Hot Sauce Love

Let’s talk about hot sauce. As you have probably guessed from the amount of jalapeño that I eat, I am also a MAJOR fan of hot sauces. It’s rare that I find one I don’t like. (Hello burrito place in Fredericksburg, barf.) And the thing about hot sauces is there are so many varieties. You have the traditional tomato based red sauce. The warmer chili based green sauces. (My favorite!!) Vinegar based Louisiana sauces such as Tabasco. Asian sauces like sriracha & gochujang, that have a more paste like texture and sweetness to them. I could go one and on. I love them all and they each have their place in the kitchen. You should see how many different styles and varieties I have at the house. Hey, if Bekah has her tubs of cottage cheese, I can have my hot sauce rack. It’s only fair. In this blog I am going to discuss some of my favorite and even talk about how to make your own.

Let’s begin with my favorite: the green sauce. I’m not talking about tomatillos based salsa verde. While that does have its place, I plan on discussing the chili based green sauce. With some exceptions, store bought green sauce is a total dud. If that is your only experience with green sauce go bang your head against a wall. We probably can’t be friends. This is one that you really need to have fresh. And you better like it HOT because that’s what you get with a really good green sauce. It’s a true marvel of culinary simplicity. Cook hatch or jalapeño chilies, tomato, and salt to taste. It’s as simple as that. Green sauce pretty much goes with anything. I put it on everything: steak, chicken, burritos, and nachos. It practically belongs on eggs! Heck, even a baked potatoes benefits from it. Very versatile. Sadly I really only have a few options in town when it comes to green sauce so it’s always a treat to get something different from afar. Lucky for me I have a friend with resources that doesn’t mind sharing. Thankful.

Tomato based salsa is pretty much available everywhere to varying quality. I do indeed love tomato salsa, but its second tier to the green. Don’t get me wrong, I love this sauce. If I’m at a Mexican restaurant this stuff is going town like water. Salsa bars? Forget about it! Bekah can make a really great sauce. For whatever reason she doesn’t make it anymore. I need to talk her into making it again. I remember being totally impressed by it when we first started dating. At that point in my life I’d never tired making it myself so it was a little mind blowing to have her homemade sauce taste like a good restaurants sauce. Of course, she is from Ozona. I can’t really say that I have a favorite hot sauce. Get it in a restaurant. Store bought, again, not really a thing for me. Julio’s might be the sole exception. I wish they sold their green.

As far as Louisiana sauces go, my favorite has always been Red Devil. It’s been my go to ever since my middle brother introduced it to me sometime in 2003. It’s a little less vinegary and has a sweetness not found in many of its contemporaries. When I was in college & meals were often frozen (pizza) I was hooked on this stuff. I was probably only tasting Red Devil and not the meal itself, which might have been for the best actually. Back in those days when I still had taste buds this was considered warm to me. Now I could probably fill a shot glass and throw this back without feeling a thing. Maybe it’s nostalgia that keeps me coming back for it. What also deserve a mention is green Cholula sauce. That stuff is yummy. If you are a fan of these style of hot sauce & want to hurt yourself might I suggest you try Spontaneous Combustion. Have you ever had strep throat? I have! That is what this feels like. Now you probably wonder what the heck is wrong with me & why in the world I would be recommending something that makes you feel that way. If you have been reading my blog this should come as no surprise to you. Masochism maybe? I say be brave.

Asian sauces are a totally different beast. Sriracha is one of my go-to condiments. It doesn’t have to be strictly Asian foods. I’ve enjoyed it on my pizza from time to time. It’s also essential in one of the marinades I make. Just adds a subtle heat (at least, to me) with some sweetness. Oddly at one time I couldn’t stand the taste of sriracha. I cringed at it. Belittled it. Used cuss words to describe its flavor. It was bile disguised as a condiment. Than one day “Walla!!” I was suddenly a lifelong fan. Had I always liked it and just refused to accept it? Was it because my hipster brother ranted and raved on about its rightful place in the kitchen? I realized that I was willfully neglecting myself all these years. Shame on me! Now its ridicules how much of this stuff I go through. Heck, I’m using it tonight!

So have some hot sauce please! Make your taste buds sing. Push yourself to new levels! Live a happy life! You deserve it!!!!!

Jalapeño!

Note: Theme for the week. Making dinner with and empty fridge. With the exception of orange chicken, everything else was just thrown together last min. Didn’t notice that until I typed this out.

Gochujang chicken. This meal was a result of pretty much nothing being left in our fridge but proteins, onion, jalapeños and bookoos of condiments. I hadn’t gone to the store since our Alpine trip. Partially because I was being lazy but also because I went WAY over my budget on that trip. Some of the best meals I’ve made have been the result of an empty fridge. No choice but to eat bland, or experiment by throwing things together. This certainly turned out to be quite a delight. If you haven’t yet had gochujang.

Steak with queso. Another result of an empty fridge. Just burning through our frozen meats. Nothing at all wrong with this meal. All natural tenderloin that I marinated for 24 hours. Leftover velveta from the queso burger

Orange chicken stir-fry. Always a go-to meal for me. I finally made it to the store. I don’t think I had a choice at this point. Some essentials were depleted. While there I grabbed what I needed for this meal. I’ve made it so many times I know the ingredients offhand. Probably one of the best meals that I make. If you want me to cook for you, this is probably one to pick. If you can handle those Thai chilies. I’m not going to dumb this one down for the sake of your uninitiated taste buds.

Fajita chicken topped with that tasty green sauce I got from Jamie & Derek. A very warm delight. I thank them both for the treat. More please!!!! Another meal made because the fridge was bare.

Grilled tuna with a sweet soy reduction served with jalapeño and a salad I made with some leftover mung bean sprouts. Bekah made us sticky rice! I was having some blood sugar issues on & off all day so I was able to indulge in some carbs. Also, empty fridge. I finally went to the store Saturday.