Spice up your barbecue with Phils Secret Sauce

With Memorial Day weekend upon us and warmer weather returning to the Vail Valley, it's time to dust off the grill and get ready for barbecue season. To make your meats, chicken, fish and vegetables even tastier, add the special flavors of Phil's Secret Sauce.

Edwards resident Philip Pillsbury, III, started making sauces in 2020 and the business grew as word of the flavors spread.

“The inspiration came from an Argentinian asado my wife, Cynthia, and I had donated but had to cancel due to COVID. I still delivered the promised jar of chimichurri that I had been making for years and when I received praise for this unique creation, I decided to start a sauce company,” Pillsbury said.

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The secret to his sauce, Pillsbury said, is the secret ingredient to his first sauce and he draws his ideas from his childhood in Italy and Argentina, as well as his extensive travels and exposure to flavors, sauces, ingredients and incredible taste combinations.

“Friends in high school affectionately called me the 'Condiment King,' so it was a natural progression to take that love and passion and continue the family tradition of creating innovative food products,” Pillsbury said.

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Although he never had formal training in culinary school, Pillsbury discovered that he could look in a pantry and the refrigerator and creatively manipulate recipes to create something different.

“I remember being a kid and learning to make Hollandaise from my mother at a very young age,” Pillsbury said. “Since then, I have always loved cooking. This led me to love condiments and creating something different using existing sauces. If you mix equal parts ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard, for example, you get something much more interesting.

Pillsbury's main sauces, Chimichurri, Caesar and Ranchygrette, offer something much more interesting.

“While playing with my Chimichurri sauce recipe, I decided to add capers in place of the traditional red wine vinegar. For my Caesar, I always thought you had to ask the server for more lemon juice, anchovies, and garlic to make a truly delicious Caesar dressing. With my Ranchygrette, I always found myself asking for a side of ranch dressing to spice up my salads. This is why my Ranchygrette is so popular. It’s a great salad dressing but also a perfect marinade for pork and chicken,” Pillsbury said.

To date, Pillsbury has sold more than 7,500 jars directly to consumers locally, nationally and in-store and has received positive reviews from the sauces' growing fans posting on its social media channels.

• “I can't eat anything without Phil's Secret Chimichurri sauce anymore. Boycott food until I get my hands on it » Scott J.
• “This stuff is addictive and probably needs a warning label” Joe S.
• “Holy cow!” This blew away every store bought Chimi I've ever had! @dadfuelbbq

Pillsbury said he is grateful for the feedback on quality and taste from people who are foodies. Kids love his sauces, too, and he loves hearing about the different ways they'll use chimichurri and other sauces to appeal to their own taste buds. And there's never a shortage of ideas for how Pillsbury suggests using its sauces.

“Traditionally, Phil's Secret Chimichurri is used as a marinade or sauce for all types of meat, but it can also be used with most seafood,” Pillsbury said. “Use it in the morning with omelettes, as a perfect addition to soup or paninis or use it as a dip with delicious bread. This can be your one-stop shop for boosting the flavor of anything and everything in your pantry or refrigerator.

Phil's Secret Caesar Sauce can of course be used for a salad, but Pillsbury recommends all sorts of ways to use it, such as as a dip for grilled vegetables or chips, as a marinade or topping before grilling fish, or as a way to spice it up. your BLT sandwich. Even deviled eggs can be jazzed up by adding Pillsbury's Secret Caesar Sauce to the mix.

Pillsbury calls Ranchygrette a bit more of a traditional dressing and marinade, but has also found that people use it in their favorite grilled pork or chicken recipes, as well as in their favorite salads because of its versatility. The website features lots of recipes from Pillsbury's own kitchen and from happy customers who want to share their imaginative ways to use sauces and you can share your favorite ideas for how to serve them over Phil's Secret Sauce. Instagram And Facebook accounts.

Phil's Secret Sauce is a passion project for Pillsbury, who feels lucky to do various things like play music (pick it up at local venues), work on the mountain, volunteer his time and create something that will add to the enjoyment of people's lives with sauces. In just a few years, the sauce was shipped to more than 40 states and sold locally at Hovey & Harrison and Village Market in Edwards, as well as Foods of Vail in Avon. It is also found in stores across the Front Range and in other mountain towns like Telluride. Some stores offer it based on availability, inventory and refrigeration needs.

“As it is a freshly made sauce that requires refrigeration, stores and markets have faced difficulties. That’s why I like to do deliveries and you get the freshest sauce,” said Pillsbury, who will deliver the sauces throughout the Vail Valley.

What's next for Phil's Secret Sauce?

“Right now I'm really focused on Chimichurri sauce. It has the longest shelf life and is by far the most unique with very few comparable competitive products,” Pillsbury said.

“I just want to thank everyone who has ever supported my love of cooking and condiments and the growth of my business. Buy a pot for you and a friend at a local market or through me directly and happy grilling.

For more information, visit philssecretsauce.com.