What hot sauces do you keep in your arsenal?

SVTNate

Knows what a fatty is.
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Whether you're cookin' up beef, chicken, fish, veggies, etc. grilling or smoking, everybody likes hot sauce from time to time.

I'm well versed. I've lost well north of 100 pounds since 2019. I'm active, sure, but it's been all diet. I eat the same things most of the time - salads, chicken, roast beef, low-fat cottage cheese, avocados, eggs... that's 99% of my food intake.

Anyway, it's not all pork ribs and smoked chicken thighs for me. I gotta spice things up, literally.

Let me share what I've got and some info -

https://www.amazon.com/El-Yucateco-...5&sr=1-1-49946e88-733b-44df-869b-c05699555c56

This is one of my daily drivers. It's got some heat if you're not into that sort of thing, but for me it's just a tiny bit of kick.

Speaking of daily drivers, Tapatio is good on almost everything, and I never run out of it.

NOW.....


Torchbearer Sauces makes high quality hot sauces that are thick (which I like, I hate a runny sauce but I tolerate it for Tapatio).

https://www.amazon.com/Torchbearer-...garlic+reaper&qid=1620438318&s=grocery&sr=1-4

The Garlic Reaper is hot, yes. Hot. But not too hot. Garlic in spades.


https://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Apocalypse-Ghost-Chili-ounces/dp/B00AWE2L7O?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Zombie Apocalypse is going to hurt. Its a heavy flavor that is best reserved for beef, or chicken in really really small amounts.

Speaking of beef....

https://www.amazon.com/TorchBearer-Sauces-Headless-Horseradish-Sauce/dp/B07ZHL72G2?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Headless Horseradish is tasty on beef! Try some on prime rib, if you dare.

I'm always buying new stuff, I have many many more, but these are some of my favorites.

https://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-Ho...abanero+sauce&qid=1620438503&s=grocery&sr=1-4

This pineapple habanero sauce has a bit of heat, honestly I'd experiment with it on desserts. Anything where you want sweet and heat, maybe pork? I haven't tried it on pork yet, but I'm sure it's fantastic.
 
Tabasco and Crystal.I have no need for others.Not that I will not try others but I ALWAYS have these two on hand.They seem to fit my profile just fine.
 
Here in SoCal, people typically prefer Tabasco, Cholula, or Tapatio.

Tabasco is way too vinegar-forward and not spicy enough for me.

Cholula is okay.

Tapatio is just right.

For a sauce that I can use on most anything, breakfast lunch or dinner, and not worry about using too much or torching my tastebuds. Some of the sauces I mentioned.... well, I wouldn't use them and then open a nice bottle of wine, for example.
 
I make my own.

Don't have much use for others.

So do I. 15-20 jalapeños or serrano peppers, an onion, garlic cloves, tomato, cilantro, chicken broth, roast all the veggies and into the blender they go. Maybe add a little salt.

Excellent for Chile verde or chilaquiles
 
Just counted 21 bottles. Many brands. Ironic made an early Sam’s run and their little sample Kiosk today was miniature Tabasco bottles. I’m not counting those. The brand you mentioned with the Horseradish sounds really interesting and possibly in stock at local World Market.
Pondering.
 
I prefer my hot sauce at drizzle Strength. I’m not much into one drop and my ears blow out. I want to drizzle or shake the bottle and not melt the plate.
I want the peppers to caress the palate, not choke the throat. One that starts off this isn’t bad, but you can’t quit and pretty soon there’s moisture under the eyes, a gentle tickle of sweat runs down behind the ears and my collar is wet. But can’t quit.
 
Frank's Red Hot and Valentina. They cover my needs. Flavorful and not too hot.
 
Time and a place IMO. I like a sauce that adds a bit, but I also like a sauce that delivers the endorphin rush.
 
I’ve tried probably 25-30 different hot sauces over past year, many were different flavors of Melindas, Cholula, Tabasco, etc. I found a couple I like, but often fall back to the classics.

Frank’s Red Hot on eggs
Louisiana Hot Sauce for fish and chicken
Valentina Black Label or Cholula for Mexican Food
Tabasco Chipotle in recipes like bbq sauce and chili
Still playing with Tabasco garlic
Like Cholula Green as well, but harder to find

Some of the others were OK even good.
 
I make my own hot sauce. I use different combinations of ingredients (tomato, carrots, garlic, etc.). I prefer serrano chiles but most any chile will work.

Here are my 2020 hot sauces. The 2 batches on the left were made with red serrano chiles, and included some smoked red serranos to give a smokey flavor. The middle batch is without any smoked chiles. The 4th batch was made with fermented cayenne peppers. And the batch on the right was fermented serrano chiles.

hot sauce.jpg
 
I enjoy it on occasion, but not all the time by any means.

When I end up on a Hot Ones youtube rabbithole, I start using a few again. Their own brands are pretty solid.

Cutino has some REALLY good sauces. Not insane on heat, but great flavors, I like those a lot.

My all time favorite was a Wild Turkey Habanero sauce, but it appears to now be renamed to Bourbon Country Habanero. It wasn't really that hot, but had a delicious flavor (and that was before I learned to love Wild Turkey bourbon)

Heck, Buccee's has really tasty hot sauces now!
 
Over the course of years I have tried all kinds of hot sauces, from taco bells little packets to Dave's Insanity Sauce. I now just stock Tabasco, El Yucateco and Tapatio. All readily available from just about any store. Marie Sharps sauces are wonderful but need to be ordered unless you have a specialty store nearby.

I am looking forward to the summer garden when the habanero plants produce, fresh diced hab's find their way into most everything.
 
Crystal and Melinda's works for me and I have a couple of very hot ones that my son and daughter"s boyfriend have brought and left here.
 
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