Think of it as thicker, chunkier, differently seasoned ketchup.
WTF? That sounds heretical.
Who figured that out for the first time? Such a strange pairing…
I will defend with my life the right for Heinz Chili Sauce to exist. I tasted it once and will never touch it again, but it has just as much right to waste grocery store shelf space as any other useless product.
And what about Heinz Salsa del Sol? One local taco place serves it and it is completely different then most hot sauces. Personally I find it addictive. But it is more like a catsup based sauce, I guess. Sweet and slightly hot. I have only seen it in carryout packets.
Man, that recipe is probably older than anyone born in the 60s, although I can’t find any info on when it was first invented. That meatball recipe was probably around in the 50s, when a lot of odd recipes abounded. This is one of the few that was actually edible.
It’s at least that old. I remember my mother making those for her bridge club, and that was the very early 60s.
You’re old enough (as am I) to remember when ketchup wasn’t mostly sugar (or HFCS). That old stuff with lots of vinegar & spices plus just a touch of sugar had some decent uses.
Nowadays ketchup in the USA is pretty uniformly awful.
I was surprised to find Trader Joe’s Organic Ketchup has about 1/3rd the sugar of lamestream ketchups and no fake sweetener either. I don’t care about organic, but if you want a ketchup that’s at least reminiscent of the ketchup of your youth, give it a try.
Back to the OP: Color me as yet another American who has seen Heinz Chili Sauce on shelves for decades but has ever never bought it nor knowingly eaten it.
There is a locally company called Olympia Provisions (previously Olympic Provisions until they were told to cease using the name by the IOC) that makes Portland Ketchup. It has some serious ingredients and heft. The ketchup (from their website) is low in sugar and salt: Organic Tomato Puree, Organic White Vinegar, Organic Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Organic Onion, Organic Allspice, Organic Cayenne, Organic Cloves. It’s the only ketchup that I actually like. Portland Mustard, made by a different company, contains apple cider vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, and spices including turmeric and pepper. It beats any yellow mustard I’ve had.
Thanks for the vector. I ordered some direct from them, but the shipping charges are kinda steep. Could’ve saved a buck or two at Amazon, but I like supporting artisanal food sources.
For anyone else interested …
https://portlandiafoods.com/collections/portland-ketchup
Hey Chefguy, now that you mention Portland, I remember you saying once that you know the guys at Bob’s Red Mill. Can you please go kick them in the ass and ask why they don’t carry Hull-less barley anymore? I have go over to Whole foods,(which I hate) to get anything other than pearl barley anymore. And it’s not that close to Hull-less there anyway, It’s something called Brown Barley which I guess is something between Hulled and pearl.
To the best of my knowledge, I have never tasted HCS straight up. I’m sure I have eaten it as an ingredient, though. My mother used to make the grape-jelly-and-HCS meatball recipe fairly often.
I bought Grain Place Foods hulled barley on Amazon. I don’t think it came from Whole Foods. Couldn’t say what’s up with Bob’s on this, but it’s been difficult to get anything from Bob’s for some time. They’re a (comparatively) small grain producer and can’t keep up with demand.
My mom made Chili sauce from scratch. No idea how or what. I guess I better find out quick. She’s pretty old…
I’ve always wondered how came up with the idea to eat Lobsters and Crabs.
“Hey, they’re hard, stinky and can defend themselves. Must be delicious!”
If you can find out how, let us know. My Grandmother used to make it too, only she never left the recipe behind. Or if she did, she didn’t leave it in her recipe book. I like Heinz Chili Sauce, but I also remember Grandmother’s, and for all that HCS is thick and zesty, hers was thicker and zestier. I’d like to have it again.
Mix the following…2 bottles of Heinz Chili Sauce, one pound of cooked ground beef, one chopped onion and two tablespoons of Worcester sauce. Heat in a skillet for ten minutes
Combine with 16 ozs cooked large elbow macaroni and 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Stir/mix together.
This is a great dish…Beef Macaroni Supper.
I’ve had similar questions about those and other common foods as well.
I think it comes down to: “It runs slowly enough I can catch it. I have a big stick. Works for me!” There’s an awful lot of meat on the hoof or fin that you’re just not going to catch without fancier tools than humans started out with.
I mean, if you are hungry enough – but, my Og, have you seen what those things look like raw? Argh. I peeled a bunch of raw shrimp, and those things are damn gross looking.
Yes, one of my all-time favorite potluck dishes.
There’s not even any measuring involved: one jar grape jelly, one jar chili sauce. Splork into the pot with the meatballs and heat.