III. Ranch Hand
Not exactly one of the biggest players in the hot sauce universe, they deliberately keep operations at a small scale, focussing on keeping in touch with the heritage of their South American homeland and what contributes to flavours in terms of their Australian surroundings. This approach finds expression in close collaborations with local farmers and their emissions in terms of fresh produce. We are talking unadulterated, natural ingredients, son.
Word.
Their main objective is to make salsas, sauces, and rubs, as their head honcho would have been taught to three decades ago in Texas.
I am down with that.
Ranch Hand’s Jalapeño Coriander Hot Sauce is one of my favourite sauces. It is actually not that hot – what makes it outstanding are the fresh ingredients and the flavour explosions they elicit, think tanginess informed by ripened chilies, notes of coriander and cilantro with the well measured adage of jalapenos, Victorian Pink Lake salt, and a well calibrated mix of premium vinegars and pinches of secret spicy additions along with brown sugar to give it the right balance.
How does that sound? Delish? Thought so.
Chipotle & Stout Beer Hot Sauce is more in the vein of a traditional, smoky variant based on the red jalapeno.
Red jalapeno has been used in Mexico as a staple for ages and it known to elicit a burn that starts with a nice simmer and builds up to heat that is sustained.
What’s in a name? Well, in this case “beer”, which is what the chillies are paired with, a full-bodied stout one that is, which compliments the added chocolate and the juice of pressed carrots. a dash of chocolate, and pressed carrot juice. Sounds odd? It isn’t. The result is a concoction, that melts in the mouth – warm, hints of smoke and compatible with all sorts of dishes, not just meaty ones, as it is lighter than the name would have you think.
Habanero Pomegranate is on the more exotic end of the spectrum of things and excels at exactly that. Potent in terms of heat yet not overpowering based on a mix of tropical spices, habaneros and chilli of the arbol kind, blended with pomegranate.
Sweet Hickory BBQ Sauce keys in on the traditional BBQ flavour of the Deep South, centering on Memphis and the flavour of shagbark hickory smoke and cracked black pepper. This one is not a chili-based sauce and good as a finishing sauce for grilled, smoked or slow cooked meats (traditionally the sauce for finishing Southern style pulled pork), or a premium condiment for use anywhere. It lays on the honey, a mountain blend from the alpine regions of Victoria and blends them with the punch of roasted jalapenos from central Victoria. Pink Lake salt, a special blend of spices overlaid on a tomato base. Fresh and natural.
Boom: The great flavour of jalapeno without a lot of chili afterburn!
Their Chili Citrus BBQ Sauce, which features fresh habanero, cayenne and chipotle, goes great on a base of rich tomato, pineapple, citrus and spices.
Rand Hand also produces rubs.
Beale Street Memphis Style BBQ Rub is the go to if you're looking to make authentic American BBQ ribs or pulled pork in the dry rub spice style. It works on poultry too, with its sultriness and a touch of sweetness. Simple to use, complex in results. Just the way (uh-huh uh-huh) I like it.
The Mojave Chipotle Southwest BBQ Rub is a classic Texas Brisket rub and then some. This blend takes off from the traditional salt n' pepper rub -- though they include those in the form of Victorian Pink Lake salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Plus they add the smoldering warmth of smoked chipotle powder, cumin, and herbs. It goes well with slow cooked beef brisket and ribs, turkey, and chicken.
Sweet n' Southern Smoky BBQ Rub is rich and earthy, smoked, and savory. This blend features the subtle warmth of the large, black Pasilla chili, an important ingredient in Mexico and in the southern part of the United States. With only a hint of heat it is a good all-rounder for the type, it shines on lamb -- either slow cooked or mixed with a bit of oil to marinade on the grill.
Ay caramba! Sizzlita Fajita Seasoning is a spicy blend of southwest flavours meant to convert that plain bit of beef, vegetables or chicken breast into something memorable after dosing it in limejuice and peppering it with minced garlic. Makes an interesting seasoning for braising too.
Ranch Hand’s range of Mexican and Tex Mex chunky dipping salsas and guacamole starter are created from hand roasted roma tomatoes, onions and capsicum. The flavour is cranked to high by leaving the charred skins in the sauce. There's no comparison to the "slick" ultra-tomato-y factory made salsas, full of chemicals to make them last. Ranch Hand preserves theirs with real citrus, vinegars and local salts and they are sealed using old-fashioned canning methods used growing up on the farm.
IV. Mama Blu's
Jah, man - longing for Caribbean, Jamaican flavours?
Cue Mama Blu.
Jamaica not only played an important role in the development of punk rock, through reggae and ska, but is also the home base of Stephanie Kamener, who left her homeland a quarter of a century ago. Some people claim that you never lose touch with your roots, and what Stephanie did once she settled in on terra australis was to combine the flavours of the places she lived before, i.e. the United Kingdom and Jamaica.
We are talking fiery flavours.
Mama Blu’s vegan range of Chili Sauces and chutneys are a cosmos of flavours, ranging from the appropriately named Voodoo Chili Sauce, which packs a punch or two via Dis Da Wild Man, which is the more temperate sauce-y (tee-hee!) companion, that lends itself well for all kinds of dipping action as well as a means to add a bit of zing to your stir-fry.
Hot ‘n Sweet is a nice – it live up to its name in every way, stepping it up a notch in the heat department while delivering subtle sweet and fruity notes.
Okay, you like it hot you say?
Mama Blue’s Voodoo Chilli Sauce is the one for you then. My favourite of the bunch and a worthy contender for the Victory hot sauces mailorder. Voodoo level heat indeed.
Mama Blu’s Jamaican Curry Powder is a great addition that would suit a range of dishes and complements the chutney range, which comes in Mango, Tomatillo and Beet Roots variants, each having ample chunks of the respective main ingredient and enriched with savoury spices.
V. Tabasco
Alright.
Let’s bring in the mothership.
The OG.
The ole faithful.
A sauce that has accompanied me on travels and travails across 60 countries. I usually do not board planes without having a stash of the classically labeled bottles with me as a backup: Tabasco made by McIlhenny.
“Tabasco” is a word of Mexican Indian origin believed to mean “place where the soil is humid” or “place of the coral or oyster shell.” It has become synonymous with hot sauce, with the like-named sauce distributed in over 180 states and territories. I have yet to frequent a restaurant that does not know what it is, no matter if I was roaming the backstreets of Cambodia or trying to spice up lobster soup in Iceland.
Founded in 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana, Tabasco is my global go to for heating and intensifying monotonous and bland food, especially by Louisiana standards. Based on crushed red peppers and the adage of Avery Island salt, the condiment is aged for up to three years in oak barrels before it is blended with distilled white vinegar and aged for another 30 days. After straining it, it is being transferred into the small cologne-type bottles with sprinkler gitments, which have been adopted by many epigones throughout the years.
With its light red colour, fine texture, and powerful vinegary smell it provides near perfect heat with nuances of saltiness, tanginess, and cayenne. Because of its versatile and generalist nature, Tabasco is a sauce that is good on everything and it the common denominator that spice heads can rely on.
These days Tabasco comes in seven different flavours which include – apart from the classic one: Green Pepper Sauce (with jalapeno being the driving ingredient), Chipotle Pepper Sauce (smoky in its essence) are staples in my household and Buffalo, Habanero, Garlic and Pepper, Sweet & Spicy, and Sriracha varieties are on the to-try list (they seem to be only available in the US and will hopefully be part of the second part of this feature).
