Ingredients

Cloves

Cloves are those small stick looking things that your mom stuck in the ham at holidays. I have both whole cloves and ground cloves in my cupboard and I use them about equally. If I have the time I grind them fresh using a mortar and pestle but I also use whole cloves when I am combining other spices in the blender for rubs or marinades (see Wet Rub Chicken).

Ground cloves, like whole, are pretty powerful so a little goes a long way. If you are trying to create your own recipe go easy at first. Too much ground clove will make a recipe bitter.