McIlhenny Company and Farmington Foods recently partnered up to launch a line of flavorful new barbecue foodservice products—baby back pork ribs, boneless pork ribs, and chicken drumsticks—each featuring the famous pepper sauce flavors. A match made in barbecue heaven, the premium quality of meat from Farmington Foods pairs perfectly with the boldness of Tabasco brand Pepper Sauce flavors to create the authentic tastes of traditional American barbecue.
These new products offer up the delicious, smoky flavors of everyone’s favorite barbecue without the time and effort it takes to make traditional barbecue dishes. Ready in just minutes, these new products come fully cooked so you simply need to reheat and serve. Operators will appreciate the ease and convenience of the new Farmington Foods barbecue products while customers will love the bold, savory flavors of the Tabasco brand–inspired sauces.
When it comes to barbecue, the sauce and seasonings are just as important as the selection and preparation of the meat. Many barbecue pit masters spend years perfecting their signature sauces, which often blend vinegar, molasses, ketchup, and mustard and can range from tangy to sweet to spicy. Dry rubs add another layer of flavor with brown sugar and an array of spices like chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and more.
“Barbecue and Tabasco® brand Original Red Sauce are two iconic American foods that naturally complement each other,” says Judson McLester, corporate chef of McIlhenny Company. “We were thrilled to work with Farmington Foods to develop this line of barbecue pork ribs and chicken drumsticks, new to the foodservice space. We used our dry industrial ingredients to develop the rub, as well as our Original Red and Chipotle Pepper Sauces to create two distinct barbecue sauces. We’ve also worked with them to create a chicken drumstick using the Tabasco brand Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce.”
With Farmington Foods’ premium heat-and-serve barbecue products, operators can elevate your menu and satisfy customers’ demand for bold, flavorful barbecue. These new products can help drive traffic and boost sales. Brands can try the Chicken Drumsticks spiced with Tabasco brand Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce, or any of the following products which are offered with two choices of barbecue sauce—infused with Tabasco brand Original Red Sauce or Tabasco brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce.
• Hickory Smoked Chicken Drumsticks: Dry rubbed with a spice blend
• Cut BBQ Pork Ribs: Available in full slabs or individually cut
• Boneless Pork Ribs: Incredibly tender, whole-muscle pork ribs
“We wanted to make barbecue accessible for chefs and operators who don’t have the time or access to the right equipment to smoke barbecue back of house,” says Anthony Baker, Farmington Foods. “Tabasco brand has a great reputation and we knew it would be a great fit, especially as spices and heat become more popular.”
More and more consumers have developed a taste for bolder, distinctive flavor profiles and are dialing up the spicy, savory, and smoky notes in their food. Over the past few years, the demand for bold flavors, as well as the number of menu descriptions for “spicy” foods, has increased significantly, especially among Millennials and Hispanics.
