Like many condiments, hot sauce serves many purposes and shouldn’t just be a topper in the condiment caddy. Hot sauces can bring complex and interesting flavors to your menu, in addition to pleasing the palates of spice-loving customers. Different brands bring different spice levels and flavor profiles to the table. They are a ready-made liquid spice mix that is perfect for experimenting with appetizers, mains, and even cocktails. When you add hot sauce to your recipes, it infuses the flavor throughout the dish, rather than just on the surface, giving every bite a spicy, tangy kick.
There are all kinds of recipes and preparation methods that hot sauce brands use to make your favorites. While preparation and ingredients may vary, many versions of hot sauce use a base of vinegar, spices, and most importantly, peppers. Ratios of these ingredients can be the deciding factor on the type of dishes you might incorporate them into. Hot sauce can be used in a wide range of recipes, from marinades and dressings to soups and stews. By incorporating it into different dishes, you can add a consistent and unique flavor to your menu. Learn how to incorporate hot sauce into your menu offerings with these three drool-worthy recipes using Cholula, Frank’s Red Hot, and Old Bay Hot Sauces.
Cooking With Cholula Hot Sauce
Cholula Hot Sauce is a Mexican hot sauce named for the oldest still-inhabited city in Mexico: Cholula, Puebla, at the base of the Popocatépetl volcano. The sauce itself is a 100-year-old family recipe made from a blend of arbol and piquin peppers plus regional Mexican spices. It has a balanced, approachable, chili-forward flavor with minimal tang. It has a medium heat level and a tangy, slightly sweet taste that comes from the pepper blend used. Cholula’s mild heat makes it a versatile hot sauce that can be used in various dishes without overpowering the other flavors. It’s great for use on dishes that already have an acidic ingredient, such as lime, or dishes that don’t need one, like eggs. A great example would be this recipe for Huevos Rancheros, which incorporates the Cholula into the meat in addition to using it as a topper before serving. Huevos Rancheros is an excellent addition to any brunch menu, but also makes a great main dish on the lunch or dinner menu too.
Cooking With Frank’s RedHot Sauce
Frank’s RedHot Sauce originated in New Iberia, Louisiana in the early 1900s. It’s made from a variety of aged cayenne peppers and has a clean, sharp, and bright flavor, complemented by a vinegar base. The sauce’s acidity should be taken into consideration when cooking with Frank’s RedHot – it’s perfect for flavor in low-acid, higher-fat foods like pizza, dips, and buffalo wings. Frank’s RedHot is famous for its heat level, which is considered medium to hot, and its tangy flavor profile makes it an excellent choice for marinades and dressings. We recommend giving these Frank’s RedHot Chicken Lettuce cups a try – they make a great appetizer or low-carb main for spice-loving customers.
Cooking With Old Bay Hot Sauce
What started out as a limited edition run back in 2020 that sold out in 30 minutes ended in a cult following asking for more – and Old Bay Hot Sauce is here to stay. Old Bay originated as a spice blend from Baltimore, Maryland, that was popular for seafood boils. The hot sauce is Old Bay seasoning in liquid form, with a vinegar base and some extra heat from cayenne pepper. Old Bay Hot Sauce has a mild heat level, making it ideal for those who prefer a milder hot sauce. Like its seasoning counterpart, Old Bay hot sauce is perfect to use on seafood, soups, stews, wings, and Bloody Marys – so it can be incorporated into any part of your menu. Try this Old Bay Seafood Boil Sauce to add an East-Coast flavor to a traditional southern seafood boil.
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