Serious Heat: Ketchups to Set Your Mouth on Fire
Editor's note: On Thursdays, Andrea Lynn, associate editor of Chile Pepper magazine, drops by to drop some serious heat.
Even the biggest food snobs among us love ketchup. When I was in culinary school, a chef/instructor scoffed at the need for a ketchup recipe in our homework binder. "How can you improve on Heinz?" he asked. Well, we've discovered one way--add the power of chiles. While Heinz makes their own spicy ketchup spiked with Tabasco, we prefer these chile-ketchup concoctions, all highlighted in the March issue of Chile Pepper.
Scott S. Clinton
Dixie Delight reigns as a thick, robust ketchup-flavored hot sauce that will bring a little love to meatloaf.
Melinda's offers a whole lot of ketchup craziness these days: The banana ketchup is ideal for lovers of the crescent-shaped fruit with a sweet-tart blend; in the chipotle version, ketchup plays second fiddle to the smoldering smokiness of the chipotle; the jalapeño ketchup is a hot and powerful blend of tangy heat; and the habanero variety won us over with a hint of clove and spicy sizzle that made magic with our sweet-potato fries.
Miss Anna's Sweet and Sassy Sauce, from the Virgin Islands, has a host of ingredients, from beet sugar to vegetable juices like carrot, celery and watercress. The end result is a ketchup brimming with flavors for a tangy, heat-filled, salty perfection.
Rick Daddy's Spicy Ketchup has that familiar tomato flavor we all love with the delightful addition of the power and pep of red savina. Bring on the burger!
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11 Comments:
I had no idea such a wide array of kicked up ketchups existed. A homemade concoction of "Srirachup" has yet to fail me- one part Sriracha to two parts Heinz suits me most days. Addicting.
RachelDP at 1:57PM on 03/05/09
I love to add Chipotle Tobassco to my ketchup. Smokey and delicious.
Montana Eats at 1:57PM on 03/05/09
I don't consider myself a "food snob", but when it comes to ketchup, man, I can't stand the stuff.
It's probably all right if it's heavily spiced (more like BBQ sauce) but when we're talking about plain jane ketchup, just the smell of the stuff has put me off my lunch in the past.
It tastes gross, it looks gross, it smells gross, and it's just so... red. It's unnatural.
Ketchup. Disgusting.
kevster at 2:23PM on 03/05/09
How could you improve on Heinz?
Many ways. I've made homemade ketchup. It uses up a ton of tomatoes, but it is incredibly good stuff. Heinz can't compare.
kitchenhacker at 2:23PM on 03/05/09
If you're in mood to whip up your own ketchup, try out this recipe for Homemade Spicy Ketchup which draws it's spicy kick from guajillo chile peppers. Enjoy!
kitchen caravan at 2:27PM on 03/05/09
I like one part Búfalo Picante Clasica added to one part Trader Joe's Organic Ketchup as a spicy ketchup. It's also great as part of a cocktail sauce.
@RachelDP - I'm also a fan of "Srirachup."
Davekatz at 2:48PM on 03/05/09
I add Tabasco Chipotle to my ketchup too!
AliceBlue at 4:29PM on 03/05/09
http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_06_a_ketchup.html
bobbob at 4:57PM on 03/05/09
I recently found the Heinz chili ketchup at a C-Town. That's pretty awesome on some Krasdale tots. It's not too spicy or anything, just a little better flavored ketchup. You put it with mayo and make spiced up fancy sauce. Or mix it wasabi mayo and cock sauce... Super Fancy Sauce.
I need that Melinda Habanero Ketchup bad!
...why is kev such a snob?
chinolam at 5:04PM on 03/05/09
Thank you for posting this! Spicy ketchup is my favorite thing in the whole world. I love the Wholemato Agave Spicy Ketchup. Have you tried it? Totally delicious!!
My boyfriend laughs at me because ever since we've discovered it, I will find an excuse to eat it with just about anything. The other day he walked in the kitchen and I was doing that little shuffle thing trying to kind of hide what I had out in front of me....only it was too late...he discovered my carrot dipped in ketchup. Oops. But, so GOOD!
ilikegranola at 10:15PM on 03/05/09
While Heinz with Tabasco is good, the Tabasco Spicy Ketchup direct from McIlhenny is better.
http://countrystore.tabasco.com/prodinfo.asp?number=03029
gamma1099 at 11:12AM on 03/06/09