly versatile.

🔥 Boarfire HOT Contains:

• Paprika

• Black Pepper

• Garlic Powder

• Onion Powder

• Dry Mustard

• Celery Seed

• Cayenne

• New Mexico Hot Red Chile Powder

The HOT blend doesn’t change the backbone — it intensifies it.

Cayenne brings sharp heat.
New Mexico red chile adds earthy depth and a warm, sun-dried complexity that lingers instead of overwhelms.

Jon has always leaned toward bold flavor — he’s always been a pepper head — but Boarfire HOT isn’t reckless. It’s structured heat. The kind that builds, settles, and makes you reach for another bite.

🔥 Flavor Profile

Classic:
Smoky • Savory • Peppery • Earthy • Customizable Sweet & Salt

HOT:
Smoky • Savory • Pepper-Forward • Earthy Red Chile Depth • Building Heat

The Accidental Bacon That Became a Ritual

The other day, my son bought thick, center-cut maple bacon and left it in the fridge.

And unattended bacon is destiny.

We’ve already heard from customers using Boarfire on:

• Potatoes

• Roasted vegetables

• Fish

• Chicken

But this? This is our favorite way to use the HOT blend.

Sweet maple.
Caramelized sugar.
Smoky backbone.
A little extra heat.

Not overwhelming.
Not reckless.
Just bold enough.

🥓 Boarfire Candied Maple Bacon

Because Boarfire contains no salt or sugar, we build a quick custom blend first.

Step One: Make Your Hearth Rub

Quick Hearth Rub

• 1 tablespoon Boarfire (HOT or Classic)

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)

Mix together in a small bowl.

Now you’ve got sweet heat — balanced exactly how you like it.

Ingredients

• 1 package thick, center-cut maple bacon

• 1 batch Quick Hearth Rub

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.

3. Lay bacon strips flat without overlapping. 

   

4. Sprinkle generously with the Hearth Rub on both sides. 

   

5. Bake 20–25 minutes, until bubbling and caramelized.  

   
   
   

6. Transfer to a cooling rack to crisp fully. 

   

Try not to eat it straight off the pan.

The Two Types of People in This House

Jon prefers the HOT blend.

He likes bold flavor.
He likes intensity.
He always has.

If you’re like me?
It’s just enough heat to make you question your choices — and still go back for another piece.

We’ve got fire-breathers.
And flavor-seekers.

Which one are you? 🌶🔥

From Army Yard to Reclaimed Hearth

Seasoned Sorcery wasn’t born overnight.

It was built through:

Army weekends.
Hawaiian afternoons.
North Carolina roots.
Twenty years of smoke.

The apothecary may have left the kitchen.

But the hearth has never been stronger.

Stir with intention.
Grill with power.
Season with sorcery.

— Carol & Jon