Jacob Cutino only started making Homeboy's Hot Sauce in March, but already it's become a favorite ingredient of some of the Valley's best chefs. You'll see it on the shelves at markets including La Grande Orange and Luci's Healthy Marketplace, as well as on the menu at restaurants including Crudo, Yard Bird + The Larder, and The Gladly. So why do home cooks — and chefs — love Homeboy's so much? It's probably because Cutino uses onions and carrots — a mirepoix of sorts — as a base, giving his sauces as much flavor as heat. For now, the popular line includes two hot sauces: a fiery red jalapeño hot sauce and a deceivingly friendly looking golden habanero variety. From what we can tell, both taste good on pretty much everything. Our only complaint? That the four-ounce bottles aren't bigger.
www.homeboyshabanero.com