‘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.