Matt in BloggersHot Sauce Reviews

CaJohns Mongoose

You can probably tell by the picture of the bottle of CaJohn’s Mongoose that it’s quite a bit less than full. Well, that should be taken as a good sign of what I think of it. If CaJohn’s Mongoose weren’t a winner, then I wouldn’t have gone through as much as the bottle as I have. It’s primarily made of Bhut Jolokia and Fatali peppers, with vinegar and spices, and as far as taste goes, has a smoky flavor laced with a hint of fruitiness.

Even though I would consider the Mongoose hot, it doesn’t seem anywhere near the Scoville rating that I’ve heard some places report. I’ve heard everything from 800,000 SHUs to 2-3 million. Personally, I would lean toward the 800,000 SHU assessment because I cannot reconcile its amount of heat being more than a million and half SHUs, tops. I could be wrong, however, and maybe it’s just the batch I got a hold of. Either way, this sauce is good as a topper, but like many others, I think it works best when added to a mix of ingredients.

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For instance, I added a tablespoon of the Mongoose to a Buffalo wing recipe I found on the side of a box of Tabasco Buffalo sauce. The recipe is as follows: 2 ½ lbs. wings and/or drumettes (I used a 25.5 oz bag of frozen chicken breast tenders), ½ cup Tabasco brand Buffalo Style Sauce, 1 tbsp. (or more, if you prefer) of CaJohn’s Mongoose, 1/3^rd cup butter, melted, and you’re favorite dressing such as chunky blue cheese or ranch. Bake your wings at 425°F for about 1 hour (or follow the directions for a 25-29 oz. bag of frozen chicken tenders). In a large bowl, combine Tabasco Buffalo sauce, Mongoose and melted butter. Toss the cooked wings or tenders in the sauce until completely coated.

In place of the Mongoose, or in addition if you want your wing glaze hotter, I would suggest sautéing a chopped superhot pepper such as a Ghost pepper or Trinidad Douglah in a tablespoon of olive oil (in place of butter in the recipe), with a clove or two of chopped garlic.(You could even add about a ¼ cup finely chopped onions to the peppers and garlic.) Sauté until the garlic lightly browns, and then add it to the Buffalo mixture (with or without Mongoose). Then coat the cooked wings or tenders by tossing in a bowl with mixture, and you’re done.

Mongoose is a good sauce, yet great as part of an ensemble of ingredients. I could imagine the Mongoose would also shine as an indispensible component in curries, chilis and on burgers.