This sauce has a bright label with an obviously male pepper, winkin’ one eye and a big ole cheesy grin makin’ the moves on the female mango, which by the look in her eyes and smile on her face, she is digging. Hearts are floating around the two. Down the mango’s side of the label it says Fat Kid Sauces, down the pepper’s side it says hot outlined in yellow and red. The bottom of the label tells you what you are looking at Mango Amore Habanero Hot Sauce. The label has a thermometer on it to tell you what heat level the sauce is. This one is hot. On the side the label states ” We at Fat Kid Sauces are proud of our signature sauces. Use them on sandwiches, eggs, pizza, steak & chicken. Add flavor and spice to sauces & chili. Also great as a marinade.” The paragraph below states ” We know there are a lot of choices out there. Thank you for choosing Fat Kid Sauces. Whether you like it mild or extreme ( or any level in between), Fat Kid Sauces has a sauce for you. So choose your color, feel the heat, & most of all enjoy!

Ingredients: mango, kiwi, Red Savina Habanero, peaches, apple cider vinegar, lime juice.

Appearance: A nice orange color with lots of kiwi seeds and bits of pepper flesh clinging to the inside.

Now I always take it as a good sign when I can see bits of pepper suspended and clinging to the sides.

Consistency: It has a syrup like consistency, flows nicely. The consistency kind of reminds me of apricot nectar, as it leaves a bit of a trail of it’s fruity contents.

Taste: Wow, I have tried a lot of sweet sauces, this one is definitely unique! The flavors of the kiwi mango and peach all seem to greet the palate as a team of fruity tanginess. I think I can just slightly detect the lime juice. The heat comes almost immediately. The habanero flavor is almost like an aftertaste. A delicious lingering aftertaste. This sauce is fun to taste. Try it straight off the spoon, roll it around in your mouth and try to seperate the flavors.

Heat: I would give this one about a 4-4.5 which for me as a dessert sauce was perfect.

Now let me tell you a little bit about how I enjoyed this sauce. When I first opened it I had not yet had my morning espresso. A quad mocha. I knew Mango Amore would be playing a part in that as soon as I tasted it. I added a teaspoon to the milk before steaming it. Simply delicious, and the foam had a nice warming quality to it. The next thing I used it in was dessert. I made a variation of Bananas Foster, we will call this one Bananas Huvason.

Bananas Huvason

2 ripe bananas

3 Tbl butter

3Tbl brown sugar

6Tbl Fat Kid Sauces Mango Amore Habanero Hot Sauce

4Tbl Cruzan Blackstrap rum

3 bowls vanilla ice cream

1 pint heavy cream

1 whipped cream charger

Peel and cut the bananas into 1/2 ” rounds. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add brown sugar, bananas, and 4 Tbl of the Mango Amore. Simmer for about 4 minutes turning the bananas to coat. Add the rum, allow to simmer for about 30 seconds then flambe (light it). Allow alcohol to burn off. Remove from heat. Pour heavy cream and remaining Mango Amore into the whipped cream charger. Load charger with gas cylinder (our takes NOS cartridges). Pour warm banana mixture over ice cream. Top liberally with Mango Amore whipped cream.

Now I made this stuff at half the batch above the first night, and it was in high demand for dessert again last night. I’m gonna need a bigger bottle! I wish it was summertime right now because that whipped cream would be fantastic over a bowl of mixed berries straight from the farmer’s market!

I used some of the whipped cream on my espresso this morning. There is something so satisfying about seeing little bits of Red Savina in whipped cream!

At this point I realize that I am not going to have enough of this sauce left to make the meal I planned (chorizo dogs with mango avocado salsa), so I improvised.

Mango Amore Shrimp Wrap

1/2 avocado diced

1/4 C sweet onion diced

1/4C tomato diced

1Tbl sour cream

1Tbl FatKid Sauces Mango Amore Habanero Hot Sauce

6 shrimp peeled deveined tails removed

1 flour tortilla

1Tbl butter

Hickory smoked sea salt, Black pepper, and garlic powder

In a small mixing bowl combine the avocado, tomato, onion, sour cream and Mango Amore, mix well and set aside. Melt butter in skillet. Liberally season shrimp with salt, pepper and garlic. Saute shrimp in butter (do not overcook). Spread avocado mixture across tortilla. Arrange shrimp on top. Roll it up and enjoy! I also added some lettuce to mine.

This wrap is fantastic it brings layers of flavor together. The garlic and salt on the shrimp provide a delightful contrast to the fruity onion avocado mixture.

With so many great sauces out there I didn’t think this one would become one of my top ten favorites. I had heard from others that it was good, and that it went well with bananas. When I made whipped cream with it I knew Iwas going to have more. The shrimp wrap however sent it over the top. Mango Amore, not just for dessert!

Fat Kid Sauces, LLC
sayville, NY 11782
631-278-3176
www.fatkidsauces.com

***The following post, and this year’s batch of Steve’s Peppers is dedicated to my friend ROGER JONSSON, who passed away December 11, 2007, after a courageous battle with cancer. Roger was a remarkable man who left an indelible impression on everyone he met. In the spirit of the season, I invite fellow chileheads to post your words of comfort and condolence to the Jonsson family here.***

I started making my peppers about 5 years ago for friends at the holidays. When you first bottle them, they have such a festive look. They take relatively little time to make, are not expensive and are certainly one of the more unique gifts your friends will receive. Once you give a cruet of these peppers to a friend, they can continue to add peppers and vinegar on top of the old ones, literally forever. I have bottles of these peppers that I have kept going for over 12 years. They have a wonderful mellow flavor. Here is last year’s batch, one year later.

This is not really a pepper sauce, nor is it pickled peppers. Rather, it is a blend of vinegars infused with the flavors and heat of various peppers for the purpose of drizzling on certain foods – like Paella, onion rings, fried Okra, your favorite “Cue”, or a fried fish sandwich. I experimented with the ingredients in the off-season and came up with a recipe that has stood the test of time – 3 very simple ingredients:

1. Chiles (any combo of Jalapeno, Serrano, Habanero or Cherry Peppers)
2. Apple Cider Vinegar (1 part)
3. Rice Vinegar (4 parts)

The methodology is simple. But before starting, take the proper precautions:

1. Work in a well-ventilated room
2. Wear an apron
3. Wear a set of latex gloves while working, then wear a new set while cleaning up
4. Not a bad idea to wear protective glasses too (I learned this the hard way)

So, let’s get started with this year’s batch, which I have lovingly named “Roger’s Stash”. It has a double meaning. Roger had a strikingly bushy moustache that just seemed to go with his personality. And I’d like to think that if I gave one of these bottles of peppers to Roger, he would love it enough to want to stash it away.

Step 1 – Sterilize your bottles or cruets in the dishwasher

Step 2 – Set everything up in advance. If you forget something, you will be rummaging around the kitchen spreading the heat from the peppers where unsuspecting people will pick it up and start burning themselves. Here, I have all the ingredients within easy reach.

Step 3 – Cut the chiles – long ones lengthwise, stubby ones in half or quarters, depending on the size. For this batch, I have some nice dark green Serranos and 3 colors of Habaneros – small, firm green ones, small yellow ones and large, ripe red ones.

Step 4 – Stuff the sliced chiles in any combo into a cruet or bottle. I use the end of a wooden chopstick to get them through the narrow neck of the cruet. Do not pack the peppers in too tightly, but fill the whole bottle with them.

Step 5 – Pour in a mixture of vinegars that is one part (20%) Apple Cider Vinegar and four parts (80%) Rice Vinegar (not to be confused with Rice Wine Vinegar). This combo of vinegars makes for a perfect host for the heat and flavor of the peppers. It is both tangy and mellow at the same time. Most importantly, it doesn’t overpower the pepper, or your food.

Step 6 – Cap the cruet or bottle, hold it tightly and jiggle the bottle while rotating it in different directions to release the trapped air. Open the bottle, tamp down the peppers lightly, then top off the bottle with vinegar until you have less than a half-inch of air below the stopper. Here is the finished product.

To personalize these, make a festive label or card and tie some ribbon around them. It’s wise to bottle a half-dozen more of these than you anticipate needing. They make a great little gift to bring along to a holiday party.

Enjoy, and happy holidays to all! In memory of Roger, I leave you with this:

“To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.” - Anne Campbell

Hot Sauce Making Kit - Complete instructions and recipes for making ten different hot sauce styles using fresh peppers or our pepper mash. We teach you how to select and prepare fresh ingredients like cayenne, habanero and jalapeno peppers. Then we have you blend them with the five exotic spices included in the kit to make hot sauces which match your taste exactly. Our Homemade hot sauce kit includes instructions, recipes, 4 oz. Pepper Mash, five spice packets, three 5 oz. hot sauce bottles with screw on caps. Hot pepper safety and handling tips too!

I recently received 2 different hot sauce making kits to evaluate and provide feedback on and frankly, I don’t know why we haven’t done this on the HSB sooner. After comparing the two kits, I decided to test out the Leener’s kit first since it contained pepper mash and the other kit did not - I’ll have to test that kit with some fresh peppers.

KIT INCLUDES
4 oz. Cayenne Pepper Mash
1 oz. Black Cumin Seeds
1 oz. Jamaican Jerk
1 oz. Chipolte Pepper
1 oz. Ancho Pepper
1 oz. Curry Powder
3 ea. Sauce Bottles
1 ea. Small Funnel
1 ea. Recipes and Tips
1 ea. Growing Hot Peppers

Having never made a hot sauce before, I decided to try out what appeared to be the simplest recipe in the book - plus I already had the majority of the ingredients and only had to get a tomato from the market to make this happen.

GARLIC LOVER’S HOT SAUCE
Pepper Mash Method
2 Tbs. Cayenne Mash
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 ea. Plum Tomato
1/4 cup Distilled White Vinegar
1 tsp. Black Cumin
1/2 tsp. Curry Powder
1 tsp. Allspice
1 Tbs. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt

Dry Spices

White Vinegar

To remove the excess moisture and seeds from fresh tomatoes, cut the tomato in half across it’s middle leaving a the stem on one half. Hold the half with the skin side up and gently squeeze the liquid and seeds out. If you wish to remove the skin, place the seeded tomatoes into boiling water for 3 minutes. The skin will loosen and peel right off. Seeded tomatoes can also be roasted just like peppers. Roasting also removes more moisture. The best substitute for fresh tomato is canned tomato juice.

Cayenne Pepper Mash

Combine all ingredients and blend (or use a food processor)


Pour sauce into sauce pan and heat until boiling

Hot Pack Instructions
This is the most important step in the process. Your hot sauce must be properly canned in order to assure freshness, flavor and shelf life. The procedure is the same as you would use for canning tomatoes.
Your hot sauce bottles must be clean before starting. Wash them with soap and water and rinse them thoroughly. Do not wash the caps with the white paper seal inside them. If the paper seal gets wet it will be ruined. The seal will sanitize itself later in the process.
Place a wire rack on the bottom of a pot of boiling water. Place the bottles on the rack making sure they are completely full of water. Let them boil for at least 5 minutes.
When you are ready to pack your sauce, remove a bottle from the boiling water with tongs and drain out the water. Your sauce should also be at the boiling point. Hold the bottle with a dry towel and fill it with sauce using a measuring cup to help you pour. Place the dropper cap on the bottle and screw the cap on tight. Turn the bottle upside down for 10 minutes. This will sanitize the lid. Let bottles cool completely before refrigerating.

Freshly packed Garlic Lover’s Hot Sauce

Now I have to let the hot sauce age for 1 week in the refrigerator - the longer the sauce ages, the more complex the flavor will become. Properly packed hot sauce will last six to nine months unopened.

The Leener’s Kit was easy to use, but I would say that with only the mash provided in the kit, you can only make 2 of the 12 recipes included. In fact, they should replace the Cayenne Mash with Habanero Mash since 6 of the recipes call for Habaneros or Habanero mash. As I said, the kit is great for those wanting to understand the basics of hot sauce making but you will find yourself very limited by the recipes and ingredients in the box. Stay tuned for a report on how the hot sauce tastes next week…

I wonder how many HSBers have bought kits like this before branching out into their own hot sauce making adventures.

Ingredients: Red Peppers, Peppers, Malt Vinegar, Vinegar, Salt, Natural Spices and seasoning, sugar, and other natural Flavorings.

Uncle Dougie’s manufactures a whole line of products. I found a rub, some jalapeno mustard, a deli spread, some hot sauces, and this MARINADE. And because Uncle Dougie’s makes all these different products, I’m going to use this exactly how Uncle Dougie’s suggests on the label’s bottle:

By experimenting on close friends and having a large supply of cold libations I’ve developed an easy and convenient way to prepare the best spicy chicken wings you will ever eat! Here’s how I do it - wash and cut the chicken wings in half, separating them at the joint (they’re easier to eat this way). Place wings in a bowl and cover with Uncles Dougies Marinade for 10-15 minutes. Mix occasionally so they are well coated. Place wings on a 1″ deep cookie sheet and pour remaining marinade from the bowl over the wings. (On cookie sheet, wings should be half-way submerged in marinade). Bake at 400 - 450 for 60 minutes. Drain the juice and bake to desired crispness. Usually 20-30 minutes more. (We like them well done).

A marinade is a seasoned liquid in which foods are soaked (marinated) in order to absorb flavor and, in some instances, to be tenderized. A marinade usually contains an acid (lemon juice, wine, and in this case, vinegar - lots of vinegar) and herbs or spices. The acid acts as a tenderizer. (Remember, never marinate in aluminum…oh and when fruits are similarly soaked, the term used is MACERATE- but I wouldn’t use THIS marinade to macerate.)

The bottle has a funny looking chicken head with smoke coming from its beak. No where, ANYWHERE on this label does Uncle Dougie’s claim any type of heat level. It’s just Chicago Style; not hot, super hot, mild, medium, extreme, etc What’s Chicago Style? A marinade made 35 miles from Chicago is considered Chicago Style. And this is the ONLY Chicago Style marinade around. Can you make a marinade in Boston and call it Chicago Style? No.

Once again, I decide to follow Uncle’s directions to the tee. I usually make my wings like THIS, but not in this case. Instead of a 9 minute frying time, it looks like I’ll have to bake for 1 1/2 hours.

I still had to do a little butchering of the chicken skin. Look how much skin can come from only 11 wingettes. I even kept some skin on for the “crisp” factor.

I wish they would sell skinned-chicken wings in grocery stores, or at least Whole Foods.

Half the bottle was gone after I poured enough to cover the wingettes.

(((Yes, that’s La Piara Tapa Negara in the background….it has 20% more gratis.. and if you hit that site check out Cola Cao, it’s so much tastier than Hersheys)))!!!

I took Dougie’s advice and grabbed a cold liberation a Yuengling. This Lager, by America’s Oldest Brewery, is my favorite chicken-wing-waiting drink.

This gives me some time to taste Uncle’s marinade straight from the bottle. booyah! It’s tastes like an ever-so-slightly spicier Frank’s Red Hot. Tastes fine, not impressive or unique; just fine. I can definitely taste the malt vinegar, which is vinegar produced from barley cereal grains. (After the grains are soaked they release active enzymes that digest the starch, converting it into sugar and thus malt. It’s then aged in oak barrels for several months.) Malt vinegar is VERY assertive, and is not usually used in delicate sauces. Of course, this is a marinade, not a sauce.

The marinade, while cooking/baking, went from a rather smooth liquid to a harsh mash before draining. I put the wingettes back in the oven for the “well done” stage, but after 8 minutes too much burning (crappy) smell was filling the room. So my nose tells me it’s time to come out.

The wings look really appetizing coming out of the oven and on to the plate.

Well now. I understand the meaning of Chicago Style. First, the chickmeat comes off the bone like an over cooked rib. The texture of the meat is altered into pulled-pork like texture. Second, they’re spicy - a good spicy a malty spicy. I’ve made wings in the oven before, and these are better than that time and I’ve had salty wings before, but never malty. Yes, MALTY.

I still like Buffalo Style better.

After 5 wings, I missed the Natural Chicken Flavor found in these chips. When I eat wings, I don’t expect this texture. And the meat was dry.

I’d say this recipe and marinade screams APPETIZER though. Making this recipe from Uncle Dougie’s Marinade for a party appetizer will get your guests thirty, thus drinking. Some people would say they are different, some people spicy and some will ask for another beer to wash them down, (thus the recommendation for having a large supply of cold libations.)

Packaging 5/10
Coloring / Temperament 7/10
Consistency 9/15
Heat 12/25
Taste 24/40

A Different 57/100.

-thakswet

I love Cholula hot sauce and since no Cholula Xtra hot exists - I decided to make my own version, kicked up several notches higher then any sauce you can find in stores of course.

3 A.M. Cholula
1 5 Fl Oz. Bottle of Cholula Hot Sauce
1 bottle of Blair’s 3 A.M. (we’ll only use to taste, not the entire bottle)

Simple directions - Use a bit of your Cholula so that there’s room in the bottle. Use a dropper to add Blair’s 3Am one drop at a time. Add 2-3 drops, then give the Cholula a taste to see where the heat level is. I typically add about 10 drops of Blair’s 3 AM per one bottle of Cholula.

I always make sure to label the Cholula Bottle, usually wrapping it with a bit of duct tape and marking it with a skull using a permanent marker.

The 3 A.M. gives the Cholula intense heat but the consitency and overall flavor of the Cholula remains the same. Enjoy!

For all the hot sauce fans out there that loved Inner Beauty Hot Sauce (Sadly no longer in production) - Here’s a recipe that renders a sauce that’s pretty close to Inner Beauty, at least in consitency and overall flavor.

1/2 medium-sized banana, sliced
1 1/2 large carrots, diced small
1 medium onion, diced small
5 fresh picked orange habaneros, diced
10 fresh picked piquins, diced
5 fresh picked (smallish) cayennes, diced
1/2 fresh picked small green bell pepper, diced small
1 fresh picked hot banana pepper, diced
2 scallions (greens & all), sliced
5 small cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. (approx.) Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper (he used Tellicherry) to taste
1 Tbsp. Coleman’s dry mustard
Water for blending only (not too much, approx. 1/2 cup)
1 Tbsp. (or less) Peanut oil

Saute onions and habs in small amount of peanut oil in non-stick pan till softened and dark brown in spots (try not to cough) and set aside. Put all other ingredients (except salt, pepper and mustard) in a blender and blend
until it forms a slightly chunky puree (you want to have small bits of identifiable color left and some texture). Remove all except approx. 1/2 cup of this chunky puree to a separate bowl and set aside. Pour the sauteed onions and habs in the blender with the 1/2 cup puree and blend until smooth. Pour the reserved chunky puree into the same skillet used to saute the onions and habs (the clean up crew will appreciate this), add the smooth puree along with the salt, pepper, and mustard and reduce over
low heat, simmering for approx. 10 minutes until desired thickness (10 minutes approx. thickness of Inner Beauty Sauce).

Taste and re-season with salt and pepper as needed.

Get a big spoon and eat it straight from the skillet . Also very good with pork, turkey and on toasted bagels with cream cheese.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbl oil
1 c chopped carrots
2 c water
6 habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 tbl fresh lime juice
3 tbl white vinegar
1 tsp salt

Directions: Saute onion in oil until soft. Add carrots and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are soft. Remove from heat. Add chiles, lime juice and salt. Process to smooth sauce.

Makes a sauce similar to Marie Sharp’s.

** Recipe courtesy of Food Network.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) beef fillets

Marinade:
4 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, recommended: Cholula Hot Sauce
8 tablespoons olive oil
1 ounce garlic, minced
1 ounce chopped thyme, rosemary, and sage
Salt and pepper

Tamale filling:
Olive oil
2 ounces red bell peppers, sliced
2 ounces yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 ounce garlic, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, recommended: Cholula

Tamale:
8 ounces corn flour
3 ounces vegetable shortening
4 ounces chicken broth
1 ounce achiote paste
Salt and pepper
4 banana leaves, pre-steamed

To prepare the marinade, combine all of the ingredients together in a large container and marinate the beef for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Once the beef is marinated, sear the beef on both sides in a saute pan for approximately 10 minutes or until desired doneness.

To make the tamale filling: In a saute pan, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and heat. Saute the peppers, garlic, onion, and hot sauce. Cook until the peppers are tender and set aside.

To make the tamales, use a mixing bowl and combine the corn flour, vegetable shortening, chicken broth, achiote paste, and salt and pepper. Mix until a dough starts to form. Place the banana leaves on a flat surface and spread the tamale dough in the center of each leaf. Add the cooked peppers and fold the banana leaves around the tamale. Steam the tamales for 20 minutes.

To serve, slice the tamales or cut them open and place in the center of each plate. Place the beef fillets to the side and serve.

Ingredients:
2 Habanero chiles, seeded, minced
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juince
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 cups water

Instructions:
Saute the onion and garlic in oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add carrots and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add Habaneros, lime juice, vinegar, and salt. Place in blender and mix at high speed for one minute. Sprinkle on anything you want hot!

Ingredients:
5-6 Habanero Chiles
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 tsp oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in blender. Add salt. Blend at high speed for 1 minute. Sprinkle on eggs, soups, pasta or anything needing an extra kick. This is an outstanding sauce that is addictive and is easy to make!