Chile de Arbol Hot Sauce
Use to sprinkle on tacos, tostadas or other snacks. You can also
dash some into pozole, menudo or other soups. It lasts indefinitely.
It's very close to Tabasco sauce, but is a lot better.
Ingredients
- 50 to 60 dried chiles de arbol
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds or 1/4 teaspoon ground
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 scant teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar
Instructions
- Stem the chiles, then roll them between your thumb and fingers,
pressing gently to loosen the seeds inside. Break in half, shake
out as many seeds as possible, then place in a blender jar.
- Heat an ungreased skillet over medium-low heat. Stir the sesame
seeds for several minutes until they brown and pop; scoop into the
blender jar. Add pumpkin seeds to the skillet. When the first one
pops, stir constantly for several minutes until all are golden and
have popped up into a round shape.
- Pulverize the cumin, allspice and cloves in a mortar or spice grinder,
then add to the blender jar along with the oregano, salt, garlic
and vinegar. Blend for several minutes until the mixture is orange-red
and feels smooth when a drop is rubbed between your fingers.
- Strain through a sieve, working the solids back and forth and pressing
them firmly. Stir in 3/4 cup water, then pour into a bottle, cover
and let stand for 24 hours before serving.