My Top Essential Sauces/Dressings

 

Topping up my Chosen Foods Avocado Oil yesterday made me think how I know what I like and like what I know. I thought it would be a good idea to explain why I use certain products - (disclaimer, this is my opinion, and what works for me)

 

As I mentioned, I was topping up my oil Dispenser that holds my Chosen Foods Avocado oil. This might be the first time you are hearing of avocado oil, or know fully well why id use such a variation of oil to cook with. 

 

Well, The prime benefit of Avocado oil is that it has the highest smoke point of any cooking oil. This means you can get the pan hotter without burning the oil leading to a better cooked steak. For instance, Olive Oil starts to burn and smoke at around 190c+ where as Avocado Oil starts to smoke at around 270c and remember, the hotter the pan/griddle the better your steak/protein will cook and provide that all important crust. 

 

So why Chosen Foods, well as Avocado oil is rarer to buy in the UK, choice is limited, however I’m pleased Chosen Foods is available as it’s more economic due to its large bottle, doesn’t have a green tinge like others or a strange smell and a little bit goes a long way. I buy mine from Costco and it’s around £10 for a litre bottle. Pricier than other oils, but as I mentioned it does provide a better cooking experience and does last a long time (a bottle will usually last around 9 months). 

 

While thinking of this, it got me thinking what other Sauces I use regularly for one reason or the other…

 

How can I not start by discussing my (unhealthy) obsession with Franks Red Hot! Hot Sauce, as their slogan previously stated, "Put that S*** on anything", I literally do! Chicken, potatoes, Pizza, Burgers... This isn’t just a hot sauce; it is THE Hot Sauce. After years and years of trying a high and wide variety of Hot sauces, I will always come back to Franks. To me, it has just the perfect blend of spice and flavour. I love the small individual bottles for just a splash/drenching over Fries or Pizza, especially pizza. I do love the Wings sauce as it firstly has such an immense flavour, secondly, however stops the mess of having to make my own mixing original Franks with Butter etc. It is also a great base for "Daytona" sauce (Famous from Hooters).  Even now just writing about how great Franks is, I can feel myself salavating and deciding that i'll be having wings later. Franks is available at most Supermarkets, even the variation bottles, however I usually get my Franks Red Hot Wings sauce at Costco as its £5 for 2 massive bottles.

 

What goes well with Franks? RANCH! Ranch dressing is terribly unknown in the UK and I live for the day it’s as normalised as Mayo in restaurants as an accompaniment. Luckily, it does seem much more available these days as most Supermarkets do offer it, but for me, no one makes a better ranch than Newman's Own. Paul Newman's non-profit Sauce and marinade make some fantastic accompaniments. Their BBQ marinade used to be a staple of mine back when first learning how to BBQ, however their Ranch is simply Godlike. I can’t even explain what it tastes like. I just know its phenomenal with Buffalo Wings, works amazing with Potatoes and absolutely game changing on Pizza. This was discovered before Pizza Hut went weird and had a Franks Hot Sauce branded Buffalo Chicken Pizza topped with Ranch and it was one of the best Pizzas I've ever had. The 2 sauces complimenting each other so well, the heat of the Franks, slowly chilled with the Tang of the Ranch. Seriously, just give it a go. Id say Tesco usually has a readily supply of this available.

 

I hinted towards it in the last section, about using Newman’s Own for BBQ marinade, although still fantastic and many further years of trials and tribulations around BBQ sauce and marinades. Finally, one successor has risen. Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. This is the GOAT of BBQ sauces! In a market that is oversaturated, there are many poor substitutes, but Sweet Baby Rays offers the best of the bunch, A great flavour that has depth but that all important sweetness. Its thickness/Viscosity too so it goes a long way and doesn’t come across as Brown water. It just offers levels other sauces don’t. It blends perfectly with Franks Wings Sauce to help create “Daytona” sauce. This is quite available in most Supermarkets, and often on Special Deals at Lidl so stock up as you will go through this quicker than expected.

 

Finally, as a wild card, one of the best finds I’ve had over recent years of going to Local Food Festivals is the discovery of “Screaming Chimp” sauces, especially their Original Hot Sauce. It just hits the spot every time. They do a wide range and spectrum of Mild, Fruitier Sauces, going up In heat intensity. The guy is so charming and charismatic, and you can genuinely tell this isnt just a business but also a passion. I do believe the sauces are available online, but I usually stock up during Food Festival season.