Best substitute for Crystal hot sauce in this recipe?

[TorontoJo]

I'm making this recipe for Natchitoches meat pies and we don't get Crystal hot sauce in Toronto. Any thoughts as to the best substitute? I've read that Tabasco is too vinegary compared to Crystal, so I'm wondering if I'm better off using something more neutral, like sriracha? Or maybe a mix of the two?

http://www.nolacuisine.com/2006/12/03...

Any thoughts are appreciated. :)

[joonjoon]

Tabasco has a really unique flavor that makes it a poor sub for other hot sauces IMO.

Most of all the red vinegar and cayenne based Louisiana style hot sauces can be subbed for each other though (Frank's, Crystal, Red Devil, etc).

[Uncle Bob]

All of the Louisiana type Hot Sauces will be vinegary to one degree or another....All are basically Pepper, Vinegar and Salt. ~~ Some cooks/chefs are brand loyal to a specific brand in a recipe/cookbook...Especially if the Company....lets say buys the chef a cup of coffee on occasion ;) ~~ Some people find one brand too "salty" over another. Opting for one with less sodium. Some examples are. Tabasco 35mg per teaspoon (5mL) ~ Franks 200mg...Crystal 130mg and Louisiana Brand (See Hazelhurst's post) 240mg ~~ All are darn good hot sauces, I like them all, and all are on/in my table/kitchen. So a product that list Peppers, Vinegar and Salt as the ingredients in that order is what you are looking for. ~ A recipe that calls for 1 Tablespoon is not going to have great impact on the amount of sodium in the final dish....Unless you are on a sodium restricted diet. ~~~ Anyway...HTH.

Have Fun & Enjoy!

[TorontoJo]

Thanks so much, everyone! I just looked at some other recipes, and they are all over the map -- one uses tabasco, one uses cayenne. So I think I'm not going to worry too much about my heat source. I am looking forward to trying these, though!

[hazelhurst]

If you can get "Lousiana Brand ("One Drop Does It") I think that would work pretty well. It is thicker in the way Crystal is. Bruce Foods in New Iberia bottles it and they ,arket fairly aggressively so maybe it's available.

[chefj]

Sriracha is really garlicky but that may work since there is garlic in the recipe. Crystal also has vinegar and in this application I think Tabasco would be fine, Frank's would work as well.

[alliebear]

I agree with Frank's, but I don't think Tabasco would work. The flavor is very different from Crystal.

[chefj]

You can find recipes that call for any one of the well known hot sauces from LA. or none at all. I am sure the results would be just fine using Tabasco.