It’s been a little while since my last post because I’ve been busy setting up Heat In the Heartland’s You Tube channel and uploading video tie-ins, and due to several hardware and technical difficulties, it’s been a lot more involved than I had anticipated. I haven’t forgotten about the written blog by a long shot, and indeed have been working to expand Heat In the Heartland’s online presence. But, I didn’t want to lose momentum, so here’s a post about a little sauce that many may not know of, and that doesn’t usually receive a lot of attention. For those that know, however, Melinda’s is a respected name in the hot sauce industry, and they have many fine, fine products, and Melinda’s XXXXtra Reserve is just one of them. I really cannot say enough about the Melinda’s line of sauces, because everyone I have tried has been outstanding. Granted, the ones I’ve tried are not blazing hot to the diehard chilehead, but their wonderful vibrant taste sufficiently makes up for any lack of heat for us dedicated fire-eaters. Not only that, Melinda’s sauces are incredibly versatile in that they will improve the taste of just about anything their paired with.
Speaking of which, I was in the mood for hotdogs, so I figured I’d put Melinda’s XXXXtra Reserve to the test. Even though this may not be some people’s first idea of what to put a Caribbean-style hot sauce on, it actually turned out quite well. While eating the hot dogs, I tried some on some ruffles, and that was good too, but it occurred to me that Melinda’s XXXXtra Reserve would be a fantastic addition to queso; whether homemade or simply added to jar of store-bought cheese dip. Feel free to try it on almost anything. Half the fun with this kind of sauce is exploring how well if goes with all different kinds of foods. Melinda’s also has a great consistency; not too thin, not too thick. However, it does come with a plastic governor that can easily be pried off, and that doesn’t really need to be there, especially if the sauce has been refrigerated. Their XXXXtra Reserve is made of “Hand-select choice red habanero peppers, fresh carrots, onions, lime juice, vinegar, garlic and salt.” I found a decent selection of Melinda’s sauces at Akin’s Natural Foods here in Tulsa for around $5.00, but their products can also be found at hot sauce purveyors online, and their website.
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