Hot Sauce

This sauce is wonderful served on its own, but paired with Red Chile Sauce (opposite) and served with eggs (Blue Corn Fried Eggs, page 219) or fish or pork or chicken, it becomes known as Christmas. Why? Christmas is known for its red and green colors! In New Mexico restaurant lingo (Sante Fe to be exact), Christmas means a plate of half-red and half-green chile sauces. The New Mexico terminology has spread to some other states in the Southwest, such as Arizona and Texas.

I sometimes use this full-flavored hot sauce to spice up my Crab-Coconut Cocktail (page 79). It is also wonderful drizzled over raw oysters and clams and is one of the sauces served with the raw bar selections at Bar Americain. You must use really ripe mangoes for the best possible flavor. Also, it is extremely important to be very careful when handling the habanero. We use plastic gloves when working with these super-hot chiles, but whatever you do, make sure to keep your hands away from your face (especially your eyes!) until they are absolutely clean.

Why on earth would you want to make your own Sriracha? I mean, the bottled stuff is already amazing, and it’s actually cheaper to buy than it is to make. Um, because you can! Besides being delicious and pretty easy to make, there’s that cool sense of pride that comes with the DIY approach that money just can’t buy.

For all you chile heads looking for a knockout, eyewatering, tongue-tingling sauce, here it is; you may never buy commercially made hot sauce again. But a word to the wise: proceed with caution—this is not meant for wusses. Made from habañeros, one of the fieriest chiles around, this serious sauce achieves the perfect balance between flavor and heat. It’s best to protect your hands with a pair of latex gloves to keep the oils off your skin. Carrot is the secret weapon here; it not only adds amazing orange color but also gives the sauce another layer of flavor, with subtle sweetness and body. Use this hot sauce in Fried “Buffalo Style” Rabbit (page 152) or to fire up Bloody Marys or mayo. This sauce will keep practically forever!

This is the hot sauce we make regularly at the restaurant to ladle over burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, casseroles, and stuffed vegetables. Cooking the onions and peppers quickly on high heat brings out flavor with less simmering time.

This is more than just hot sauce. The funky, fruity blend can sear your tongue, but in a pleasant tingling way that allows you to still taste the layers of flavors. You can use this the way you use bottled hot sauce—for buttery sauces, soups, eggs—you'll find that it just makes everything taste so much better.

Chilies, lime juice and mint enhance the flavor of our Thai Summer Rolls .

Ají ecuatorianoají ecuatoriano Served on the table as an accompaniment to soups, this fresh sauce gets its tart, vibrant flavor from the tamarillo (tree tomato), native to South America. A small red tomato can be substituted.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Unlike sauces from Texas and Kansas City, this sauce from South Carolina's Piedmont area is thin and vinegary. Note that it is not cooked. To tone down the tartness, add more ketchup and brown sugar to taste.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Inspired by Florida chef Norman Van Aken's mango habanero mojo, this sauce is a wonderful accompaniment to grilled pork or chicken. Be sure to wear protective gloves while mincing the chile.

You can control the heat by adjusting the amount of chili oil used. Serve with swordfish, tuna or fried wonton chips.