Meat+Poultry - September 2022 - 71

W
hile Bob's Processing Inc., South
Haven, Mich., may be best-known
for its smoked pulled pork, handmade
culinary-inspired sausages and thick-cut
bacon, the family-owned butcher often cannot
keep its sweet heat barbecue sauce in stock.
The house-made condiment is sold refrigerated
in 18-oz tubs and features the sweetness of
brown sugar, molasses, and pineapple and
orange juices along with heat from chipotle
and habanero peppers.
Such layering of flavors is trending in all
food and beverage. When it comes to meat
and poultry, sweet with heat complements the
umami and salty tastes in a balanced way. It
also presents the consumer with a familiar way
to explore flavor sensations.
EXPLORE AND EXPERIMENT
Research shows that consumers are more open
to trying new flavors when they're combined
with a food they would typically eat, according
to Mintel, Chicago. This is often some form
of spicy, which is a subjective term that
encompasses the heat of chilis (from capsaicin
content), as well as the pungent organic
compounds associated with ingredients such
as cinnamon, garlic, ginger, horseradish,
mustard and even onion.
Today's consumers' insatiable appetite for
everything spicy has put innovators on the hot
seat to create products that satisfy cravings.
It is a balancing act, and that is part of what
is fueling the ongoing sweet-heat trend. Such
combinations are described by Wixon Inc., St.
Francis, Wis., " as next-level favorite flavors. "
It's all about being grounded in a familiar flavor
and then giving it some unexpected kick.
" The new flavor is not only tasty, but
it's not as intimidating to try, " said Ryan
Kukuruzovic, corporate chef at Wixon.
" Balancing pairings of the familiar with the
unexpected can inject excitement and ensure
greater likelihood of consumer acceptance.
One of my favorites is black garlic tamarind
citrus. The sweet and savory notes have an
earthy fruitiness. We use it in snacks, sauces
and to flavor proteins. "
Lime is one of the most common citrus
flavors to get paired with heat. Other options
include grapefruit, lemon and orange. On the
tropical side, mango, pineapple and tamarind
combine well with heat, too.
www.meatpoultry.com | 09.22 | MEAT+POULTRY 71
TAKING RISKS WHEN DINING OUT
Consumers often feel less intimidated with
trying new flavors when they are away
from home. It's less of a commitment when
ordering for one, and if it's not satisfying, it's
easy to order something else. Research from
Datassential, Chicago, showed 62% of diners
like or love spicy flavors or foods. In response,
spicy chicken sandwiches now appear on
more than half (55%) of quick-service menus,
according to Datassential Menu Trends 2021.
Using Frank's RedHot Stingin' Honey Garlic
Sauce, Chester's Chicken, Birmingham, Ala.,
a fresh fried chicken quick-service restaurant
concept with 1,200 locations, added sweet heat
to its menu this summer with Chester's Honey
Stung Chicken in sandwich and bite formats.
Chester's signature specially marinated,
double-breaded and fried fresh chicken gets
" sauced and tossed " in the sauce.
The new limited-time offering followed
Chester's spring 2022 rollout of Hot N Spicy
Poultry Rub. The proprietary seasoning gets
paired with Chester's Hot N Spicy Breading to
increase heat and flavor on its bone-in chicken
and all-white-meat extra-large tenders.
For the uber adventurous diner, Arby's
offered the Diablo Dare Challenge earlier this
year. The Diablo Dare is a sandwich so spicy
that it includes a free vanilla shake to cool the
mouth between bites. It combined heat from
five sources of spice: ghost pepper jack cheese,
fiery hot seasoning, fire-roasted jalapenos and
diablo barbecue sauce served on a toasted red
chipotle bun with choice of 13-hour smoked
brisket or crispy chicken.
" Balancing
pairings of the
familiar with
the unexpected
can inject
excitement
and ensure
greater
likelihood
of consumer
acceptance. "
- RYAN KUKURUZOVIC
Chester's
Chicken added
sweet heat to its
menu this summer
with its Honey
Stung Chicken.
http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - September 2022

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