Condiments, sauces and gravies.

[ZenHedonist]

Inspired by the "Foods you hated as a kid" thread:

What are your favorite condiments, sauces and gravies?

What do you use them on?

What do you always have in the pantry?

What else do you use to liven up food?

Go!

 

[ElaySmith]

Ohh all the threads are making me hungry....

I love all condiments, if you keep making threads like this you will learn that I pretty much just like all food...seriously just feed me all the food and cover it in....

ketchup, [dukes] mayo, mustard (yellow, honey dijon), several bbq sauces, A1, multiple ranch dressings, then we must add in the hot sauces like texas pete.... and chesse... is cheese a condiment?

Also I have a small ziplock condiment bag that I keep in my car. I fill it with up with the individual use packets that you get at fast food restaurants so that way I always have what I need if drive thurs forget to give me the sauces I ask for. It also comes in handy when camping.

 

[LilyPink]

I'm going to learn a lot about American condiments. I find it weird that there are things called like red sauce or ranch but what is it and no one knows... what is A1?!

I have a distaste of white sauces. Can't have mayo or creamy things on my plate.

I like vinegary things: ketchup, balsamic, kimchi is an amazing accompaniment to veggie based dishes!

 

[Useful-Title]

Ooh...this is a tough one. Because some condiments are best used only in certain applications.

Like I cannot eat a hot dog without mustard and relish. I like mayo and sriracha on my cheeseburgers. Ketchup with fries is a given. And barbecue sauce or ranch dressing for chicken tenders.

But if I had to only have one for the rest of my days it would probably be Sriracha. It is my go to liven up any bland food. It can go on any type of meat (burgers, chicken, pork, fish). And it makes you feel like a badass to pull a bottle of hot sauce out of your pocket when you go places.

 

[Emberblaze]

I like it all.

Except I'm pretty meh about ketchup. Burgers only or as a last resort because nothing else is available.

Is hummus a condiment? Because I will put that on everything. *Piles hummus on her cake and makes a face like she dares anyone to try and stop her* (ok, maybe not everything but hummus goes with anything that isn't sweet, so does guacamole.)

But toum... Toum is what makes life worth living. Honestly, if it contains garlic I'll spread it on everything. Does it have so much garlic it burns a little to eat? Put it in my mouth. I might not be able to taste anything later but that's ok.

I didn't get this chubby eating things without condiments.

*Wipes drool*

 

[ZenHedonist]

I'm going to learn a lot about American condiments. I find it weird that there are things called like red sauce or ranch but what is it and no one knows... what is A1?!

I have a distaste of white sauces. Can't have mayo or creamy things on my plate.

I like vinegary things: ketchup, balsamic, kimchi is an amazing accompaniment to veggie based dishes!

A1 is sort of a half-assed American attempt at HP Brown sauce. It's hard to find real Brown sauce here.

 

[Useful-Title]

A1 is sort of a half-assed American attempt at HP Brown sauce. It's hard to find real Brown sauce here.

And it is almost always used on steaks alone.

And yes I am a snob and turn my nose up at people who eat their steak with A1.

 

[LilyPink]

Do you have peppercorn sauce in the states? That's good with steak or so I've heard

 

[ZenHedonist]

Do you have peppercorn sauce in the states? That's good with steak or so I've heard

I've never heard of that before. I G666gled it and it looks like it only comes in a mix. We have Heinz 57 and Worcestershire sauce.

 

[Emberblaze]

And it is almost always used on steaks alone.

And yes I am a snob and turn my nose up at people who eat their steak with A1.

I accidentally bought A1 steak sauce and I opened it and announced to my bf it must be bad because it tasted so bad. He tasted it and told me that's just how it tastes.

What kind of abomination is A1? If I'm honest I can be a little stuck up about not liking common condiment brands but that wasn't even food. It was vinegar and mud puddle.

 

[ZenHedonist]

Let us not forget Bearnaise, Bordelaise for beef and a nice Cumberland Sauce for ham.

 

[ElaySmith]

I'm going to learn a lot about American condiments. I find it weird that there are things called like red sauce or ranch but what is it and no one knows... what is A1?!

I have a distaste of white sauces. Can't have mayo or creamy things on my plate.

I like vinegary things: ketchup, balsamic, kimchi is an amazing accompaniment to veggie based dishes!

Ranch is like a mayo, sour cream and milk mixture with onion, garlic, chives, dill, parsley and lemon juice and maybe a few other things depending on what recipe you look at.

 

[dilligaf0]

Dill pickle and mustard on hot dogs and tenderloins. Heinz 57 on steak and burgers (not bad on hot dogs either).
A good piece of beef with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.
For chicken tenders, sweet and sour sauce is great.
I always have flour and butter for a roux. I can make gravies from that.
Mustard, ketchup (or catsup), pickles, mushrooms, BBQ sauce and tomato sauce always in my pantry.
BBQ sauce on pulled pork or pork chops.
BBQ chicken hits the spot too.

 

[Emberblaze]

I don't often eat food like nuggets and onion rings but when I do they require honey as a dipping sauce.

Also, for those of you that have never been to Eastern Canada I'm about to tell you about our most fucked up delicacy. Donair. Not to be confused with a gyro or doner. The meat is similar but the sauce... The sauce is made from condensed milk, sugar, vinegar, and garlic powder. You can also use sweetened condensed milk and skip the sugar. This gives it a smoother texture and it's less like sour milk in texture. Donair sauce goes on donair which consists of spiced meat (beef or lamb although lamb is rare) that has been cooked on a spit and shaved off. You throw it in a pita and toss tomato, onions, cheese and sauce on it. Some places don't use cheese or even give you the option. Those people need to gtfo of the Maritimes. I only like one place that doesn't do the cheese and he lets me put toum on it instead.

Donair sauce has other purposes too. It can go on pizza or garlic fingers (pizza crust with garlic butter instead of sauce and heaps of cheese)

*Wipes drool*

Welcome to the Maritimes. All 4 provinces have this available (Don't quote me on pei, maybe all they have to eat is potatoes there). However there are also places in Alberta and Ontario that have it if you look hard enough.

 

[Emberblaze]

Dp but to be honest this thread has really painted a clear picture for me about why I'm such a thick chick.

I'm basically a goat. I'll eat anything.

*Wanders off to bleat at people*

 

[MDouble00]

My fridge will always have the following:

Mustard (yellow and spicy brown)
BBQ (a standard like Hickory and then a regional styling)
Ketchup
Ranch (regular and then I recently discovered this fire roasted poblano ranch from a buddy so I buy it all the time now)
Soy Sauce
Hot Sauce
Country Bob's (like A1 if not familiar)
Miracle Whip
Queso and Salsa

As for seasonings I find I really only feel lost if I don't have Seasoned Salt/Old Bay/Pepper and Garlic Salt so I try not to run out of those.

 

[Emberblaze]

I just realized I replied in this thread about 300 times and I still didn't answer what I always have in my fridge.

Mustard.
Soya sauce.
Real mayonnaise (*side eyes all of you that eat miracle whip*)
A jar of pureed garlic.
Butter (real butter not margerine.)
Tahini (see above obsession with hummus)
Club house Parmesan spice mix (it's barely any calories and it's delicious)
Vinegar.
Lemon juice (hummus obsession again)
Renee's Greek vinaigrette salad dressing.
Olives are not technically a condiment but they live in my fridge always. If I run out of olives it's a cause for alarm.

As for my spice drawer I have basically everything. If I can easily buy it and it's not a small fortune I'm cooking with it. Plus a package of Swiss chalet dipping sauce because I haven't figured out how to make it myself yet and Lawry's seasoning salt (it makes everything taste like A&W!) I generally also have a premade taco seasoning in a giant jar that my ex taught me to make.

K, I think I'm finally done in this thread. I just really like food ok?

*Runs off to bleat at people again*

 

[Gen]

Swiss chalet dipping sauce

I mean we agree on mayo and donair sauce and most other things, but Swiss Chalet sauce is the devils juice!!!!

 

[zippypinhead]

Ketchup on steak.

 

[ZenHedonist]

My fridge will always have the following:

Mustard (yellow and spicy brown)
BBQ (a standard like Hickory and then a regional styling)
Ketchup
Ranch (regular and then I recently discovered this fire roasted poblano ranch from a buddy so I buy it all the time now)
Soy Sauce
Hot Sauce
Country Bob's (like A1 if not familiar)
Miracle Whip
Queso and Salsa

As for seasonings I find I really only feel lost if I don't have Seasoned Salt/Old Bay/Pepper and Garlic Salt so I try not to run out of those.

Miracle Whip? I'm sorry but I'm just gonna have to block you...

 

[Lintilla]

I don't often eat food like nuggets and onion rings but when I do they require honey as a dipping sauce.

Also, for those of you that have never been to Eastern Canada I'm about to tell you about our most fucked up delicacy. Donair. Not to be confused with a gyro or doner. The meat is similar but the sauce... The sauce is made from condensed milk, sugar, vinegar, and garlic powder. You can also use sweetened condensed milk and skip the sugar. This gives it a smoother texture and it's less like sour milk in texture. Donair sauce goes on donair which consists of spiced meat (beef or lamb although lamb is rare) that has been cooked on a spit and shaved off. You throw it in a pita and toss tomato, onions, cheese and sauce on it. Some places don't use cheese or even give you the option. Those people need to gtfo of the Maritimes. I only like one place that doesn't do the cheese and he lets me put toum on it instead.

Donair sauce has other purposes too. It can go on pizza or garlic fingers (pizza crust with garlic butter instead of sauce and heaps of cheese)

*Wipes drool*

Welcome to the Maritimes. All 4 provinces have this available (Don't quote me on pei, maybe all they have to eat is potatoes there). However there are also places in Alberta and Ontario that have it if you look hard enough.

I so regret not eating more donairs when I lived in [Redacted], NS for a bit a few years ago. They definitely exist all over the place in Alberta, but haven't tried one any of the times I've visited. I have never seen it in Ontario, but I also haven't actually lived there since the early 2000s.

As for actual sauces... I've been mixing more things myself lately, even if I'm not always succeeding. In any case, I have fewer things like salad dressings and salsas and more component parts like every vinegar and oil that exists. Also fish sauce, multiple varieties of soy sauce, lemons/limes (or at least juice), garlic, tons of spices (too many spices), tomatoes, onions, peppers. I've been out of ketchup for months and haven't cared. I don't usually like ketchup or bbq sauce (also, American ketchup is weird) or anything else that's sweet. I use a TON of yellow mustard, though. I'll eat spoonfuls of mustard. Checking my fridge now, I've also got sambal oelek, sriracha, various other hot sauce (I'm not loyal to any one hot sauce at all), mayo (Best Foods AKA Hellamann's), sour cream, KIMCHI (local store started selling it, and I've been too lazy lately to make my own lately so I am SO HAPPY--also I wouldn't really call anything I'll sit and eat half a jar of a condiment, but it was mentioned above), gochujang, hoisin, two kinds of harissa, Worcestershire sauce (mainly for chili and Caesars), and dill relish (I use this ONLY for tuna salad). I prefer things that are spicy/pungent/vinegary/sour.

I've randomly been craving Swiss Chalet sauce lately, I actually didn't notice it was already mentioned above until just scrolling back now. Swiss Chalet being a chicken restaurant in Canada that has absolutely nothing to do with anything Swiss. If anyone in Canada wants to pick me up a few packets, I will pay you. I'm pretty sure it's from a powder in the restaurant as well. It's garbage, but I miss it. One of the last times I was in Canada, first thing we did was go to Swiss Chalet. Got me a quarter chicken dinner with poutine and a Caesar. Drowned everything in that sauce.

Reminded by this thread that I wanted to pick up some HP sauce. I think they've got it at World Market. I very much prefer it to A1, and definitely more than anything that's just labelled bbq sauce. While I'm there, I still haven't ever had Vegemite or Marmite, and I've been meaning to. I know they have at least one of those.

 

[DFT]

I've been out of ketchup for months and haven't cared. I don't usually like ketchup or bbq sauce (also, American ketchup is weird) or anything else that's sweet. I use a TON of yellow mustard, though. I'll eat spoonfuls of mustard.

Last bottle of ketchup I bought in 2004 - probably it's still fine. Mustard though, can't get enough. Even McDonalds brought back "Hot Mustard". It's been toned down, still a nice reprieve in this tang-less tasteless "Honey Mustard" trend. At home, stone ground, mmmm.

Like Forrest Gump about shrimp when I think about mustard. So many I love, more to taste, and just this one tongue. Though simple brown fits most occasions.

 

[MDouble00]

Miracle Whip? I'm sorry but I'm just gonna have to block you...

Oh no!!!! How will I go on in life?... oh yeah by enjoying Miracle Whip on my sandwiches

 

[ElaySmith]

Ummm hows about sausage gravy or chocolate gravy, served over a hot biscuit in the morning time.

Edit to avoid DP.

And yes I am a snob and turn my nose up at people who eat their steak with A1.

If a steak is cooked and seasoned properly no sauce should be needed at all.

 

[bud9752]

I so regret not eating more donairs when I lived in [Redacted], NS for a bit a few years ago. They definitely exist all over the place in Alberta, but haven't tried one any of the times I've visited. I have never seen it in Ontario, but I also haven't actually lived there since the early 2000s.

As for actual sauces... I've been mixing more things myself lately, even if I'm not always succeeding. In any case, I have fewer things like salad dressings and salsas and more component parts like every vinegar and oil that exists. Also fish sauce, multiple varieties of soy sauce, lemons/limes (or at least juice), garlic, tons of spices (too many spices), tomatoes, onions, peppers. I've been out of ketchup for months and haven't cared. I don't usually like ketchup or bbq sauce (also, American ketchup is weird) or anything else that's sweet. I use a TON of yellow mustard, though. I'll eat spoonfuls of mustard. Checking my fridge now, I've also got sambal oelek, sriracha, various other hot sauce (I'm not loyal to any one hot sauce at all), mayo (Best Foods AKA Hellamann's), sour cream, KIMCHI (local store started selling it, and I've been too lazy lately to make my own lately so I am SO HAPPY--also I wouldn't really call anything I'll sit and eat half a jar of a condiment, but it was mentioned above), gochujang, hoisin, two kinds of harissa, Worcestershire sauce (mainly for chili and Caesars), and dill relish (I use this ONLY for tuna salad). I prefer things that are spicy/pungent/vinegary/sour.

I've randomly been craving Swiss Chalet sauce lately, I actually didn't notice it was already mentioned above until just scrolling back now. Swiss Chalet being a chicken restaurant in Canada that has absolutely nothing to do with anything Swiss. If anyone in Canada wants to pick me up a few packets, I will pay you. I'm pretty sure it's from a powder in the restaurant as well. It's garbage, but I miss it. One of the last times I was in Canada, first thing we did was go to Swiss Chalet. Got me a quarter chicken dinner with poutine and a Caesar. Drowned everything in that sauce.

Reminded by this thread that I wanted to pick up some HP sauce. I think they've got it at World Market. I very much prefer it to A1, and definitely more than anything that's just labelled bbq sauce. While I'm there, I still haven't ever had Vegemite or Marmite, and I've been meaning to. I know they have at least one of those.

found this on the web

 

[Deleted member 37064]

I used to eat all kinds of sauces and condiments, depending on the kind of food. Now, it's pretty much gone since I've been working out and watching health more.

My primary condiment is Tabasco sauce. It's my all-purpose condiment. Though, I rarely use it, except for eggs as they always get it.

Aside from seasoning such as Creole, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, the rest is either very rare or not at all. I still will do ketchup and mustard on burgers or brats. But, it's such a small amount doesn't matter. BBQ sauce is too sugary for me, and unless the food is cooked in it, no extra is put on. I do occasionally marinate steak and chicken in a mix of Worcestershire and soy sauce.

People come over and they think I'm crazy. My fridge contains:

chicken, steak, sweet potatoes, brown rice, eggs, tabasco sauce, Worcestershire and soy sauce, jalapenos, and a jar of minced garlic.

Freezer is:
Tilapia, salmon, broccoli, frozen berry mix and a think of homemade split pea soup.

 

[Useful-Title]

If a steak is cooked and seasoned properly no sauce should be needed at all.

Exactly! Which is why I am shocked that people would want A1 at all!

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Exactly! Which is why I am shocked that people would want A1 at all!

A1 used to be the go-to seasoning when I was growing up. Now that I've learned how to cook a steak properly, after letting it sit a couple of minutes off the grill, she's ready to eat

 

[kittenchu]

This thread might explode if i write out all the sauces i have in my fridge, and all the condiments that i enjoy on my food
Im known as "the Sauce Queen" in my family, because everything i eat has to have sauce on it!!!

 

[Lintilla]

found this on the web

I've tried other copycat recipes in the past, and 100% of the time they were disappointing. Apparently everyone else sucks at tweaking spices just as much as I do. Haven't done the Swiss Chalet sauce because I actually just need to get someone in my family to remember to mail me some. Why I didn't come home last time I visited Canada with a suitcase full of goodies, I have no idea. Not that they ever last more than a week.

Speaking of Canada, President's Choice is always coming out with some pretty good sauces. I miss President's Choice in general.