I love hot sauce. I honestly can’t remember the last meal I ate without using some sort of hot sauce as an ingredient or a condiment. It’s not that I’m some smug chile head. I bow to those of you who claim that every hot sauce or food I’ve ever tried is way, way, way to mild. I don’t believe you, but whatever. I’ll give you your moment of braggadocio. It’s just been my experience that I enjoy, and can tolerate, much more heat in my food than most people I eat with. That’s not my moment of smugness, it’s just me warning you that the heat I feel in the following recommendations may not be as intense as what you perceive. Then again, you may think I’m weak because I don’t have anything with ghost chiles listed. To each their own, but I think that used in the range from sparingly to way excessive, the following hot sauces can do wonders for your food, no matter what you’re cooking. I’m pretty sure all of these can be found at any big grocery chain as well. At least in Jackson, MS they are.
There are only six hot sauces I ever use. The one not pictured is Crystal Hot Sauce. It’s only not pictured because I’m out of it. It’s basically Tabasco, but it’s made with cayenne instead of tabasco peppers. Pretty interchangeable depending on your preference, and I use them both for the exact same things. But lets start south of the border:
El Yucateco Green Habanero: This stuff is green and pours thick. Doesn’t sound that appealing, or even really look it, but it’s my go to “I need a habanero kick in the teeth” sauce. Garlic is one of the ingredients, and once the initial heat bites you, it fades and you get a quite nice, and mellow even, garlic linger. Maybe it’s the green color, but there’s just something fresh tasting about the sauce as well. I know fresh isn’t a flavor, but you get it.
Most often used in: scorching left over bean burritos, when I want tacos that make me tear up, a spicy egg or tofu scramble
Creative use: put a little in your guacamole
Valentina: Not as thick as the El Yucateco, but thicker than your typical vinegar based hot sauce. The only ingredients are vinegar, salt, spices, water, chiles, and some preservative. The spices are definitely there in the flavor, and the vinegar is not very pronounced. It’s got a really, really good chile flavor that I love. I don’t really cook with this one. I primarily use it as a condiment for Mexican or Latin American dishes.
Most often used in: same stuff as El Yucateco when I want less heat and more pepper flavor, with just about anything that has fresh cilantro
Creative use: in a Bloody Maria, which is just a Bloody Mary made with tequila instead of vodka.
Tabasco: They call it Cajun Ketchup, which is kind of misleading. Yes, you can put it on everything from french fries to eggs or even pizza, but it is so much more than a condiment. It is one of my favorite ingredients when I’m looking to go a little creole or cajun in the kitchen. All it’s made of is tabasco peppers, vinegar, and salt, and it’s the most perfect mixture of anything on this earth. The vinegar is very present and it serves to really make the unique flavor of the tabasco pop. Add it as your heat base to gumbos, stews, etoufees, jambalaya, etc. Mix it up in aiolis or cheeses. Drink it in a bloody mary… or just drink a shot of it. Every kitchen should have a bottle of Tabasco somewhere in the pantry.
Most often used in: pretty much anything
Creative use: I guess the creative use would be to replace ketchup at all times. I only eat fried catfish doused in tabasco now.
Bonus Favorite use: raw oyster on the half shell, splash on the tabasco, eat, take a sip of Abita Turbodog, repeat until your full or way to too drunk
*Crystal Hot Sauce is fantastic and can be used the same as Tabasco. As I mentioned earlier, the only difference is the type of pepper. Tabasco is tabasco, Crystal is cayenne.
Sambal Olek: This is just a good ‘ol chili paste. Basically, it’s red pepper flakes in oil with some salt and vinegar, none of which are really overpowering. It serves to add a little extra flavor to wherever you might use red pepper flakes for some heat. I typically only use it when cooking Far East influenced dishes. Anything closer to home and it’s Tabasco or Crystal.
Most often used in: stir fry
Creative use: add it to rice or quinoa at the start of cooking
Sriracha: It’s made with red jalapenos, sugar, salt, garlic, and vinegar… and damn do they all work in harmony to make one delicious sauce. You really do get a little of each flavor and it’s just amazing how they elevate not only each other, but whatever you put it on, too. The heat from this sauce doesn’t really knock you in the teeth right off the bat, but it does linger, slowly reminding you that it’s the boss. I also use this one primarily in Far Eastern inspired dishes.
Most often used in: to top noodle dishes, in pho’,
Creative use: mix in mayo for an aioli that is good for dipping spring rolls in or spreading on a bahn mi.
Happy Heating!
The Bookworm with Blades 