Matt Bray, Author at PepperScale

Tomato Rasam

A “spice-potent” Indian tomato soup…

If you love Indian spices, tomato rasam is a must dish for an authentic night of Southern Indian food. It’s simply served over rice as a filling meal on its own or as a side dish to a larger meal. This is spice-filled comfort food at its best. Tangy, earthy, aromatic, and – yes of course – spicy!

The recipe calls for kashmiri chilies as the heat source. You can increase the heat by using rasam powder – either as a replacement to the cumin and coriander (see the notes) or as an additive at the end of the steps. Rasam powder (see our recipe here or buy it here) is spicy in its own right, so it adds additional kick.

Fiery Mexican Bean Salad

by Matt Bray

A bean salad with attitude…

As a barbecue side, Mexican bean salad is top of the line. Not only is it tasty, it also brings colorful life to the table. It’s an explosion of yellows, reds, and greens that looks fresh and fun.

And then there’s the other “f” in this recipe: fire. Jalapeño pepper provides a fresh bright pop while cayenne pepper powder layers a heat undertone through the entire spicy side dish. This most definitely is a bean salad with attitude – which works real well with bolder meat rubs and sweet BBQ sauces.

Serrano Pepper Nutrition: How Healthy Are They?

by Matt Bray

The serrano pepper is a moderately hot pepper popular in Mexican cuisine. It is similar in shape to the jalapeño, but is narrower and shorter. And like jalapeños, along with their heat, serrano peppers provide a number of health benefits. Among those benefits are certain qualities like:

Valentina Hot Sauce Ingredients: What Makes It Tick?

by Matt Bray

Valentina Salsa Picante is available in both an Original and an Extra Hot version. It is made in Guadalajara by Salsa Tamazula. The company started out by making Tamazula Hot Sauce prior to bringing Valentina Hot Sauce to market in 1954. In the years since …

Thai BBQ Sauce

by Matt Bray

Yum on ribs, but perfect with shrimp and salmon…

Like hoisin BBQ sauce, this spicy Thai BBQ sauce is a turn away from the typical norm. It’s sweet, tangy, and earthy – like many sauces – but behind it all is an unusual foreign flair fueled by oyster sauce, fish sauce, and Thai chili paste. Thai BBQ sauce is tasty on ribs, steak, and chicken, but, frankly, it finds its real culinary home with grilled salmon and shrimp. The seafood pairs well with the unique flavors behind the recipe.

There’s just a little simmer of heat in the current recipe. The Thai chili sauce has a mellow burn and the cayenne pepper provides a little extra punch. If you want it spicier, increase that cayenne incrementally. It’s best to adjust any ingredients after the sauce has melded together for an hour or two. Ingredients like fish sauce and oyster sauce are strong flavors that will mellow with a little rest prior to use (and the sauce may even taste hotter). If you have the time, give the sauce a period to gel prior to tweaking the heat.

Spicy Refried Beans

by Matt Bray

Homemade refried beans with kick!

Sure, it’s really easy to pick up a can of refried beans from the supermarket, but making your own is both more rewarding and a heck of a lot healthier. Plus, you can spice things up just the way you want it. This spicy refried beans recipe steers relies on the oils from serrano peppers (or jalapeños if you can’t easily source serranos) – cooking them halved lengthwise with the beans. You can then remove the chilies for a smoother refried bean mix, or chop up the chilies and incorporate then into the beans.

Spicy refried beans are a delicious side for Mexican meals, or simply serve them with tortilla chips for a delicious spicy snack.

Texas Pete Hot Sauce Ingredients: What Makes It Tick?

by Matt Bray

Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce is not actually from Texas. This hot sauce is made by TW Garner Food company in Winston-Salem North Carolina and has been in production since 1929. It was introduced by Sam Garner, who operated the Dixie Pig barbecue stand. According …

Banana Pepper Nutrition: How Healthy Are They?

by Matt Bray

The banana pepper is a variety of Capsicum annuum known for their mild flavor and slight tang that works perfectly pickled. The typical banana pepper has a Scoville rating of between 0 and 500 Scoville heat units, which makes it very mild. Think of it as …

Crystal Hot Sauce Ingredients: What Makes It Tick?

by Matt Bray

Baumer Foods has been making Crystal Hot Sauce since 1923 and over the years since it has been on the market, it has become a Louisiana icon. In fact, it is the most popular Louisiana hot sauce within Louisiana; you will find a bottle on …

Spicy Collard Greens

by Matt Bray

These greens are fiery good…

We’re big fans of collard greens, but adding in a little fiery sizzle to go along with salty bacon really takes this spicy collard greens recipe to new heights. This is a perfect BBQ side – whether for grilled chicken, pulled pork, or steaks. The spiciness is from the spice rack staple – crushed red pepper. It’s easy to control how much heat you want. For the optimal flavor, it’s best to add in the CRP before covering and simmering the collard greens (step 6), but you can adjust to taste on the back-end right before serving.