Recently I was geocaching all over the Minnesota Iron Range with friends while staying in beautiful Nashwauk. A friend of mine who lives in the area who knows my affinity for hot sauces had me try one which has become well known in that area. Based out of Grand Rapids is a small company selling a hot sauce known as Steve’s Onion & Garlic Pepper Sauce which promises not only heat but “exceptional taste” and based on the number of restaurants and stores selling it, some people believe the sauce is a winner.
Advertised in many grocery stores, on restaurant menus, and sold just about everywhere around the Grand Rapids area, Steve’s sauce is hard to miss when traveling through the Iron Range. While I tried it at my friend’s cabin, I was later able to purchase both their “hot” and “medium” varieties at a restaurant in downtown Nashwauk for $4/bottle. A tall price for a 5oz bottle but one that I feel is quite fair knowing the quality of this sauce.
The owner, Steve, fancies himself a chili head with a desire to have a sauce which brought more flavor than just your typical vinegar-based creations. Beginning in 1999 he worked through numerous variations until he found a sauce he really liked and began bottling it for family and friends. Later his wife suggested they begin selling it and Steve’s Onion and Pepper Sauce was born. Made from natural ingredients and no extracts, Steve built a sauce which has a motto of, “it just tastes great.”
Now, knowing that I have tried hundreds of hot sauces from all over the world I was a bit apprehensive about a pepper sauce created in Minnesota and on the Minnesota Iron Range at that. With a population generally uninterested in heat, I took my first taste with a smirk. However that smirk turned into a huge smile as that first taste had me immediately wanting more.
The sauce itself is very similar to the Bella Pepper Sauce as you get a nice mouthful of flavor first. The unmistakable taste of garlic hits you in a wave first, then a nice soft onion becomes apparent, and then finally the heat sneaks up and engulfs your tongue from front to back leaving you with a nice and pleasant tingle while the flavor continues to wash over you. While I have only tried the “Hot” and the “Medium”, I found (and I realize you’re not going to believe this) that I prefer the “Medium” over the “Hot”. Now this isn’t because the “Hot” is uncomfortable, it’s not, it’s simply because I actually like the way the sauce tastes that I feel that the “Hot” takes away some of the pleasurable flavor that the lower level provides. However, Steve’s has created a variety of sauces which range from “Mild” to “XXX Hot” and while the types of peppers are never revealed in the ingredient list and it’s hard to discern due to the excellent onion and garlic flavor, this is a sauce which I find serves just as many purposes as my beloved Bella.
I had my friend Josh, a fellow chili head, try some of the “Hot” on Saturday night. He could not stop tasting it and even remarked that he thought it was better than the Bella sauce which I purchased for him at the same time as mine. He said he’ll be placing an order soon to get his own bottles of the stuff and that’s a big statement coming from him.
Overall I very highly recommend Steve’s Garlic and Onion Pepper Sauce for those of you looking for a hot sauce (or even a mild sauce) which carries some intense flavors. They have a range for everyone and while I haven’t tried all of the sauces, I am willing to bet that they all hold up just as well to the taste test as the two I have tried.
After trying the sauces I contacted Steve and asked if he’d be willing to send over some of his sauces for me to give away on the site. He got back to me in short order and a box arrived just after Memorial Day with a ton of bottles covering the entire spectrum of Mild all the way to XXX Hot.
So while many of you already know the drill (as we’ve done this many times before) here it is again anyway:
- 1. Post a comment below to enter. Nothing fancy required. However if you say you won’t give any to MSPD if you win you get two entries.
2. Like the Facebook post about this contest.
3. RT @SouthMetroNews’ tweet including the URL pointing to this post on Twitter.
Each of those three things are worth one entry each (well, unless you say you won’t give it to MSPD then it’s two for the first). You can only have up to four entries total regardless of how many reminders may be posted to any of the social networking sites or how many comments you write below making fun of MSPD’s string of bad luck.
The contest will run through Friday 6/10/2011 at 11:59:59 PM and TWO winners (four bottles each) will be chosen at random by my patented SQL methodology and the winners will be notified by e-mail as well as a post on here, Twitter and Facebook.
Please note: due to the weight and fragile nature of the glass bottles, please be aware that I will not mail these to you so if you win you have to be willing to meet me to pick them up.
So go ahead and get your entries in. Even if you don’t win I highly suggest that you get over to Steve’s Onion and Garlic Pepper Sauce website and order yourself some of this sauce.
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June 6th, 2011 at 7:14 am
ME
June 6th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Sounds like great sauce, and I wouldn’t give a drop to MSPD!
June 6th, 2011 at 8:10 am
I would be selfish and not share with MSPD either, because Bill told me I’d have better odds, not because I missed that day in school.
June 6th, 2011 at 8:13 am
Gosh after winnning the Bella Sauces im not sure my taste buds could handle this! BUT I WOULD LOVE TO TRY! OF course I wouldnt give any to MSPD. I hear he doesnt like hot sauce anyways :)
June 6th, 2011 at 8:26 am
Awesome. This sauce is WAY too saucy for MSPD. Screw him. He can get his own sauce.
And Yes, I retweeted! 3 entries for me!!!
Can I enter only for one bottle of the mild? Anything more than mild would just blow my mind.
June 6th, 2011 at 9:08 am
I’ll try again. (I’m still suspicious.) MSPD is out as far as I’m concerned.
June 6th, 2011 at 9:58 am
I don’t know who MSPD is… so he definitely would not get any ;)
June 6th, 2011 at 10:28 am
Here we go again! I won’t give any to MSPD!
June 6th, 2011 at 10:40 am
me too. won’t give any to MSPD. i’m sorry MSPD:(
June 6th, 2011 at 11:19 am
MSPD won’t be getting any from me. Bill, if I win, what would you recommend putting these sauces in/on?
June 6th, 2011 at 11:28 am
I’m looking for some good sauce and since I live in Texas wouldn’t share any with MSPD.
June 6th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Dan,
Meats, chips, salsas, bloody marys, etc. It’s pretty versatile.
June 6th, 2011 at 11:37 am
Kaiser,
It would probably be cheaper for you to just order some from the manufacturer than it would be to have to fly to Minnesota if you win.
lefty
June 6th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Some sauce to match temp? I’m in! oh and if I win I’d give some to my kids (which is won’t happen before the sauce is gone, they’re under 4 years old!) before MSPD
June 6th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Sign me up. I am due for a win, and I wont give it to MSPD.
June 6th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Sounds great! I would love to try this hot sauce
June 6th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
None for the MSPD.
June 6th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
I won’t give any to MSPD if I win (I’m just saying that for the double entry — I’m not really stingy)
June 6th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
I want some and when I win MSPD gets none!
June 7th, 2011 at 10:43 am
I really want to win (and talk about this sauce… so I will be making this comment, RTing and retweeting this post, and then spamming my facebook friend’s by sharing and liking this post…. I love hot sauce.
June 7th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
unlike you heartless souls, i would most definitely share my winnings with mspd up to and including my week old bucket of 1/2 eaten cains maga waings, and my first born.
bb
June 7th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
I can’t say that I won’t give any to MSPD as I suspect I know him really well in real life and am sure that neither of us would ever admit to the other that we are lefty and MSPD.
June 7th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
I was intentionally keeping my mouth shut in this thread because I refuse to enter these silly, rigged contests. But WTF? Are you serious lefty? How would we know each other?? You sound way too old and bizarre to belong to my circle of friends.
Uff da. I don’t need this stress.
June 7th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
MSPD, glad I’m not old and bizarre. Whew. I should put that on my resume.
June 8th, 2011 at 8:55 am
MSPD, See you on Saturday! I may just reveal my internet persona to you finally.
June 8th, 2011 at 8:58 am
Bill, you are middle-aged and bizarre.
June 8th, 2011 at 9:52 am
Don’t forget my schedule for the day:
Walk with the Mayor
8:30 am – Nicollet Commons Park
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Heart of the City with MSPD….errrr….uhhh……I mean….Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, friends, family and neighbors.
Yoga in the Park
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Nicollet Commons Park
A certified instructor will lead the class, appropriate for all skill levels and all ages. Wear comfortable clothing, and bring your own mat if possible.
50+ Wetlands Walk
10:00 am – 11:30 am (Crosstown West Park, 401 Travelers Trail)
Great activity for grandparents and grandchildren!
Wetlands are crucial components to protecting the health of our water systems for generations to come. Come and learn together how wetlands work and why they are so important and full of fascinating creatures, like waterbugs, minnows and other creatures that your grandkids will be able to catch and observe up close.
Rhythm & Words: Family Music & Book Festival
Groove to music provided by some of the Twin Cities’ finest kindie musicians – The Teddy Bear Band, The Sweet Colleens, The Bazillions, and Koo Koo Kanga Roo. Meet book creators Derek Anderson and Lynne Jonell. Free activities provided by Kindermusik of the Valley, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, SteppingStone Theatre, and more. This project was funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Burnsville Performing Arts Center (12600 Nicollet Avenue)
June 8th, 2011 at 10:41 am
Lucky for you they have new stop lights up. Should make all that time you are spending in the HOC much safer.
June 8th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
None for MSPD = More for me!
June 8th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
I think it is pretty funny that Chad and MSPD can pretty much turn any blog post into a rip on the Burnsville government/BPAC. This is a free hot sauce thread, so right on the two of you.
June 8th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
I’m about to turn this into a kick lefty’s fucking ass thread if you don’t cool it.
June 8th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Ah, common on Bill, we know you, lefty,and MSPD are laughing in whatever Surly is in front of you. This thread, and blog for that matter, is all about an excuse for being back in junior high. Admit it…
June 8th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Back in? I never left dude.
June 8th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
I didn’t rip on the City or BPAC (in this thread). If you can pretend to know me, I can pretend that the MSPD is secretly Mayor Kautz.
June 8th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
I was also not ripping on the city. I was pointing out that MSPD will be able to enjoy all the benefits of his day in the HOC with increased safety.
June 8th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
What the hell are you talking about?
June 9th, 2011 at 2:34 am
I don’t know MSPD and I’m not supposed to talk to strangers so no hot sauce for them!
June 10th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Oh! I really want to try the stuff now! I won’t give any to MSPD!
June 10th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
PICK ME!
June 11th, 2011 at 9:52 am
Drum roll please… And the winners are:
UpWithTheMooses (Twitter entry) and DaveF! I’ll be in touch via e-mail to get a time/date setup to meet. Congrats!
Just so you know we have two more giveaways coming up–both from excellent South Metro restaurants so stay tuned for more chances to win!
—-
Methodology:
The facebookusers.txt file was populated mostly by hand from Facebook, Twitter, and comments where the reader indicate they wouldn’t give any to MSPD (those users were marked with “- dupe” appended to their name so as not to be lost in the SELECT DISTINCT.
I ran it twice, once for the first entry and then a second time excluding UWTM’s various entries so that everyone would have a fair chance as opposed to doing “LIMIT 2″ which would have possible provided UWTM more than one entry on the second contest.
June 11th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
W00t! Thanks, Bill! I can’t wait to try it.
June 11th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
I never congratulated Mrs. Robinson on her 200th comment! Sorry about that!
June 11th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
It’s about darn time…therefore, I should have won. UWTM will just have you over for ribs to eat the sauce. Rigged, rigged, rigged…I better win a restaurant one.
June 11th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Mrs. Robinson, I agree. It must be rigged! I didn’t even enter and I didn’t win, either! Not fair!
June 12th, 2011 at 12:53 am
The XXX sauce was pretty good. I grilled some wings this evening with a simple dry rub, then doused them in the XXX. The sauce has a strong garlic taste, with a pepper kick. Didn’t get too much onion flavor. I’d put the heat at a 4 of 5 on a Thai restaurant scale — pleasant, but not overwhelming. I like that it has good flavor, as Steve’s advertises. It is a good, everyday sauce. I could see using it on eggs, ribs and wings. Bet it would also be good in bloody marys with its nice garlic taste. I still prefer Bella’s hot sauce, but Steve’s will find a place on my fridge door.
June 29th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I agree with UpWithTheMooses, nothing over powering and not a punch in the face, just a good lingering heat. Added hot to some store bought salsa and XXX to wife’s homemade salsa and her enchalasange. She promises to thaw some of the ghost peppers found at cub last summer for the next batch of salsa. Thanks Bill!