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Review: Pepperhouse Gourmaise

Being that Big Condiment still seems to think Mustardayonnaise is a joke, I've been forced to seek out a suitable alternative. This search led me to Boar's Head's "Pepperhouse Gourmaise" spread.

According to Boar's Head, Pepperhouse Gourmaise is "real mayonnaise with a touch of Boar's Head Deli Mustard and a house blend of black, white, pink and green peppercorns." They also claim that it goes well with poultry, beef and pork.

What a pepperhouse might look like if it were a thing (photo by Justin Sachtleben)
I can confirm that it goes well with poultry and pork (or at least ham — I haven't tried it with any other pig-meats). And the quality of the ingredients seems to live up to Boars Head's high standards. As a black pepper kind of guy, I'm impressed by their fancy pink peppercorns.

Still, I can't say I'm satisfied with B.H.P.G. Its color is off-putting and the peppercorns hurt my teeth. And while it's decidedly OK, like so many jacks of all trades, this spread amounts to less than the sum of its parts. It falls short as a mayo, and as a mustard. But I think it's the spread's name that causes me the most trouble. To start, there's no such thing as a pepperhouse. I applaud the marketers who came up with the name but I feel duped. You know what else they made up? Gourmaise.

Once I'm done with this bottle of gourmaise I'm going back to deli mustard on one side of the sandwich and my weird but delicious Japanese baby-mayo on the other.

Pros:
  • Peppery!
  • Three colors of peppercorns.
Cons:
  • There is no such thing as a pepperhouse; the same goes for "gourmaise."
  • It contains 80 calories per tablespoon, which compares to just 5 for regular mustard.
  • The peppercorns do a number on recently installed fillings.
  • Less cost effective than adding mustard, mayonnaise and pepper to the sandwich.
Summary:

Satisfying enough, but inferior to name brand mayo and mustard.

2.5 sandies

Comments

Vanessa said…
Good insight and review. I shall steer clear of this concoction!
Anonymous said…
2 Weight Watcher's Points per tbsp.
Alex Headrick said…
Wow, really? 2 points is way too much for a dollop of gourmaise!
Unknown said…
Oh I loved it! A packet was in my deli box with a turkey/tomato/red bell pepper/lettuce rollup. I thought was so delicious. It was peppery with a hint of mustard flavor. It was less mayonnaise-ey and more of a vinnagrette. Very tasty!
Alex Headrick said…
They put it in packets now? Well that would be very welcome in place of the standard Hellmann's Mayo and French's Yellow Mustard packs. Sounds like my local deli box providers need to step up their game.
Anonymous said…
I know I am late to this comment string. I am not a sandwich or condient gal.

But! The Pepperhouse Gourmaise is a great replacement for butter on asparagus. I use one tsp. per serving over the hot veggie. I just give a quick stir in the sauté pan to loosen the pepperhouse g., then plate.

It is a good compliment to green beans too.

As a dipping sauce, I thin a bit with yogurt and / or sour cream using Pepperhouse instead of the tired old Ranch dressings for my Crudités.

I also plop a spoon in with a tsp of butter then toss on my eggs for scramble or frying.
Enjoy! Penelope Z.
Alex Headrick said…
Thanks for the tips, Penelope Z.

I never would have thought PHG was so versatile.

I require a substantial amount of sauce on my asparagus but have nowhere near enough motivation to deal with hollandaise, so this sounds like an ideal solution.
daviddejongh said…
Here's how I make hot dogs:
Take butter (unsalted) out of fridge.
Steam two Nathan's all beef franks until expanded. While waiting:
.Spread unsalted butter on both halves of a hot dog bun.
.Spread a generous helping of sauerkraut on one side of bun.
.Spread a line of Pepperhouse Gourmaise dressing on the other side.
.Insert hot dog and devour.
I usually wash it down with Barq's Root Beer.
Alex Headrick said…
This sounds like a very solid hot dog recipe, and with a beverage pairing, no less. Agreed on Nathan's all the way.

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