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Oct 22, 2017
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I legit love Tabasco exactly because it's bland (I think of it as flavor-neutral heat). It does, however, have umami from the fermentation. Most US East Coast restaurants will have it if you ask for a hot sauce, and it's often already sitting on the table. It's just dependable in every way (boutique hot sauces are often variable). Only downside is you need to use lots of it, and it's very acidic.
Restaurants here have been stocking Cholula, a Mexican-style hot sauce made in California. Tapatio is another California competitor. They're both good and dependable, especially on tacos. I've been stocking Valentina Extra Hot personally. It's made in Guadalajara, from puya chilis (similar to Guajillo), so it has a more complex flavor.
The Caribbean has a lot to offer in this regard but I've only been able to try a couple mass-produced ones, such as Grace. Oddly, their Scotch Bonnet sauce isn't as hot as the regular one, but it does capture the flavor very well! Still very enjoyable on all things with Allspice. I do, however, make a jar of pikliz in the fridge at all times. The brine adds heat and brightness to everything! Sprinkle some on a burger, a salad, whatever...
Asian hot sauce tends to be on the chunky side, very flavorful, and more likely to be prepared fresh. It's not exactly a sauce but my primary condiment is Lao Gan Ma fried chili. I still add Western hot sauce to this to pump it up. There's the Sriracha hype and it's well-deserved. The thickness is very advantageous. I see some hype bubbling around Lao Gan Ma but it's imported and still kind of hard to find, while Sriracha is US-made and almost everywhere here.
My favorite boutique sauce is Blair's Ultra Death. It's thick, has a great flavor (tomato base) that plays well with everything while providing legitimate endorphin-high heat. It comes out one drop at a time, which makes it easy to measure out.
Besides sauces, I've been regularly grinding a custom chili powder. Ground spices lose potency over time so I make relatively small batches. Great for applications where extra moisture isn't wanted. Like dusting it on popcorn or a corn cob. I order a bulk cayenne from Amazon. You can find 90-160k in 1 lbs. bags. You can get ghost and naga easily too. Dried chilis you'd want Guajillo, Pasilla, Anaheim as your base then the rest is up to you. Cascabel for earthiness, arbol for picanté, chipotle for smoke.
Oct 22, 2017
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