Sids Feijoa and Chilli Sauce product reviews

With the warmer weather now creeping up on us, I managed to sneak in a couple of BBQ's recently. Using this sauce to make a steak marinade seemed a bit of a no-brainer to start with, and the results were astounding... though I was the only one who thought so, since the rest of my family are still trying to come to grips with food that carries a hefty spice stick and swings it low and dirty.

The recipe was pretty simple - a hefty dollop of this, some Manuka honey, a good grind of sea salt, no pepper required this time, and some smashed-to-near-pulp garlic - well blended and shoved in a bag with the steak, which you have pricked all over with a sharp knife to make flavour-wells. Mash it all around to get the meat well coated, then run it through the vacuum sealer to cram the flavour in deep. In the fridge, pull it out the next day and burn it, baby!

Stunning stuff, full of flavour and all the rich spiciness in the sauce comes out and wraps around the meat, giving it a delicate sweetness and a heavy warmth. Serve with something like a green leafy salad or potato salad and something with a bit of zing like a pickled tomato, onion and cucumber salad and you have a meal fit for the mates.

As a bit of an experiment, I also bought some avocados and used them, some chopped onion, a few spring onions, some chunky chopped tomatoes, a couple of cloves of smashed garlic finely chopped, and a hefty dose of this to make a guacamole salsa spread. It was great on toast, but even better speared in a freshly toasted pita pocket and loaded with sliced ham, cheese, beetroot and lettuce. A wonderfully refreshing yet tangy lunchtime treat - and so healthy too!

Overall, this was a very tasty and versatile sauce, but it really is not for those who think plain mashed spuds are a meal highlight. You have to enjoy flavour - which this has in great amounts - and spicy heat - which this has in moderate amounts. It's not a sauce for the soft-stomached brigade. It's like HP Brown sauce, with attitude!