Charred Habanero Sauce

Description

Charred Habanero is our most-poured sauce by a wide margin. We char fresh orange habaneros over an open pit until the skins blister black, then blend them with fresh lime juice, white wine vinegar, and a small amount of Sicilian sea salt. That’s the whole formula. No sugar, no thickeners, no preservatives.

The char is the trick. It takes the floral sharpness of raw habanero and turns it into something deeper — almost smoky, definitely savory — without losing the bright fruit. Then the lime arrives. Then the habanero finishes warm but not painful. It’s the rare sauce that gets reached for at breakfast and dinner alike.

People who don’t normally cook with habanero tell us this one is the gateway. People who have been cooking with habanero for twenty years tell us this one is the standard. We’ll take both compliments.

How it gets to the bottle

We pick fresh habaneros from a Texas farm in Wimberley twice a week through pepper season. They go directly onto our open-fire char station within 24 hours of harvest. Once blistered and blackened, they’re blended fresh and bottled the same day in our Lockhart kitchen. The whole cycle from field to bottle is under 72 hours.

Where it shines

• Eggs (especially over-easy on grilled sourdough)
• Tacos al pastor and carnitas
• Grilled white fish, especially snapper or grouper
• Black beans, pinto beans, refried beans
• Roast chicken, finished at the table

Heat level: 6/10

Squarely in the “you can taste everything and it brings the heat” zone. Friendly enough to use freely.

Best within 8 months of bottling. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 90 days.