Brown sauce, that little bottle nestled by the ketchup, the Tabasco, and who knows what else in most cafes, is not in great favor, yet it persists. It has a few special uses like a bacon butty or a special Whataburger, but by and large it is receding from our consciousness. Yet I still use it for a few things. Last night I put some HP in a meatloaf that came out quite well. I add a little A-1 to a few things like fry sauce. Pickapeppa on cream cheese with Wheat Thins is very low brow now, but it was delicious in the seventies and, believe it or not, still is. Does anyone else retain any of these sauces in their fridges and still enjoy them now and then? If so which sauce(s) and how do you use them?
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A-1. Because my dad liked it with his steak. My bottle is very old. Probably should replace it, or just put it up on the bookshelf.
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I can’t imagine my kitchen without Pickapeppa, and I recently started keeping a Mango version along with the original.
I usually use it on steak and burgers.
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HP Brown Sauce is in fairly regular use in this house. It sits in the cupboard, next to the bottle of ketchup. It’s my partner’s usual choice with a cooked breakfast, whilst my preference is ketchup.
Go into any British cafe serving breakfast and both will be on the table. Go into any takeaway serving breakfast items and you’ll be asked if you want brown sauce or red sauce (ketchup) on your sausage butty.
“Red Sauce, Brown Sauce” is the title of Felicity Cloake’s book about her tour round Britain and the breakfasts she ate, A good read, IMO.
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Does Heinz 57 qualify as a brown sauce?
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I always have a bottle of HP in the fridge. I use it for cheaper cuts of beef, mixed with mayo for dipping stuff and a condiment for sandwiches.
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It does in my book. It makes a nice baste for barbecued chicken, too.
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I got a hot version at the dollar store awhile ago and it was great but I haven’t seen it since.
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There is a bottle of HP sauce in my fridge. Nothing better on a battered Irish sausage. Mmmm.
I’ve never had Pickapeppa, but I do keep Tabasco, Sriracha, and sweet Thai chili sauce on hand.
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I only have heard of ‘brown sauce’ as either that generic American-Chinese MSG concoction that get thrown over some indifferently stir fried protein or as a mysterious UK-centric condiment that I have never personally seen, never mind tasted.
What is it, exactly?
“Pickapeppa” is entirely new to me. This is the first I’ve ever heard of it. Apparently it was missing from the US market for about 3 years due to production issues.
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Ingredients on the bottle in the cupboard - tomatoes, malt vinegar, molasses, glucose fructose syrup, sugar, dates, cornflour, rye flour, salt, spices, flavourings, tamarind
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It’s like A1 sauce. Ish.
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On the A1 sauce, I had a rare craving for meatloaf and I tried some in the mix, with a blend of turkey to lighten it up. It (and Worchestshire) gave the loaf a depth of flavor that would have been missing.
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I have, to various meat loaves, added A-1, Heinz 57, Pickapeppa, HP, HEB store brand brown sauce, the old Worcestershire and ketchup combo, and HEB Carolina barbecue sauce. All the premade sauces were better than the Worcestershire and ketchup. HP might have been the best, but, if so, not by much.
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Brown Sauces Matter.
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This is my favorite brown sauce. Mind you, it’s not a THICK brown sauce, but it does the trick nicely on cold sandwiches. And if I don’t have any béarnaise, chimichurri, pureed kimchi, or Jean-Georges miso-mustard butter sauce lying around, I will use Heinz 57 for steak.
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As you can see from the label, Hendersons takes pride in being northern. Although made in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, it is not well known even in the north. My local supermarket doesnt stock it - and we’re only about 40 miles from Sheffield.
I think it’s popular with vegetarians and vegans because it doesnt contain anchovies, so is a good substitute for Worcestershire Sauce.
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My ex swears by Heinz chili sauce for meatloaf.
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Why would you put steak sauce on a good steak?
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For the same reason most people dip fries in ketchup – a bit enhances the flavor. We’re not talking frosting the steak in sauce - about a teaspoon, at most, on the side to dip each bite.
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