In This Installment
Oso Rojo Umami Bomb
Pure Hatch Green Chiles
Oso Rojo Umami Bomb
Yeah, I guess both of these products are on the spicy side of things, but there’s a good reason for it: the older I get, the more I like spicy foods.
I didn’t as a kid, but as I age and as my taste buds start to wear down a little bit, a little bit of heat can go a long way in making everything taste better. You see, there’s a real physical effect of spicy foods in that it can actually make your taste buds constrict and “poke up” through any kind of rich foods that you’re eating.
In short, hot things make things taste like things. I have a friend that says that about salt, and he’s right, but this is also right too.
The story of Oso Rojo, though, is a bit interesting, at least in terms of all the food stories I encounter. It was originally founded by Cameron Ayers, a chef that came up in the food scene around Denver, Colorado. He crafted the hot sauce for flavor, not heat. In otherwords, Cam’s vision was to enhance your meal, not overpower it. That’s why he titled the sauces after the flavor he’s going for (in the case, umami) instead of focusing on the nuclear heat level of whatever crazy peppers he could find.
Business blossomed after COVID and eventually the hot sauce business was becoming a heavy lift for Cam and his small team. He wanted to scale up and reach more folks than just Colorado, but it was a bit outside his comfort zone. That’s when he found Sarah McDowell and Andy Hopkins—two long time friends who were crazy for Cam’s sauces.
Cam passed along the hot sauce business to Sarah and Andy so they could help it reach a wider audience. I’m not sure I would have had the chance to taste this sauce if it didn’t get out of Colorado, so we have Sarah and Andy to thank for that, but Cam for creating the sauce in the first place!
Umami is the fifth flavor (like the fifth Beatle) and basically boils down to “savory,” but it’s much more than that. It’s that sort of meatiness that comes from eating steak and the bit of salivation that happens up in your cheeks. It’s the flavor of seaweed snacks. It’s the flavor of parmigianio-reggiano and a bunch of other foods we might not consider, but have umami in spades.
This small jar can add that big flavor to any and every dish you creat. Vegetables are great with it, but so is soups, grilled meats, sandwiches, burgers, caseroles, leftovers. Wherever you’re looking for a boost of flavor, this is what you should reach for. I’ve been reaching for it in my kitchen and I suggest you do the same.
Pure Hatch Green Chiles from New Mexico
We’ve featured roasted Hatch Green Chiles on our sandwiches since at least the late 90s when I was working on the sandwich line (the #75 Leo’s Friendly Lion is a personal favorite), but this is the first time I’ve been able to share them, jarred, with you.
At the deli they came in 5 lbs tubs. Too much for our needs.
We “found” these chiles thanks to the work of Jackson Konwinski, the tea, wine and beer buyer for Zingerman’s Deli. Jackson has been around since he was a teen, I think, and he’s been traveling all over the country and beyond to see and learn about food. That’s what took him to the Hatch Chile Fesitival in Hatch, New Mexico over Labor Day weekend two years ago. They hold the festival during that time every year, so it’s pretty easy to plan around.
Jackson was there tasting, learning, and discussing the magical chile with all the growers, vendors and cooks in attendance. After a weekend’s worth of research (and some tired taste buds) Jackson struck up a relationship with The Fresh Chile Co. and we were on our way to finally bringing a retail size jar of chiles to you.
Why did we settle on this jar? To my mind, these chiles truly capture the unique flavor that’s made them famous. Unlike red chiles (or the chiles in the Oso Rojo hot sauce) Hatch chiles are closer in flavor to a green pepper: crisp, bright, a little sweet…yet with the added depth of flavor that leaves folks calling it earthy, a little smoky, and subtly spicy.
There’s a process for getting the chiles from the field to the jar:
The chiles are hand-harvested and rinsed before being roasted over flames that char and blister the skin. After roasting, the chiles cool and their skin is removed and the seeds inside are scraped out, leaving the soft, supple chile ready to flavor your next dish.
Start using the chiles in sandwiches like we do. The flavor will come through without dominating the whole experience. Next, try chopping up the chiles a bit more and tossing them in with your morning eggs. Great with tacos, obviously, and it’s a flavorful garnish for meats and grilled foods in general.
It’s seasonally appropriate to enjoy these chiles this time of year. All you have to do is seize your next chance to use them.