Hot Sauce?

[MileHighGrowler]

Anyone into hot sauce? About 10 years ago if you came to my house I would have had a bottle of Tabasco that got pulled out of the pantry maybe once a month, maybe. Then I got a couple of more when I lived in California and needed some different heats/spices for the Asian and Mexican food that was everywhere. So I had some sriracha, and some kind of chipotle sauce. The super basics, but I felt like I had as much hot sauce as I'd ever need.

A few years ago, I came across a YouTube show called Hot Ones. It's an interview show and really well done, but the twist is that with each question comes an increasingly hot chicken wing. And not just "insanity" sauce like you'd find at the local wing joint, but all of these different sauces. I was totally intrigued and ended up trying a few. Last fall I signed up for the monthly subscription box, so I get three new sauces every month now. And I love them. I've got probably 12 different sauces currently opened, and they cover such a wide array of flavors. I've got one that's smoky, one that has balsamic flavor, one that's spicy garlic, one hitting Indian flavors, one with lime and heat, one that was aged in bourbon barrels and carries a depth of flavor that works with big meat flavors, one with a honey base, and so on. Just a hot sauce for every occasion.

I also make my own. I've grown jalapenos, scotch bonnets and serranoes the past two years and made salsas and hot sauces with those.

I'm not a spicy food freak, where I need it on a meal, but I've really opened my eyes a lot to the different flavors I just never even thought about and it's been a fun exploration.

[HarleyDog]

I love hot sauce. However, people who know me always like to have me try these explosive rot your stomach liner sauces. I ain't into that stuff. Hot sauce should not be painful because after a certain point, it kills the flavor of the food and drink. Ridiculous to me to go crazy on the Scoville levels, but that's just me. Plus, the extreme hot ones really taste like crap.

I like that you were able to find some good flavored hot sauces. I like siracha sauce as well. The heavy garlic presence is wonderful. I also add Franks heavily into soups and chili's. About 60% of the heat cooks out and adds a tremendous flavor. I also like Tobassco but It needs to be proper like with a bloody mary, on a sunny side up egg or on sausage gravy. Just a few drops.

My son bought me a sample pack of different hot sauces at Walmart during Christmas. Some of those were kind of nice, while some were ok. I really enjoyed trying them all though.

[MileHighGrowler]

(02-02-2021, 08:16 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I love hot sauce. However, people who know me always like to have me try these explosive rot your stomach liner sauces. I ain't into that stuff. Hot sauce should not be painful because after a certain point, it kills the flavor of the food and drink. Ridiculous to me to go crazy on the Scoville levels, but that's just me. Plus, the extreme hot ones really taste like crap.

I like that you were able to find some good flavored hot sauces. I like siracha sauce as well. The heavy garlic presence is wonderful. I also add Franks heavily into soups and chili's. About 60% of the heat cooks out and adds a tremendous flavor. I also like Tobassco but It needs to be proper like with a bloody mary, on a sunny side up egg or on sausage gravy. Just a few drops.

My son bought me a sample pack of different hot sauces at Walmart during Christmas. Some of those were kind of nice, while some were ok. I really enjoyed trying them all though.

I'd agree completely with that.  If I can't taste anything, the experience is ruined.  What really blew me away with the folks at Heatonist (https://heatonist.com/) is that they made a sauce that clocks in at over 3 MILLION Scoville (a habanero is about 200,000 for reference - 2 million is about the same Scoville as pepper spray) that still has flavor, and damn good flavor at that.  You can pick out the ginger and coriander, which is just a remarkable feat.  It's hard to beat putting a little of that in some chili.  Eating it straight is madness, although I've done it a few times to help clear the sinuses. 

[HarleyDog]

(02-02-2021, 08:26 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: I'd agree completely with that.  If I can't taste anything, the experience is ruined.  What really blew me away with the folks at Heatonist (https://heatonist.com/) is that they made a sauce that clocks in at over 3 MILLION Scoville (a habanero is about 200,000 for reference - 2 million is about the same Scoville as pepper spray) that still has flavor, and damn good flavor at that.  You can pick out the ginger and coriander, which is just a remarkable feat.  It's hard to beat putting a little of that in some chili.  Eating it straight is madness, although I've done it a few times to help clear the sinuses. 

LOL, for gods sake, use a Netty Pot. 

Seriously, I didn't even know what that was until my wife made me do it. But anyway, that's not why I'm replying.

The best way I've experienced to try a new hot sauce is with a Ritz, piece of cheese and 1 drop. If it's week, then 2 drops and so on. A sip of wine also helps clean the palate between sauces or experiments.

[Belsnickel]

I love hot sauce, but I'm with Harley in that I don't need the really potent stuff. We have a couple local makers around here that I frequently get stuff from. I do keep some commercial ones around, though, for cooking purposes. Crystal in particular is really good for cooking.

[HarleyDog]

(02-02-2021, 08:52 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I love hot sauce, but I'm with Harley in that I don't need the really potent stuff. We have a couple local makers around here that I frequently get stuff from. I do keep some commercial ones around, though, for cooking purposes. Crystal in particular is really good for cooking.

Crystal? Never heard of it? Is that stuff you get at Kroger or Walmart?

[Belsnickel]

(02-02-2021, 08:53 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Crystal? Never heard of it? Is that stuff you get at Kroger or Walmart?

I can usually find it at Kroger or any other grocery store.

https://crystalhotsauce.com/

[Jason_NC]

I used to love spicy food. Now my stomach limits me somewhat. I can still do Asian zing at b-dubs, and love the spicy garlic, but beyond that gives me issues with acid reflux, even though I’m on omeprozole.

[SunsetBengal]

I am also a bit of a hot sauce fan. Like some of the others, I've burned myself out on the "super hot" stuff. However, when my son took me to the Jungle Jim's store in Fairfield, and when he "unveiled" the hot sauce aisle, I found myself captivated with the thousands of sauces. I bought about a half dozen bottles of various flavors and heat levels, to go along with the other dozen or so that live with me.

But yes, flavor other than heat is a must component for a hot sauce to appeal to me.

[CKwi88]

I'll echo the majority sentiment that heat is nice, as long as it's not hot just for the sake of being hot.

That said, the stuff kills me on exit, so I've used hot sauce pretty sparingly of late.

[jfkbengals]

So I am NOT into spicy foods. Most MILD sauces cause me to tear up and my sinuses to clear out! But my better half loves hot stuff () as do many friends. With that said, we were on Tybee Island in Georgia a few years ago, and we found a little shop there called Inferno. This dude made all kinds of sauces, and it was an awesome shop. I guess he used to be a roadie or sound tech, so his shop is filled with passes and memorabilia from concerts he worked all over the place, and great tunes pumping the whole time. And apparently these sauces were amazing, but I can only give second hand information on that part.

So, long story short, if you are ever around the Savannah area, head on out to Tybee and check out Inferno!

[MileHighGrowler]

There was a period last year where I had pretty hot sauces every day for a week or two. It's interesting how quickly your tolerance for hot food can adjust. It's also amazing how the next morning feels painless as your body gets used to it. I've also noticed that different pepper types effect me differently eating them. Some burn in the front of the tongue, some in the throat, some more tingly, some are slow to come on but linger, others blaze in but die quickly. All over the map. And it's not even consistent from one pepper to the next. Jalapenos aren't that spicy, relatively speaking, but I've gotten some from the grocery store and made poppers and had them light me up. The only real way to know how spicy they are is to test them. But I'm a guinea pig and just use my tongue for that.

Belsnickel, I know you love keeping it local with your food choices when you can. I think that's awesome, and love to explore the local items. There are a couple of hot sauce/BBQ sauce companies around here that I've tried. Always support local when possible! There's a hot sauce company in Boulder (I think they're call the Boulder Hot Sauce co) and they make a smoky serrano sauce that I love on Mexican food. One of the best I've had.

Tonight we had a roast in the slow cooker and I put some Secret Aardvark habanero sauce on it. Just a little drizzle. Really tasty. Those herbs and spices in hot sauce just bring out so much character from the rest of the food. I don't ever drown the food in sauce just enhance it a bit.

[HarleyDog]

(02-02-2021, 09:06 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I can usually find it at Kroger or any other grocery store.

https://crystalhotsauce.com/

I couldn't find it at the Greenville Wallmart. 

[SunsetBengal]

(02-03-2021, 08:05 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I couldn't find it at the Greenville Wallmart. 

I think Crystal is a regional brand.  You could likely find it on Walmart.com or amazon, etc.

Edit:  Or better yet, just click the link, and hit the "shop" tab...  

[XenoMorph]

(02-02-2021, 08:39 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: LOL, for gods sake, use a Netty Pot. 

Seriously, I didn't even know what that was until my wife made me do it. But anyway, that's not why I'm replying.

The best way I've experienced to try a new hot sauce is with a Ritz, piece of cheese and 1 drop. If it's week, then 2 drops and so on. A sip of wine also helps clean the palate between sauces or experiments.

i almost died using one of those things. lol.. well felt like its was trying to kill me

[Truck_1_0_1_]

I love spicy food to death and love any hot sauce, for that matter; my father and I both have incredible constitutions (me moreso than him), so I can (and do) keep anything down and handle anything.

I will not put it on everything however, simply because there are a ton of meals that don't call for it; I will put chili flakes on pizza sometimes, sometimes I won't. I will put hot pepperoncini on my pasta sometimes, sometimes I won't.

Same for hot sauces.

(02-02-2021, 08:16 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I also add Franks heavily into soups and chili's. About 60% of the heat cooks out and adds a tremendous flavor.

Bingo.

I actually use it in everything that I make for nachos, tacos (including shrimp, fish and meat), Chinese Stir-Frys, Vietnamese Stir-Frys, even many of our Italian dishes; the heat cooks out and the sauce itself tastes wonderful. It really is a well-rounded sauce that goes well with many things.

I think the distinction must be made with sugar-based sauces and vinegar-based sauces; when it comes to heat, the sugar-based sauces will always taste poor, as the balance of sugar added and sugar in the pepper (of which there is, of course), gets thrown off. As well, if there are specific additives that alter flavor, that will screw it up as well.

Vinegar-based sauces, OTOH (which include the Tabascos and Franks of the world), seem to blend much better with the hot peppers and that enhances the flavor of anything in the sauce, whether it is ginger, coriander, wasabi, lemon, etc., etc. Sugar ***** it all up.

This all being said, as written above, I just prefer heat, from the actual source:

- real wasabi (not the crap that comes at your local sushi place or in grocery stores; I mean the legit plant root, grated down. It becomes like a smooth, watery-sauce-like mixture and it isn't as harsh or as bland as the commercial stuff)
- real hot peppers
- real chili flakes
- Tobanjan/Doubanjiang (Chinese Hot Bean Paste; pure deliciousness)

A local(ish) wing chain here in York Region (just north of Toronto) has, on their heat-level that is right below, "Armageddon," and, "H-Bomb," a flavor called Caligula; it is their third-hottest sauce, combined with a creamy-garlic-type sauce and chili flakes. My God, it is so delicious, the taste of the peppers is phenomenal and despite it being super spicy, the addition of the garlic-type sauce helps tone it down a bit, so the flavor sticks out even more.

But it's hot; I know if my father ate it, he'd have a tough time, even with its deliciousness.

[MileHighGrowler]

(02-04-2021, 12:10 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: I love spicy food to death and love any hot sauce, for that matter; my father and I both have incredible constitutions (me moreso than him), so I can (and do) keep anything down and handle anything.

I will not put it on everything however, simply because there are a ton of meals that don't call for it; I will put chili flakes on pizza sometimes, sometimes I won't. I will put hot pepperoncini on my pasta sometimes, sometimes I won't.

Same for hot sauces.


Bingo.

I actually use it in everything that I make for nachos, tacos (including shrimp, fish and meat), Chinese Stir-Frys, Vietnamese Stir-Frys, even many of our Italian dishes; the heat cooks out and the sauce itself tastes wonderful. It really is a well-rounded sauce that goes well with many things.

I think the distinction must be made with sugar-based sauces and vinegar-based sauces; when it comes to heat, the sugar-based sauces will always taste poor, as the balance of sugar added and sugar in the pepper (of which there is, of course), gets thrown off. As well, if there are specific additives that alter flavor, that will screw it up as well.

Vinegar-based sauces, OTOH (which include the Tabascos and Franks of the world), seem to blend much better with the hot peppers and that enhances the flavor of anything in the sauce, whether it is ginger, coriander, wasabi, lemon, etc., etc. Sugar ***** it all up.

This all being said, as written above, I just prefer heat, from the actual source:

- real wasabi (not the crap that comes at your local sushi place or in grocery stores; I mean the legit plant root, grated down. It becomes like a smooth, watery-sauce-like mixture and it isn't as harsh or as bland as the commercial stuff)
- real hot peppers
- real chili flakes
- Tobanjan/Doubanjiang (Chinese Hot Bean Paste; pure deliciousness)

A local(ish) wing chain here in York Region (just north of Toronto) has, on their heat-level that is right below, "Armageddon," and, "H-Bomb," a flavor called Caligula; it is their third-hottest sauce, combined with a creamy-garlic-type sauce and chili flakes. My God, it is so delicious, the taste of the peppers is phenomenal and despite it being super spicy, the addition of the garlic-type sauce helps tone it down a bit, so the flavor sticks out even more.

But it's hot; I know if my father ate it, he'd have a tough time, even with its deliciousness.

Vinegar-based is my go-to for sure.  And even better when the first ingredient on the label isn't vinegar but actual peppers.  I avoid added sugar in sauces usually (unless it's coming from the addition of fruit or honey or something that contributes flavor beyond sweetness) and I avoid sauces that have "pepper extract" as those are usually pure heat and no flavor.  Sometimes it's used to amp up the heat and other ingredients provide flavor, but a lot of the gimmicky super hot sauces are made with extracts and I just don't like it.  Similar to some super hoppy IPAs over the years that used hop extract to add bitterness, when what I want in an IPA is just a whole lotta flavor and nuance.  

Have you used Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste)?  

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(02-04-2021, 09:08 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Vinegar-based is my go-to for sure.  And even better when the first ingredient on the label isn't vinegar but actual peppers.  I avoid added sugar in sauces usually (unless it's coming from the addition of fruit or honey or something that contributes flavor beyond sweetness) and I avoid sauces that have "pepper extract" as those are usually pure heat and no flavor.  Sometimes it's used to amp up the heat and other ingredients provide flavor, but a lot of the gimmicky super hot sauces are made with extracts and I just don't like it.  Similar to some super hoppy IPAs over the years that used hop extract to add bitterness, when what I want in an IPA is just a whole lotta flavor and nuance.  

Have you used Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste)?  

Milehigh making me come back to the site multiple days, when I'm trying to stay away!

I couldn't agree more; I learned years ago when watching Kids Baking Championship (for real; these kids {on the whole} are better than people who make desserts for a living) that any extract, must be used in moderation and not too many. It ruins the makeup of the flavour if there is too much/too many, as you mentioned.

I always opt for the real thing, regardless if the recipe calls for it or not (but I don't bake much, if at all, thus I don't really have an opportunity to use extracts!)

Also agree in looking for a sauce that is peppers-first; you want the reason why you buy the sauce, to be the first ingredient. A lot of the Traeger sauces are super-tasty, but are all sugar-based, thus we have them on hand, but they barely get used: they are all sugar over peppers.

Have never eaten Gochujang on its own, but I know I have eaten a dish or two with it in and it too is PHENOMENALLY tasty: I always taste the sauce itself, before putting it on any food, to see if it's my cup of tea. I never have with Gochujang. On the Korean front though, Samyang's Buldok instant ramen (I keep some on-hand in case I run out of food or need a quick fix. It literally takes me about a year to use the 6 packages lol) is so damn hot, but is so delicious; it isn't gochujang and it is full of preservatives and like (of course), but it really tastes like a Korean meal and it is similar to the wing sauce variety I mentioned above: very hot, but super-flavourful and hits the spot... there just isn't a cool-down sauce mixed in, like the wings have!

As much as I love Japanese cuisine (second favourite, after Mexican), I always lament that they don't use a ton of heat in their dishes. This is even brought up on the old Iron Chef Japan episodes, when many Chinese Chefs make spicy food and the tasters don't like it... But China and Korea have the heat downpat; they don't have a single spicy (in my experience) dish that is overpowering or tastes like crap, probably because they use whole ingredients and blend everything well.

1 more note about sauces in particular; if anyone every goes to Barbados, there is a sherry pepper/scotch bonnet (can't remember which one) sauce made by a local, but you can get the sauce anywhere on the island. It is absolutely delicious, brings a fair amount of heat and goes well on anything from burgers, to hot dogs, to mixing in (certain!) salads and even on grilled fish, like Wahoo, Snapper or other Caribbean seafood. Guy's name is Neville or Melvin or something Anglo. Wish my parents still had a bit...

Anyways, sorry for the rambling and essay!

[MileHighGrowler]

(02-05-2021, 11:08 AM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: I always taste the sauce itself, before putting it on any food, to see if it's my cup of tea. 

Man, single best way to understand flavor.  I started getting into tiki cocktails last winter and suddenly my rum collection went from a bottle of Bacardi to about 15 varieties.  I sampled each of them neat before ever using them to understand the nuance of flavor each had.  If I ever want to sub one for another, I'll do an A/B with each poured neat to again pull those characters.  I do the same with cooking.  Any spice, herb, veggie, fruit, meat... I want to try them all individually to understand how their components will work together in a dish.  I do the same with brewing beer.  Flavor is an adventure I'm always happy to take!  And like I tell my kids all the time, you might not like it, it might not be your favorite, but it's good to experience and understand and learn to verbalize what you're tasting or smelling.  

Being in tune with the food we eat might sound weirdly hippy or new age to some, but we form healthier eating habits and learn to savor the moment a lot more when we connect with our food through our senses.  I see a lot of my French heritage in that approach, too.  I was in Germany for work a couple of years ago (I'm part German as well), and meals were all about utility.  Limited flavors, limited variety, eating with both fork and knife in each hand at all times, racing through meals.  And skipping meals a lot.  I visited some family in France that same trip, and every meal was an occasion.  Everyone came together, had great conversation, enjoyed each moment in each other's company.  Meals lasted forever, multiple small courses.  Different drinks.  Eating what was in season, but such variety of flavors and colors.  And such pride in the locally sourced ingredients and the sharing of the meal experience.  Unless you hate your family, that's pretty much my dream meal scenario.  I didn't want to leave and go back to Germany after that visit! 

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(02-05-2021, 05:19 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Man, single best way to understand flavor.  I started getting into tiki cocktails last winter and suddenly my rum collection went from a bottle of Bacardi to about 15 varieties.  I sampled each of them neat before ever using them to understand the nuance of flavor each had.  If I ever want to sub one for another, I'll do an A/B with each poured neat to again pull those characters.  I do the same with cooking.  Any spice, herb, veggie, fruit, meat... I want to try them all individually to understand how their components will work together in a dish.  I do the same with brewing beer.  Flavor is an adventure I'm always happy to take!  And like I tell my kids all the time, you might not like it, it might not be your favorite, but it's good to experience and understand and learn to verbalize what you're tasting or smelling.  

Being in tune with the food we eat might sound weirdly hippy or new age to some, but we form healthier eating habits and learn to savor the moment a lot more when we connect with our food through our senses.  I see a lot of my French heritage in that approach, too.  I was in Germany for work a couple of years ago (I'm part German as well), and meals were all about utility.  Limited flavors, limited variety, eating with both fork and knife in each hand at all times, racing through meals.  And skipping meals a lot.  I visited some family in France that same trip, and every meal was an occasion.  Everyone came together, had great conversation, enjoyed each moment in each other's company.  Meals lasted forever, multiple small courses.  Different drinks.  Eating what was in season, but such variety of flavors and colors.  And such pride in the locally sourced ingredients and the sharing of the meal experience.  Unless you hate your family, that's pretty much my dream meal scenario.  I didn't want to leave and go back to Germany after that visit! 

Growing up in an Italian household (still is now, basically lol), I know this sentiment to a T and I still stand by it (eating together, even if it is just myself, my wife and my dog, we all eat together). My dad tends to make dinner more of a production than I do, but I still adhere to manners and etiquette, not to mention just plain, good eats .