Tony Zentgraf
In part 2 of the interview with Joey Repice of Joey’s Hot Sauce, we discuss our experiences in the restaurant industry and the toll it takes on you over time. Joey explains how he got started with the hot sauce and how it blew up because of social media and friends wanting to try his hot sauce.
We dive in to his current hottest hot sauce, Hella Raiser, and Joey gives a taste of what he is working on to deliver a maximum heat level. The Flamethrower will still have his face on the label but it will be a skull with purple flames behind it. Joey will be partnering with local farmers in the Rogue Valley to grow some peppers that will crank up the heat in the Flame Thrower. For those of you wondering what peppers, Joey wasn’t going to give that away just yet. We will have to wait and see once it is released.
Hella Raiser…..Not for the Faint of Heart
Joey’s Hot Sauce, Hella Raiser is definitely a step up on the Scoville Scale of pepper heat! He uses the whole Habanero, no removing the membrane or seeds on this one.
The Habanero Pepper Scoville Units falls between 150,000-325,000. For reference, a Jalapeno scoville units falls between 2,500-8,000. Joey adds additional Ghost Pepper Powder as well to this sauce.
When producing this sauce his crew wear special masks because the Ghost Pepper Powder can be inhaled easily if not handled properly. The Ghost Pepper Scoville Units falls between 600,000 – 1,041,427.
There are only about 20 peppers hotter than the Ghost Pepper and those peppers Scoville Units are off the charts. Whatever Joey has planned to use for the Flamethrower, he has many to still choose from.
Joey’s Hot Honey….. it’ll sting ya!
Joey has been selling his Hot Honey at the growers markets in Southern Oregon for some time. But as of yet it has not available for sale in stores or online. He is working out the logistics of getting it ready to be available for retail sale.
This honey is made from locally sourced Oregon Honey blended with his hot sauce and hot salt to create a very delicious blend that goes great on pork, drizzled over salads, in a salad dressing, on grilled salmon and even pizza. The list of applications to use this honey goes on and on.
Can’t wait to see the final label on the bottle when he releases it, he said it will be his face with a bee body. In keeping with the design of Joey’s labels and love he has for the artist who designs them, it should be great.
What does the Branzino Fish and Joey’s Hot Salt and have in common?
Joey’s Hot Salt was inspired by the cooking technique that Southern Italians use for the Branzino. The fish is encrusted in a large amount of salt and baked. The result is flavorful fish that is steamed inside the salt crust.
Joey doesn’t coat the peppers individually and roast them but that would be something to see. He roasts the habaneros with the salt. Roasting the habaneros enhances the flavor of the peppers and also extracts some of the oils. After roasting, he processes the salt so it is finer than table salt giving it a nice texture to be able to coat meats or use as a finishing salt.
I will be honest, the salt does have a bite. Give it a try, I plan on using it in a dry rub for a pork butt or brisket. Joey talks about some interesting uses for the salt in the video. I will have to give them a try.
Coming soon, The Mildish Bambino…for those who Live Life on the Mild Side
Joey and his wife Lisa recently had a baby boy named Luca, inspiring them to make a milder hot sauce and calling it The Mildish Bambino. Joey has had limited releases of other hot sauces due to seasonality of peppers or to have test runs of other blends of peppers.
He had released a milder sauce last year that was made form Hatch Chiles and Joey said it will be released again when Hatch Chiles in season.
He didn’t give much away on what the Mildish Bambino flavor profile will be or what chiles will be used. I am sure that it will be delicious. Joey’s Hot Sauce line only uses the best ingredients, Organic Peppers, No Preservatives, No Fillers, No Additives and No Sugar.
I want to thank Joey Repice for doing the tasting of his hot sauces and taking time from his busy schedule to do the interview. Joey takes pride in what he does and definitely loves his family and community. Pick up some of Joey’s Hot Sauce.
Where to find Joey’s Hot Sauce
Joey’s Hot Sauce can be found at JoeysHotSauce.com
Find him at the local growers markets in Southern Oregon-
Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market – Ashland Tuesday & Saturday, Medford Thursday
Grants Pass Growers Market – Saturday
Talent Artisans & Growers Market – fourth Friday of the month through Summer
