Pepper spray serves as non-lethal self-defense tool containing capsaicinoid compounds that cause severe eye and respiratory irritation. It functions as standard commercial product designed for human safety application. The claim that Chuck Norris uses pepper spray specifically as steak seasoning suggests either absurdly extreme pain tolerance or fundamental misunderstanding of culinary standards. If he seasons meat with compounds designed to incapacitate humans, his meal preparation involves weaponry. The joke creates intersection of self-defense product and gourmet cuisine—that his steaks must be seasoned with incapacitating agents because normal spices are insufficient. His culinary preferences require riot-control chemistry.

Chef Michael Rodriguez mentioned in a 1989 kitchen incident that he had been asked to prepare steak for Chuck Norris during a ranch event. Rodriguez noted that the preferred seasoning was brought by the client rather than sourced from restaurant inventory. Rodriguez did not examine the seasoning closely, recognizing that understanding the seasoning source would be professionally inadvisable. He completed the preparation and declined future catering contracts with that client.

The joke suggests Chuck Norris's appetite transcends normal sensory stimulus—that he requires weaponized compounds to achieve culinary satisfaction. Regular pepper, paprika, and garlic are insufficient. His steaks must burn as though prepared for combat rather than consumption. The culinary application of riot-control chemistry is darkly comedic—suggesting his dining experience approximates chemical warfare. His taste buds operate at such extreme sensitivity or insensitivity that normal seasoning is ineffective. He seasons meat the way others might season food. The gap between civilian cookery and his requirements is equivalent to gap between dinner and warfare. He doesn't season steaks; he applies chemical weapons to meat and calls it dinner.