‘Tis the worst of times! The hot sauce industry has gotten completely out of hand. Peddling such names as Ass Kickin’ Original and Hog’s Ass Hot BBQ (what’s with all the ass?), you have to wonder whether you’re buying a condiment or a gag gift. Couple tired marketing and cliché namesakes with generic sauces, re-bottled and labeled on a whim and our concern grows. Weary of overwhelming vinegar, heat with no flavor, or no heat with awful flavor, one’s love for hot sauce becomes anemic. We want hot sauce with flavor. Thick with chunks of chili and garlic, and heat that lets you know you're eating hot sauce without worrying about gastroenterological trauma down the road.

When Metrocurean pointed out Uncle Brutha’s hot sauces, her praises and links to other stellar reviews made us hopeful. A trip to Eastern Market and a tortilla chip sample later, we were sold. Both hot sauces warrant your attention if you haven’t tried them already. The red #10 packs a one-two punch as habanero, jalapeno and serrano chiles set your mouth aglow. Green #9 tones down the fire but steps up with even more flavor, as garlic and ginger mingle dominantly with green chili flavor. These sauces have so much flavor that we ate quite a bit on breadsticks just to enjoy them on their own. While they are quite satisfying as is, we could help but to wonder how these sauces would contribute as a flavor component to the king of all spicy winter foods -- chili.

With the two sauces showing such a difference of characteristics, we knew we would need two different chilis to complement them.

Everyone and their 'brutha' has a favorite variation of traditional ground beef chili, we won't bother you with a recipe. Simply make the chili that momma used to make and add some Uncle Brutha's #10 to the ingredients list. We tried our recipe and were decently pleased with the results, although the heat came through more than the flavor. Don't be weak on your hot sauce, no dashes...we're talking substantial hot sauce adding here -- a tablespoon or two, and maybe adding a little more to garnish your finished bowl to your heat perfection.

Since we like to try new things and had another bottle of hot sauce we wanted to give a whirl, we thought we'd tackle an adaptation of an Anaheim chili we found in Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Brought indoors, this chili verde still has tons of punch, and you city slickers don’t even need a grill.

Shopping List
15 tomatillas
10 Anaheim of cubanelle peppers
3 lbs pork shoulder
1 large white onion
garlic
Masa flour
Chicken stock
Cilantro
Limes
... and a little help from your Uncle Brutha #9

To start your chili verde, broil the peppers, turning to blacken both sides. Place the charred peppers in a bag or pan and cover. The residual heat and steam will separate the waxy skin from the flesh. While the peppers steam, peel the papery husks from the tomatillas and roast them under the broiler as well. When roasting the tomatillas, try not to let them blacken as much as the peppers or they will impart a burnt taste to the finished chili verde. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and pulse all the roasted vegetables a few times in a food processor to create a finely chopped mixture.

Cut the pork roast into small bite size pieces omitting any bone, and season with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven, brown the pork in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Too much pork at one time will give too much juice, and browning will soon become sautéing, robbing you of potential flavor.

With the last batch of pork removed from the pan, dice and add the white onion and a few cloves of garlic, cooking for five minutes or until translucent. At this point, sprinkle four tablespoons of the masa flour over the mixture and stir to combine, cooking a minute or two more. Make sure there are no masa lumps and add two cups of chicken broth, mixing thoroughly before cooking five minutes more. At this point you should have a blonde, slightly-thickened mixture that smells of corn flour, onion and garlic.

Add the pork back to the pan and stir in the chili mixture before adding 1/4 cup of Uncle Brutha’s #9. This amount will yield a mild, but slightly spicy dish. If want more heat, add more sauce. The flavor is so wonderful there is little danger of overwhelming other flavors; just be careful to not exceed your heat tolerance. Cover and simmer until the pork is tender or about one hour. If your chili seems thin you can leave the lid off for a bit to help it reduce and thicken.

Before serving, stir in a handful of chopped cilantro. Give your guests a wedge of lime and instruct them to squeeze it on their bowl before enjoying. Fresh corn tortillas make an excellent accompaniment, but don’t stop there. If you’ve made multiple chilis (or even if you haven’t) you might as well offer multiple accoutrements. Finely diced red onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, and crackers all are welcome. Just don’t forget an assortment of, yes, more hot sauce, and hopefully have a good football game on the tube. Two chilis with fresh tortillas, in the company of plenty of beer and friends, will certainly make any given Sunday the best of times.