Steve T Rochester's Original Meat Sauce

02/16/2025: Update. I should have mentioned previously, but this is the soupiest of all the sauces I've tried so far. Meat and onions are definitely visible. Anyway, I've got another jar of this. I am not sure if they changed the recipe a bit or what (I doubt it since they've been around since 1963), but there's an updated list of ingredients on the jar.. maybe due to regulations on what must be labeled? I guess this gives away part of the mystery of what's in it. See below.

Ingredients: ground beef, water, onions, lard (BHT & BHA for flavor), sodium acid sulfate, spices & other natural flavors, chili powder, curry powder, xanthan gum.

Originally reviewed on 04/20/2016: Out of all the meat sauces I've tried, this one is definitely the weirdest. At first it seems kind of dull and flavorless. You can really taste the meat, but it's not salty, it's bitter, and doesn't have a lot of the flavor profile I normally associate with a meat sauce. It does have a strong flavor of something like cloves or allspice, but a lot more of that than I normally taste in a meat sauce. As you keep eating it gets spicier.

Mustard complements the sauce nicely, but the funky flavor still comes through. The flavor definitely grew on me.

Ingredients: Ground beef, water, onions, lard, sodium acid sulfate, spices, xanthan gum.

Old-Fashioned Meat Sauce

 

Meaty. Not a lot of tomato flavor in this one. Just enough. Lots of spice in this one making it a little gritty. This has a bitter aftertaste, which I can only guess it because of the cloves. Less cloves, and maybe a touch of vinegar (or cayenne pepper hot sauce which a lot of these seem to use) would make this better.

Ingredients: beef, tomatoes (tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), salt, citric acid), water, chili powder (chili peppers, paprika, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, less than 2% silicon dioxide added to prevent caking), sodium acid sulfate, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, paprika, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, thyme.

Slow. Rochester Meat Sauce

Coach Tony used to produce his own meat sauce and eventually started Permac Enterprises, which produced the sauce and products for other small businesses. In 2020 the company was purchased and renamed Craft Cannery. They moved to a new 5,000 square foot facility. In additional to manufacturing their own line of marinara sauces, they still continue to manufacture meat based sauces for other companies. I believe this is Craft Cannery's own version of a meat hot sauce.

Interesting that the label has a linen texture. Maybe they're trying to give it a more elevated classy feel. The sauce itself is a thinner, oily consistency. It's flavor profile is beef and lots of tomato, on the sweet side and barely any heat despite the label saying spicy on it. A slight sweet tang to it. I like it, but I'd like it even better with more cayenne.

Ingredients: ground beef, water, onion, cayenne pepper sauce (aged cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt, natural flavor, garlic), tomato paste, sugar, soybean oil, salt, sodium acid sulfate, chili powder (chili peppers, spices, salt, less than 2% silicon dioxide to prevent caking), paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, xanthan gum, cayenne pepper.

PS - Shout out to Flower City Flavor where I purchased the sauce. It arrived super quick and well packaged.

Dawson's Hot Dog Hot Sauce

Ingredients: onion, vinegar, garlic, canola oil, dates, habanero  mash (habanero, vinegar), sugar (cane sugar), sea salt.

Suave Sauce - Mild Meat Hot Sauce

 

I had tried the Sweet Meat Hot Sauce first. They're got a very similar ingredient list. In this one I notice there's a different color in the pickle juice. The other one uses mustard, where this one just says ground mustard.

The comments on the other sauce apply here, but this one is definitely spicier than the other one, but also has a strong tangy kind if sour flavor that makes me pucker and my eyes squint with every bite. I taste too much Italian seasoning and I'm not a fan of it. If you're a fan of Don's Original you will love this.

I do think these are quality sauces otherwise and the people who run the business are top notch. I received a broken jar in the mail even though they were well packaged. I sent them pictures. I threw both bottles away because the second one, while not broke, was covered in sauce. They replaced it no questions asked.

Ingredients: Ground beef, cayenne pepper sauce (aged red cayenne peppers, vinegar, salt, natural flavor, garlic), pickle juice (water, vinegar, salt, natural flavoring, polysorbate 80, sodium benzoate, fd&c yellow#5, fd&c blue#1), water, soybean oil, sugar, tomato paste, onions, cumin, chili powder, ground chipotle pepper, salt, worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, water, corn syrup, salt, caramel color, sugar spices, anchovy natural flavor, tamarind extract, soy lechithin), apple cider vinegar, garlic, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cinnamon, ground mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper, white distilled vinegar, Italian seasoning (marjoram, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, sage), paprika, sodium acid sulfate, molasses.

Andymation's Hot Dog Sauce

 

Ingredients: onion, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, dates, habanero mash (habanero, vinegar), sugars (maple syrup), sea salt.

Red Hots Chili Sauce

 

Ingredients: water , beef, beef suet, onion, cracker meal (bleached wheat flour), salt, paprika, dark chili powder (chili pepper, spices, salt, natural flavoring), cumin, spices and flavorings, black pepper, red pepper flakes.

Texas Hot Meat sauce Mix

 

This is a spice mix from website Niblack Foods. They claim it's the "secret ingredients for the Hot Meat Sauce at Nick Tahou's garbage plates". Just add meat, butter, and water. I've never been to Nick Tahou's, but I'll definitely give this a try some day soon.

Ingredients: As listed on their website Proprietary blend of onion, spices, and sugar. Hopefully when I purchase this I'll get a full list of ingredients.

Suave Sauce - Sweet Meat Hot Sauce

 

Very strong scent upon opening the jar. It gets even stronger while heating up and fills the whole kitchen. Almost like they combined BBQ sauce with meat hot sauce. The ingredient list is long and unique on this one. You can definitely taste some of that. Every bite is sweet, but only some of them are spicy. I think there's a little too much going on. I like it more than Don's Original which I reviewed some time ago. While it's not for me specifically, if your a fan of Don's you'll love this. I'm hoping I'll like the non sweet version I have coming in the mail. I'm almost certain I will. The packaging looks great and it's easy to read.

There's a full ingredient list below, but if you don't want to read all that I'll summarize why I said it's got too much going on: pickle juice, mustard, worcestershire sauce, italian seasoning, molasses, chipotle. I kind of think it tastes too much like tamarind (which is in worcestershire sauce). I love worcestershire sauce otherwise. I also think I don't like Italian seasoning in a meat sauce which is one of the things I commented on about Don's. Don's was heavy on basil and oregano. 

Ingredients: Ground beef, cayenne pepper sauce (aged red cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder), water, sugar, pickle juice (water, vinegar, salt, natural flavoring, polysorbate 80, fd&c yellow#5, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate), apple cider vinegar, soybean oil, tomato paste, onions cumin, ground chipotle pepper, salt, mustard (distilled vinegar, mustard seed, salt, tumeric, spices), worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, water, corn syrup, salt, caramel color, sugar, spices, anchovy, natural flavor, tamarind extract, soy lechithin), garlic, white distilled vinegar, granulated garlic, granulated onion, sodium acid sulfate, ground mustard, black pepper, chili powder (chili pepper, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic powder), Italian seasoning (marjoram, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, sage), cinnamon, paprika, cayenne pepper, molasses, crushed red pepper, xanthan gum, lemon juice concentrate.

Harladay Hots Meat Sauce

 

Nice meaty smell when opening the jar. Smells like it's going to be spicy, but it wasn't. I'd say it's mild to medium.. low end of medium. Wasn't too salty either. It's an alright sauce, but it's got a strong sour note on the backend that some people might not enjoy. I assume they use citric acid as a preservative and you wouldn't taste this if you had their sauce freshly made at a family gathering. Speaking of preservatives, shouldn't the jar have an expiration date on it? Mine didn't. There's also orange in here. Interesting, but I don't taste it at all. While it's not my first choice when reaching for a meat hot sauce, it's definitely something I'd go for again some day.

Ingredients: Ground beef, water, onion, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, citric acid, salt, oranges, black pepper, garlic, cinnamon, red pepper flakes.

Buddha's Meat Sauce

 

I like spicy food, even if my stomach doesn't agree with me later. If you're looking for a tasty sauce that won't upset your stomach later, at least for me, this is it. As you continue to eat, it's mildly spicy, but it's not overbearing. Not overly salty either. Everything has a nice balance and it kind of reminds me of Steve T's. I'd definitely buy this again.

Ingredients: Ground beef, water, soybean oil, granulated garlic, salt, garlic, chili powder, cayenne powder, allspice, ground onion, black pepper, splenda (dextrose, maltodextrin, splenda sucralose). 

Chef James' Bourbon Meat Sauce

 

Just found this one from Chef himself. Will order a jar soon to try.

Freddy's Disrespectful Sauce - Ay Yai Yai!

 

A hotter version of Freddy's Disrespectful Sauce. I am told you mix this with meat. I'll be ordering some soon.

Freddy's Disrespectful Sauce - The Right Kick

 

I am told you mix with this meat. I'll be ordering some soon.

Fireball Red Hot Sweet Heat Chili

 

I bought this to make one day soon. The package says "Whiskey Flavored Seasoning" and "Inspired By The Flavors of Fireball".

Stuart's Spices - Rochester Plates Meat Sauce Seasoning

 

Suave Sauce - Mild Veggie Hot Sauce

 

Jar ordered. Review coming soon.

Faneek's Coney Sauce Mix

 

Just add water, meat, and oil. I skipped the oil.

Good flavor, not salty at all. I was afraid of the celery salt, but it's not overpowering. I think the celery salt is throwing off some mustardy vibes. Some bites I taste it, other bites tomato or chili powder other bites. The only thing lacking is spicy heat. A little cayenne pepper would have been nice. I normally like things spicier, but I'd definitely eat this again.

Ingredients: Water, spices, tomato paste, vinegar, kosher salt, celery salt, garlic powder.

Mama Patierno's Hot Dog Chili Seasoning

 

Some assembly required with this one.

Chandler Foods Hotdog Chili