By Michelle M. Sharp, Founder and Content Creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers
Mark Petersen of Stillwater’s Facepunch Foods fell in love with heat when he was six years old.
Growing up, his family sponsored a number of international students who attended school at St Catherine’s in St. Paul. A student from India 
invited Mark’s family to her apartment for dinner. “She served us hot curry chicken on rice. I loaded up my plate and my mouth was on fire,” recalls Mark. “That was my first time knowing that food could be like that. I kept eating more. I was sweating from the spice and it was so flavorful. I was hooked. It was so delicious and interesting.”
Fast forward several years to when a couple of Mark’s uncles regularly made hot sauce as a hobby. They showed Mark the process and what they had learned to embrace the distinctive flavors of each variety of pepper. “What they taught me is the same process that I use today for all of the Facepunch sauces. It’s exactly what I demonstrate for inspectors,” says Mark. “I love having that connection back to my family and my childhood in every batch I make.”
Moves to other regions of the United States introduced Mark to new flavors and friendships with people from diverse culinary backgrounds. “All these friends helped shape my taste buds,” explains Mark. “I still lean in on my buddies to develop new ways to embrace flavor that will enhance whatever my customers are eating.”
Facepunch Foods also produces a line of seasonings and rubs. The base recipe came from a grocery store where Mark worked in Ohio. “When the store closed, the owner asked if I wanted the recipe for the rub they used on their prime ribs and steaks,” says Mark. “After I founded Facepunch I started making seasonings within the first year. I took that all-purpose seasoning and brought in a bit of heat to make my sweet and spicy blend.” Mark uses that same blend for his addictive peanuts and pretzels that make a distinctive snack.
Mark’s especially proud of his award-winning banana pepper sauce. “I think it’s an under-sung pepper. Some people think of it more as a pickle. 
It’s this flavor that’s thrown in on the side with pizza or on top of a Greek salad,” shares Mark. “I thought it would be a great idea to make a sauce out of this super prevalent completely underutilized pepper. It has an amazing flavor profile with a little bit of a Minnesota nice aspect to it.”
Mark describes the sauce as having a bright and tangy flavor. The sauce consists of liquefied banana peppers and a bit of salt, garlic and onion. He kept the recipe simple so that it didn’t mask any of the pepper’s flavor. The recipe didn’t wow the judges when Facepunch entered it as a mild sauce. However, when he presented it at Zest Fest in Texas as a salad dressing, it shone. “I feel like the award recognizes the versatility of hot sauces. It doesn’t need to just be something with heat that you put in chili. I want my recipes to be something that brightens a dish. It was pretty cool to bring home that golden chili trophy.”
Facepunch has produced tens of thousands of bottles of sauce, both as Facepunch and as white label recipes for other businesses. “I find so much joy in running my own business. It’s something that I knew that I wanted to try. I founded the company in 2017. It’s hard sometimes. I get bogged down and the grind can grind,” reflects Mark. “I keep moving forward to do the next right thing for my business. I stay positive knowing that someday I will grow this to be my full time job.”
“The part that blows my mind every day is that I get to enter people’s homes with my hot sauces, seasonings, and snacks. I get to bring joy to those that seek different heat or flavors. I get to be a part of their meals, their routines, their special occasions. That feeling never gets old,” smiles Mark.
Mark’s commitment to Facepunch’s flavors know no borders. He packed bottles, which he left behind with new friends, on his and his wife’s trip to Denmark and France last summer. “I definitely pulled out a bottle at a couple of Parisian cafes. It was great on the open-faced sandwiches in Denmark too!” Mark shared that those bottles opened conversations with locals and other travelers. “It’s like an ice breaker in a bottle,” he laughs.
Back in Minnesota, Mark sources peppers in season from farms in the Stillwater area. “I love sharing a little bit of Minnesota love in a bottle. We’re making people rethink Minnesota spice.”
Find Facepunch Foods products at Rose & Loon at Rosedale Mall, Shamrock’s in St Paul, Brine’s Market, Pinch n Rub Spice and Tea Hub, Hagberg’s Market, and Jordan’s Meat & Deli or through www.facepunchfoods.com.
Facepunch Foods is one of three makers presenting at the Taste Makers class at the Farm at the Arb on November 9. Taste the award-winning banana pepper sauce and experience Mark’s passion for peppers.
Follow @facepunchfoods on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming events and white-label features.
Visit meettheminnesotamakers.com or follow @meettheminnesotamakers on Facebook and Instagram to discover the farmers and innovators working to strengthen Minnesota’s local food networks. Meet the Minnesota Makers is a news site that connects you to the local food, farms, artists and artisans that make Minnesota thrive.
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