Hot Sauces

[TM001]

I like simple fermented cayenne sauce, Crystal is my go to regular. I have not tried Louisiana but I assume it is very similar.

The Chili sauces from Rancho Gordo are good, still vinegar based but much thicker and less acidic than Crystal. They have a range of heat levels and some of them have sweet spice notes which some may not like.

 

[Bobby2shots]

I mostly use Sriracha and Tabasco, and I picked up a few bottles of Cholula which I;ve yet to try. I've also got quite a few from the West Indies. One of my favourites though, is Buffalo brand Chipotle. That's probably the tastiest of the bunch. The Barbados bottlings (Rick;s, and Lick's) are insanely hot, while most Jamaican hot sauces I;ve tried, are much milder than the name on the label would suggest (Jamaican Hell-Fire). I also like Harissa.

 

[coxhaus]

I like Cholula. The bottles are small for what you get. I like it on chalupas and tacos with lettuce.

I go through a bottle too fast.

 

[WiriWiri]

Seems worth mentioning Bajan mustard pepper sauce as a bit of a shop bought standby for me - this one’s good, or Windmill/ Aunt May’s ain’t shabby either. Bit more distinctive and rounded than many of the usual red bonnet Jamaican sauces on offer,

 

[NameAlreadyTaken]

(Finally something that I can contribute to, rather than just asking questions)

@Michi - I'm really loving these house made hot sauces from a local barbecue restaurant here in Melbourne, Fancy Hanks: The HOT HOT HOT — Fancy Hank's | Barbecue Restaurant | Bourke St. Melbourne
Cayenne & Watermelon
Jalapeno & Peach
Habanero & Carrot
A variety of different heats and flavours for stacks of different uses.

The original barbecue and coffee and molasses sauces are well worth adding in if you're giving them a try (also my favourite barbecue sauces, although that's a whole other thread).

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated in any way, just spent a lot of time trying different hot sauces.

 

[Michi]

@Michi - I'm really loving these house made hot sauces from a local barbecue restaurant here in Melbourne, Fancy Hanks: The HOT HOT HOT — Fancy Hank's | Barbecue Restaurant | Bourke St. Melbourne

Thank you for that! At the moment, I have more than I can eat but I'll order a pack once I run low on stock!

 

[J_Wisdom]

When I was a little kid, I lived a few blocks from the Cajun Chef factory, so I have a nostalgic connection. It's also a pretty good hot sauce, especially the green on raw oysters. In third grade, we took a field trip to the Tabasco factory, which was amazing at that age. Actually, Avery Island is pretty cool to see at any age if you're ever in the area. In the Orlando area, I normally go for Crystal and probably my all around favorite.

https://www.cajunchefshop.com/hot-sauce.html

 

[DitmasPork]

Cheers for starting this thread! Enamored with hot sauce; good hot sauces are ‘fridge requisites in my kitchen.

Firstly, I favor either commonly available hot sauces from supermarkets and ethnic markets—Caribbean, Asian, South Asian, and Mexican markets nearby a major perk; or just making my own hot sauce.

For the most part, I’ve avoided the newer wave of artisanal, hipster, Indy hot sauces geared towards ‘chili heads.’ While some I’ve had are wonderful—for me, too often disappointing; price points high for what you get; seriously turned off by the combination of awful graphic design and offensive brand names (i.e. ‘Ass Blaster’; ‘Sphincter Shrinker’; ‘D**k Head Hot Sauce’; etc.).

I’ll change up what’s used depending on mood and what’s cooking—often to mixing things up, like Mexican hot sauce with Japanese; Bengali on tacos; Louisiana to perk up Ukrainian; etc. Sometimes I’ll fancy the smoky El Yucateco XXX; and other times I’ll crave chili purity and just make a batch of Hawaiian chili pepper water.

 

[JASinIL2006]

This stuff is incredibly good, too, although it's not purely a hot sauce: Sriracha mustard! I love this stuff. It will open your sinuses right up!

 

[J_Wisdom]

Not really a hot sauce you can buy, but you can make, is "prik nam pla" in Thai restaurants. I love the little Thai chilies in it, which I think are bird's eye chilies.

 

[RDalman]

I'm mostly sticking to homemade chilisalt, actually restocked yesterday. Mortared dried chilies and mixed in some boiling water to rehydrate. Mix with ~same amount salt, spread on tray and dry lowtemp in oven. Then mortar again and package. Yesterday was the remaining last year harvest of bhut jolokia, lemon and 5 color. And topped off with ~20% total of reapers. Turned out quite tasty.

 

[KingShapton]

This stuff is incredibly good, too, although it's not purely a hot sauce: Sriracha mustard! I love this stuff. It will open your sinuses right up!

View attachment 165890

That sounds really good, if it were available in Germany I would buy it immediately!

 

[jacko9]

Flavor wise I love Pico Pica Hot. Amazon.com : Pico Pica Mexican Hot Sauce 7 Oz (Pack of 3) : Grocery & Gourmet Food

 

[JASinIL2006]

That sounds really good, if it were available in Germany I would buy it immediately!

With a brand name like Inglehoffer, you'd think it would be available over there!

 

[thebradleycrew]

I make my own with cayennes and habaneros but for me this often ends up a bit too spicy (especially if you, uh, dont deseed as thoroughly as you thought). I really like the flavor of habanero peppers though.

personally though I like buffalo sauces better than just plain hotsauce so Ill grab a bottle of Franks original, a stick of quality butter and some of my own hot sauce and that makes a pretty good sauce IMO. Frank's is generic enough to not be offensive as a filler. usually ratio is like:

2 parts franks
1 part my own which has some garlic and paprika in it already
2 parts butter

@tcmx3 - I'm surprised by the butter addition. What does it do for the sauce? Could you replace it with a neutral oil?

 

[user 16756]

@tcmx3 - I'm surprised by the butter addition. What does it do for the sauce? Could you replace it with a neutral oil?

it makes it taste like butter lol.

buffalo sauce is pretty different than "regular" hot sauce in that it's a thick, smooth sauce that tends to be a bit milder, especially because the fat counteracts the acidity a bit. if you look at the ratios, it's a LOT of butter. a bottle of frank's requires more than an entire block of the european stuff. I emulsify it in my blender and it stays good for longer than it takes me to use it, lol.

it is possible to substitute in margarine if you prefer longer shelf life or dont do animal based fats.

the next time you make hot wings just try making a small amount with a basic 3 tbsp sauce 2 tbsp butter ratio, dont have to get fancy, and see if you like it.

 

[AT5760]

For wings - butter + Frank's is always my foundation. Occasionally I'll add ground black pepper, or fresh chiles.

 

[thebradleycrew]

it makes it taste like butter lol.

buffalo sauce is pretty different than "regular" hot sauce in that it's a thick, smooth sauce that tends to be a bit milder, especially because the fat counteracts the acidity a bit. if you look at the ratios, it's a LOT of butter. a bottle of frank's requires more than an entire block of the european stuff. I emulsify it in my blender and it stays good for longer than it takes me to use it, lol.

it is possible to substitute in margarine if you prefer longer shelf life or dont do animal based fats.

the next time you make hot wings just try making a small amount with a basic 3 tbsp sauce 2 tbsp butter ratio, dont have to get fancy, and see if you like it.

I need not taste it to know it's going to taste AWESOME. I'm just scared that I won't be able to go back...

 

[JASinIL2006]

I always use a stick of butter per bottle of Frank's, plus ground mustard, sambal oelek, brown sugar and cider vinegar. And depending on who else is having some, I usually add a few generous splashes of some kind of really hot sauce.

 

[DitmasPork]

If including wet, but non-pourable hot stuff, Yuzu Kosho it one of my fave heat sources—which I'll use like hot sauce, to spike vinaigrette; mix with mayo for fries; spread on toast for sandwiches; etc. It's a mash of chilies, yuzu citrus and salt, awesome with fish, steak, etc.

 

[NameAlreadyTaken]

Okay... so we're doing show and tell now?

This is just what I have on hand at the moment:

Anyone else a big fan of Taiwanese chili bean paste? It's not mega hot, but the flavor it adds to dishes is fantastic.

And yes, your honor, I plead guilty to being a sucker for overpriced hipster chili sauce.

 

[spaceconvoy]

If including wet, but non-pourable hot stuff, Yuzu Kosho it one of my fave heat sources—which I'll use like hot sauce, to spike vinaigrette; mix with mayo for fries; spread on toast for sandwiches; etc. It's a mash of chilies, yuzu citrus and salt, awesome with fish, steak, etc.

View attachment 165939

That looks interesting.. If we're talking about chili pastes and anyone is into Georgian food, this is the best commercially available ajika I've tried:

 

[DitmasPork]

That looks interesting.. If we're talking about chili pastes and anyone is into Georgian food, this is the best commercially available ajika I've tried:
View attachment 166026

Awesome! There’re a bunch of Russian/Uzbek markets near me that always stock Georgian ingredients. Love Georgian flavors.

 

[sansho]

believe it or not, tabasco is my overall favorite hot sauce.

after reading on pepper forums and other foodie circles, i allowed myself to be trolled into believing it's noob sauce. i started buying boxes of sauces from stores like heathotsauce.com and also made my own from gardening (including some ferments). i was pretty into gardening for a few years and grew >20 different cultivars.

so after broadening my palate, i can confidently say that i still think tabasco owns. it has a really appealing, complex flavor, and i personally think it's superior to Louisiana, Crystal, et al. admittedly, they're all similar, but i've tried them side by side and prefer tabasco.

i've never been a fan of cholula or valentina. frank's is ok, but i'd only use it in 'buffalo' recipes.

i think el yucateco's products are ok, but the strong xanthan texture (i prefer little to none) and use of food colorings are a bit off putting. idk why hot sauce needs to be colored. seems very silly. but most importantly, the flavor is ok (but nothing special).

i am a big fan of most of marie sharp's sauces. i've probably bought more of this one than any of their others, but tbh i've liked everything i tried:

https://mariesharpsusa.com/collections/sauces-only/products/green-cactus-habanero-pepper-sauce
^ it's one of my favorite taco sauces.

melinda's also makes good sauces, but i have preferred marie sharp's more overall.

ok but on to stuff you may not have tried which is probably the whole point of this thread...

https://paloaltofirefighters.com/buy-pepper-sauce/
i really like this palo alto sauce. i think my favorite is the hab (XX) version, but i can't remember why i liked it more than the ghost (XXX). might be worth a revisit. anyways, if you have ever had any fondness for taco bell (lol), this reminds me of that but is better in every way. tastier and more complex. i think it reminds me of it because of a similar spice profile (maybe both have cumin or something). this is one of my favorite burrito or rice dish sauces.

some other ones to try if you're looking to round out an order or something:

https://heathotsauce.com/products/inner-beauty-hot-saucehttps://heathotsauce.com/products/fatalii-pureehttps://heathotsauce.com/products/dirty-dicks-hot-sauce
especially inner beauty sauce. that's one i'll continue to repeat buy.

 

[stringer]

@tcmx3 - I'm surprised by the butter addition. What does it do for the sauce? Could you replace it with a neutral oil?

Butter plus hot sauce is the classic wings sauce. When done right it creates an emulsion that coats the wings. Like a buerre blanc except a vinegary hot sauce instead of white wine and shallots. You can't very well replace the butter with oil and get the same effect because there will be no emulsion.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

believe it or not, tabasco is my overall favorite hot sauce.

after reading on pepper forums and other foodie circles, i allowed myself to be trolled into believing it's noob sauce. i started buying boxes of sauces from stores like heathotsauce.com and also made my own from gardening (including some ferments). i was pretty into gardening for a few years and grew >20 different cultivars.

so after broadening my palate, i can confidently say that i still think tabasco owns. it has a really appealing, complex flavor, and i personally think it's superior to Louisiana, Crystal, et al. admittedly, they're all similar, but i've tried them side by side and prefer tabasco.

i've never been a fan of cholula or valentina. frank's is ok, but i'd only use it in 'buffalo' recipes.

i think el yucateco's products are ok, but the strong xanthan texture (i prefer little to none) and use of food colorings are a bit off putting. idk why hot sauce needs to be colored. seems very silly. but most importantly, the flavor is ok (but nothing special).

i am a big fan of most of marie sharp's sauces. i've probably bought more of this one than any of their others, but tbh i've liked everything i tried:

https://mariesharpsusa.com/collections/sauces-only/products/green-cactus-habanero-pepper-sauce
^ it's one of my favorite taco sauces.

melinda's also makes good sauces, but i have preferred marie sharp's more overall.

ok but on to stuff you may not have tried which is probably the whole point of this thread...

https://paloaltofirefighters.com/buy-pepper-sauce/
i really like this palo alto sauce. i think my favorite is the hab (XX) version, but i can't remember why i liked it more than the ghost (XXX). might be worth a revisit. anyways, if you have ever had any fondness for taco bell (lol), this reminds me of that but is better in every way. tastier and more complex. i think it reminds me of it because of a similar spice profile (maybe both have cumin or something). this is one of my favorite burrito or rice dish sauces.

some other ones to try if you're looking to round out an order or something:

https://heathotsauce.com/products/inner-beauty-hot-saucehttps://heathotsauce.com/products/fatalii-pureehttps://heathotsauce.com/products/dirty-dicks-hot-sauce
especially inner beauty sauce. that's one i'll continue to repeat buy.

You can bet your backside my Tabasco bottles won't be going anywhere.

But, I do like a broad flavor spectrum too. From hot sauce to mustards to pastes, I like some heat and flavor.

 

[MarcelNL]

We have a bunch of hot sauces/sambals etc, my favorite taste is the jolokia sambal yet it has the downside that you literally need to dip a toothpick in it to dose it in order to have a hope of surviving.
Or the stinky bean sambal (Sambal Peteh), or well..should be clear by now

 

[AT5760]

I picked up these two at a local market right before Christmas. Neither are very hot, but both have great flavor. This corn/chipotle is pretty much drinkable.

 

[DitmasPork]

believe it or not, tabasco is my overall favorite hot sauce.

after reading on pepper forums and other foodie circles, i allowed myself to be trolled into believing it's noob sauce. i started buying boxes of sauces from stores like heathotsauce.com and also made my own from gardening (including some ferments). i was pretty into gardening for a few years and grew >20 different cultivars.

so after broadening my palate, i can confidently say that i still think tabasco owns. it has a really appealing, complex flavor, and i personally think it's superior to Louisiana, Crystal, et al. admittedly, they're all similar, but i've tried them side by side and prefer tabasco.

i've never been a fan of cholula or valentina. frank's is ok, but i'd only use it in 'buffalo' recipes.

i think el yucateco's products are ok, but the strong xanthan texture (i prefer little to none) and use of food colorings are a bit off putting. idk why hot sauce needs to be colored. seems very silly. but most importantly, the flavor is ok (but nothing special).

i am a big fan of most of marie sharp's sauces. i've probably bought more of this one than any of their others, but tbh i've liked everything i tried:

https://mariesharpsusa.com/collections/sauces-only/products/green-cactus-habanero-pepper-sauce
^ it's one of my favorite taco sauces.

melinda's also makes good sauces, but i have preferred marie sharp's more overall.

ok but on to stuff you may not have tried which is probably the whole point of this thread...

https://paloaltofirefighters.com/buy-pepper-sauce/
i really like this palo alto sauce. i think my favorite is the hab (XX) version, but i can't remember why i liked it more than the ghost (XXX). might be worth a revisit. anyways, if you have ever had any fondness for taco bell (lol), this reminds me of that but is better in every way. tastier and more complex. i think it reminds me of it because of a similar spice profile (maybe both have cumin or something). this is one of my favorite burrito or rice dish sauces.

some other ones to try if you're looking to round out an order or something:

https://heathotsauce.com/products/inner-beauty-hot-saucehttps://heathotsauce.com/products/fatalii-pureehttps://heathotsauce.com/products/dirty-dicks-hot-sauce
especially inner beauty sauce. that's one i'll continue to repeat buy.

Tabasco is an awesome sauce, classic, irreplaceable IMO. It’s one of my faves. It has such a distinctive taste—a must have in my ‘fridge along with Hellman’s mayo, A1, and Heinz ketchup.

 

[RDalman]

Butter plus hot sauce is the classic wings sauce. When done right it creates an emulsion that coats the wings. Like a buerre blanc except a vinegary hot sauce instead of white wine and shallots. You can't very well replace the butter with oil and get the same effect because there will be no emulsion.

Had butter/hotsauce for the first time ever on double fried wings last friday. Indeed that works