Miley Q spices things up

When a corporate transfer took him to Texas, Greg Miley resolved to learn to barbecue Lone Star State style.

It took persistence and the power of persuasion.

“They told me I’d never learn to cook authentic barbecue because I was a Northerner, but come back next week and we’ll talk a bit,” said Miley, who was born in Walla Walla and grew up in Athena, Oregon. “I went back with a case of beer under my arm and we talked. Thirteen weeks later and 13 cases of beer, they finally decided I was serious.”

He was allowed to tag along to a regional barbecue cook-off with the pitmasters from Pitt’s and Spitt’s, the Houston manufacturer from which he bought a barbecue pit. Eventually, he was welcomed into the fold. And, Miley said, “We cooked all over the country.”

A couple of other job transfers and three decades later, Miley, now largely retired and living in Spokane, still barbecues the way he learned to in Texas: using fire as the indirect heat source. He’s also selling a series of spice rubs he’s created as CEO of Miley Brands, parent company of Miley Q Grill Rubs and Spices.

Miley, 69, formed the seasoning company in 2012 and spent most of the next three years in product development. While Miley Q seasonings are made in Portland, they’re packaged at Christ Kitchen, a Spokane nonprofit job-training program for women living in poverty.

“Some of our customers have called us the new Lawry’s,” Miley said. “We take that as a compliment.”

So far, Miley Q offers four seasonings. They come in 4.5-ounce containers and sell online at www.mileybrands.com for $4.99 each. In select local stores, they sell for $5.29 to $7.

The all-purpose, developed first, is a combination of salt, pepper, chili, garlic, dill seed “and a little (brown) sugar. You want to have a touch of sweet,” Miley said.

“I designed this to be good on everything, primarily ribs, chicken, turkey and fish. I always have it around. It’s my American Express card; I never leave home without it.”

The beef rub, which Miley plans to rename the more versatile moniker of Meat and Vegetable Seasoning, includes salt, pepper, garlic, dill seed and chili. Granules are larger than the other seasonings. It’s designed for large chunks of beef, such as roasts and steaks.

“It’s also great on lamb and steamed and grilled vegetables,” Miley said.

The blackened seasoning features salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, cumin, paprika, thyme and oregano. The Southwest combines salt, onion, garlic and red pepper.

Six or seven other flavors are in development. For example, Miley is crafting a seasoning for fish with white pepper, garlic and ginger. “We’re working on the granule size now,” he said. And, “We may have one for pork or lamb.”

Meanwhile, he’s working to expand distribution locally and regionally, then nationally.

“People tell me I’m flippant, but my real goal is to get one of these in every household in America,” Miley said. “Each is designed to use at home every day. Everybody has a bottle of salt and pepper on their table. We want this to be their salt.”

Oregon Spice Co. does the formulation and helps with research and development. It’s also where Miley buys his spices.

“I buy the best spices I can buy. All are grade-A spices,” he said, noting in his products, “There’s no fillers. There’s no MSG. They’re all gluten free. I will not put anything that I won’t eat in the bottles.”

Miley has been perfecting his spice-and-herb combinations for decades, starting with competitions with his Texas pitmaster friends – with whom he cooked in the World Championship BBQ Cook-off at the Astrodome – to cooking with his catering company IBBQ4U.

“We do all of our cooking on site” for weddings and other special events, said Miley, who goes by the nickname “Dr. Q” when he’s barbecuing. There’s a section of his company’s website that’s dedicated to customer questions called “Ask Dr. Q.” He barbecues year round.

Miley started cooking as a kid in northeastern Oregon, helping out his dad. He studied history and chemistry in college, graduating from what is now Eastern Oregon University, then spending the next 10 years working in Yakima.

He moved to Colorado, then Texas, for high-powered jobs, working as director of international sales for a large chemical company and regularly traveling to Australia, the Middle East and England. After stints in Delaware and Florida, he returned to Oregon.

“Eventually, I retired and moved back to the Northwest with my barbecue pit and trailer on the truck,” he said.

Miley settled in his hometown of Athena, which is near Pendleton, before moving to Spokane about 10 years ago. Friends and his wife, Spokane dentist Jodi Funk, encouraged him to pursue selling his seasonings.

“The all-purpose and meat-and-vegetable are the bread and butter. The other two are fun. And more fun is coming,” he said. “Once we get up to where we’re doing 10,000 bottles per month, then we’re ready to go into mass production. We have a building already picked out.”

Bruschetta

By Miley Brands

1 baguette

2 medium tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon Miley Q Beef Rub and Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, plus 1 clove for rubbing

3 large basil leaves, julienned

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, for topping

Using a bread knife, slice baguette diagonally about ¼-inch thick. Place in toaster oven until golden brown. While bread is toasting, dice tomatoes and place in mixing bowl. Sprinkle seasoning over tomatoes and stir. Add finely chopped garlic, basil leaves and vinegar. Stir and set aside.

Remove baguette from the toaster and place on a flat surface. Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each piece, then vigorously rub each piece with a clove of garlic on one side only.

Plate the toasted baguette pieces on a serving tray and top each with a generous tomato mixture. Finish with a dusting of Parmesan Reggiano and serve.

Ripe and Ready Salsa

By Miley Brands

4 cups diced tomatoes

1 cup diced green peppers

1 cup diced onions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

3/4 tablespoon hot serrano peppers

1 tablespoon Miley Q Southwest Rub and Seasoning

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Place all ingredients into saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and cook until tender, and hot but not boiling. Tweak the flavors to taste by adding more tomatoes or peppers during the cooking process. Cool and serve with tortilla chips.