Spice up your BBQ with Phil’s Secret Sauce
Local Philip Pillsbury is adding flavor to meats and more
With Memorial Day Weekend upon us and warmer weather finally 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 veggies even more tasty, pour on the special flavors of Phil’s Secret Sauce.
Edwards resident, Philip Pillsbury, III, started making sauces in 2020 and the business has grown as the word of the flavors got out.
“The inspiration came from an Argentine asado my wife, Cynthia, and I had donated but had to cancel due to COVID. I still delivered the promised jar of chimichurri which I had been making for years and when I received high praise for this unique creation, I decided to launch a sauce business,” Pillsbury said.
The secret to his sauce, Pillsbury said, is the secret ingredient in his first sauce and he draws ideas from growing up in Italy and Argentina, as well as extensive travels and exposure to incredible flavors, sauces, ingredients and 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 at culinary school, Pillsbury found he could look in a pantry and the fridge and creatively manipulate recipes to craft something different.
“I remember being a child and learning how to make hollandaise with my mother at a young age,” Pillsbury said. “From that point on, I have always loved to cook. That led to my love of condiments and creating something different by using existing sauces. If you mix equal parts ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard for instance, you have something far more interesting.”
Pillsbury’s main sauces he offers, the Chimichurri, Caesar and Ranchygrette, do offer something far more interesting.
“When playing around with my Chimichurri Sauce recipe, I decided to add capers instead of the traditional red wine vinegar. For my Caesar, I always felt that you had to ask the waiter for more lemon juice, anchovies and garlic to make it a truly delicious Caesar dressing. With my Ranchygrette, I always found myself asking for a side of ranch dressing to spice up my salads. That is why my Ranchygrette has been so popular. It’s a great salad dressing but also a perfect marinade for pork and chicken,” Pillsbury said.
To date, Pillsbury has sold over 7,500 jars directly to consumers both locally, nationwide and in stores and he’s gained some positive reviews from the sauces’ growing fans who post on his social media.
- “I can no longer eat anything without Phil’s Secret Sauce Chimichurri. Boycotting food until I get my hands on some” — Scott J.
- “This stuff is addicting and likely needs a warning label” — Joe S.
- “Holy cow! This blew away every store-bought Chimi I’ve ever had! — @dadfuelbbq
Pillsbury said he’s grateful for the feedback on quality and taste from individuals who are foodies. Kids love his sauces, too, and he enjoys hearing about the different ways they will use chimichurri and other sauces to appeal to their own unique taste buds. And, there’s never any lack of ideas on how Pillsbury suggests his sauces are used.
“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 omelets, as a great complement to soup or paninis or use as a dipping sauce with delicious bread. This can be your one-stop shop to elevate the flavor of everything and anything in your pantry or refrigerator.”
The Phil’s Secret Caesar Sauce can be used for a salad of course, but Pillsbury recommends all sorts of ways to use it, like as a dip for grilled vegetables or potato chips, a marinade or topping before grilling fish, or a way to spice up your BLT sandwich. Even deviled eggs can be elevated by adding Pillsbury’s Secret Caesar Sauce to the mix.
Pillsbury calls the Ranchygrette a bit more of a traditional salad dressing and marinade but has also found that people have used it in their favorite grilled pork or chicken recipes, along with their favorite salads because of its versatility. The website has many recipes sourced from Pillsbury’s own kitchen and from happy customers who want to share their imaginative ways of using the sauces and you can share your favorite ideas on how to serve it up on the Phil’s Secret Sauce Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Phil’s Secret Sauce is a passion project for Pillsbury, who feels fortunate to do a variety of things like play music (look for him at local venues) work on the mountain, volunteer his time and create something that will add to people’s enjoyment of life with the sauces. In just a few short years, the sauce is being shipped to over 40 states and is being sold locally at Hovey & Harrison and Village Market in Edwards, and Foods of Vail in Avon. It also can be found in stores on the Front Range and in other mountain towns like Telluride. Certain stores carry it based on refrigeration availability, inventory and needs.
“Because it’s a freshly made sauce that requires refrigeration there have been some headwinds with stores and markets. That’s why I love making deliveries and you get the freshest sauce,” said Pillsbury, who will deliver sauces all over the Vail Valley.
What’s next for Phil’s Secret Sauce?
“Right now, I’m really focused on the Chimichurri Sauce. It has the longest shelf life and easily the most unique with very few comparable competing products out there,” Pillsbury said.
“I just want to thank everyone who has already supported my love of cooking and condiments and my business growth. Buy a jar for yourself and a friend at a local market or through me directly and happy grilling.”
For more information visit philssecretsauce.com.