MQ’s Buffalo Sauce

This recipe for a rich and creamy buffalo sauce utilizes the classic French technique of mounting cold butter into a warm cayenne hot sauce. It’s a lot easier than it sounds! We’re just changing how we melt the butter to create a sauce that will cling to food, not fall off like melted butter sauces can. This process creates a smooth, emulsified sauce that is more flavorful and stable than typical hot sauce mixes. The finished product is a perfectly balanced sauce with a luxurious texture and a tangy, spicy kick, ideal for drizzling over chicken wings, burgers, or vegetables.

Yield: Approximately 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
Special Equipment: Small saucepan, Whisk

Ingredients

• 1 cup of red hot or another cayenne Louisianna-style hot sauce

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tbsp yellow mustard

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• cayenne powder, to taste

• Optional: a hotter hot sauce of your choice, to taste

Directions

1. Heat the Hot Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, gently warm the cayenne hot sauce until it is steaming but not boiling.

2. Mount the Butter: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Begin whisking in the cold butter cubes one at a time, allowing each cube to melt and emulsify into the sauce before adding the next. This is the "mounting" process that creates the creamy consistency. Continue whisking until all the butter has been incorporated and the sauce is thick and glossy.

3. Add Remaining Ingredients: Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and paprika. If using, add a few dashes of your optional hotter hot sauce at this time.

4. Serve: The sauce is ready to use immediately. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If the sauce separates when stored, gently reheat and whisk it to bring it back together.