New Hot Pepper Sauces from Pain is Good

Pain is Good is one of the best-known hot sauce brands around, with a long history of making superior hot sauces and other spicy condiments using quality ingredients in traditional as well as unorthodox combinations. Among their classic offerings are a zesty garlic pepper sauce and a Louisiana Cajun hot sauce, while some of their unusual recipes include a sweet Caribbean jerk Buffalo wing sauce and a hot & spicy trail mix. One thing that all of their products share, in addition to versatility and palate-pleasing flavors, is the trademark "screaming head" on each label, which is guaranteed to catch your eye when looking at a crowded store shelf or browsing an online hot sauce store.

The Carolina Sauce Company is pleased to announce the arrival of five new flavors of Pain is Good hot sauces, each based on popular and classic hot sauce recipes that have survived the test of time and will find plenty of uses in your kitchen and at the table.  Sold under the "Most Wanted" name, these new hot pepper sauces display the original three Pain is Good "screaming heads" on the label, in homage to the brand's iconic image.

My favorite of the bunch is Most Wanted Pain is Good Sriracha Sauce, for several reasons. First and foremost, it delivers that genuine peppery-garlicky-savory sriracha sauce flavor that's essential for spicing up Thai recipes and other Asian favorites. But unlike most sriracha sauces on the market, Most Wanted Sriracha Sauce is relatively mild on the heat scale, with a gentle touch of sweetness that deftly tames the flames without sabotaging the overall flavor. This thoughtful touch renders this sriracha hot sauce much more "user friendly," especially when serving more delicate dishes (e.g., broiled fish or steamed vegetables) or feeding folks with lower heat tolerances. The milder heat also means you can use this pepper sauce as much as you like, and as often as you wish, without burning out your taste buds or tearing up your digestive system. Enjoy it on home-cooked food as well as on Chinese takeout or delivery pizza, just to name a few ways.

A close second for me is Most Wanted Pain is Good Chipotle Sauce. Rich and thick with a masterful balance of earthy, smoky depth and medium peppery heat in a mellow tomato base with hints of sweetness, a touch of sunny citrus and a pinch of savory garlic & onion.  Whether you're enjoying Mexican, Tex-Mex or Southwestern dishes, or snacking on hearty appetizers like nachos or breaded chicken strips, or cooking up a batch of chili or rice & beans, or looking for something to jazz up a casserole or stew, Most Wanted Chipotle Sauce has what it takes. This baby knows how to complement and enhance a food's flavors without overpowering it or overwhelming the other ingredients. But it also knows when to shine in a starring role, such as the basting or dipping sauce for grilled shrimp or chicken breasts, or as an alternative to ketchup with burgers, fries, scrambled eggs, onion rings and more. Not as hot as a Mexican chipotle sauce but also not for hot sauce wimps, this crowd-pleasing chipotle hot sauce from Pain is Good certainly lives up to the brand's name.

If you prefer your jalapeno peppers green and smokeless, then Most Wanted Pain is Good Jalapeno Sauce is for you. But if you're used to vinegary, one-dimensional jalapeno pepper sauces from the supermarket, your taste buds are in for a real treat. This jalapeno hot sauce is far more substantial than the average swill: Roasted green chilies add depth and dimension while onions, garlic and lime juice play with the natural vegetal flavor of unripened, fresh jalapenos. This is the kind of hot sauce normally only experienced at authentic Mexican restaurants or made at home by an experienced cook or chef. In addition to the logical pairings with Mexican and similar fare, Most Wanted Jalapeno Sauce is an excellent choice on pizza or eggs, burgers or sandwiches, in chili or other ground meat or bean recipes, and pretty much anywhere else when you want to add genuine jalapeno flavor with solid but not overpowering heat (it ranks a strong medium on a general heat scale).

For habanero pepper lovers, we have Most Wanted Pain is Good Habanero Pepper Sauce, starring ripe orange habanero peppers in all their fiery fury for a hot heat level that will not disappoint chileheads who insist on real habanero burn but don't want it artificially boosted by extracts or added capsaicin oil. Made in the Caribbean or West Indian style, this zesty hot sauce features a zesty vinegar, carrot and mustard base that gets additional savory flavor from turmeric, garlic and onions. There's no sweetness or sugar in this gloriously hot condiment, making it a favorite of anyone counting carbs or watching their sugar intake. Most Wanted Habanero Sauce is perfect for more robust and heartier dishes, including grilled, broiled or roasted meats and poultry. It's also a natural in Caribbean, West Indian and Latin American recipes calling for heat, including red beans and rice, roast pork, beef or seafood stews, and more.

Last but most definitely not least, there's Most Wanted Pain is Good Cayenne Sauce, made with Louisiana's most popular pepper. This is a kinder, gentler, more family-friendly version of classic Louisiana hot sauce, with a relatively mild heat but with a broad, full flavor that's much more satisfying than the usual tart vinegar tang. In addition to aged cayenne peppers, Most Wanted Cayenne Pepper Sauce uses tomato paste, malt vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and traditional Cajun herbs and spices for a rich flavor and body. Whether you're preparing Jambalaya, etouffee, a crawfish boil or other Cajun or Creole recipes, this hot sauce is up for the occasion. It's also a fine way to spice up other foods from pizza and burgers to eggs or spaghetti sauce, or homemade buffalo wings or bloody marys. If it's anything but dessert, chances are this pepper sauce will make it zippy and better.

Now's the time to try these new Pain is Good Most Wanted hot sauces, while they're on sale at the Carolina Sauces online store. And if you want to save an additional 7% off the sale price, simply email me for our current VIP Club discount -- or sign up for our VIP Club before October 25th and I'll send you a complimentary coupon code good through midnight on Oct. 25th.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria