Update: I'm never buying hot sauce again! Threw together an experimental batch of ingredients this morning of a recipe I concocted after thinking about this thread. Found a GREAT base for adding heat. The recipe below was a very mild heat, and had that fire-roasted flavor I love. Surprisingly, had zero spices. Not even salt!
My imagination is going crazy with fire-roasted, habaneros, jalapeños, etc.
Roasted Pepper Onion Garlic Hot Sauce-Mild
Total experiment on my part with stuff I had on hand . Was going to use balsamic vinegar, but some folks online say balsamic overpowers the flavors. Rice wine vinegar is recommended to avoid overpowering the vegetable flavors.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE!
Made about a cup.
Ingredients
4 dried peppers (Guajillo, ancho, etc)
Olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes, halved and broiled
½ onion, small, yellow, sliced and broiled
3 cloves garlic, smashed and broiled
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
Directions
Remove seeds from peppers.
Place peppers in a hot fry pan for two minutes a side to activate the oils.
Place peppers in a saucpan and add just enough boiling water to cover the peppers. Cover the pan and let soak for 20 mins to reconstitute the peppers.
Spray a small baking pan with oil. Add the tomatoes (skin side up), garlic, and onions. Turn the broiler to high and char.
Drain the peppers but save the water if needed to thin the sauce.
Place the charred veggies, vinegar, and reconstituted peppers in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add chili water to thin if necessary.
Taste for desired flavor. Add garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, cloves, alspice, 5-spice, turmeric, and/or cumin as needed (Nothing was needed. Amazing!)
Seal and cool overnight in the fridge. Taste again for adjustments.
The dried peppers I used.
Veggies ready to char, then the light char.
Peppers being reconstituted.
And the final result. I did not thin it. It had the consistency of a rough ketchup.