Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsps. olive oil*
  • 6-8 habaneros, Fresno chiles or mix of hot peppers, sliced into rings**
  • 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 Tbsps. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper + more to taste
  • 1 tsp. cumin + more to taste
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano + more to taste
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4-1/2 cup white vinegar + more to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-low heat. Sweat the peppers, onion and garlic until soft - the more you cook these, especially the onion, the more a sweeter/caramel-like flavor will develop. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano, and continue cooking a few minutes to mix in all the flavors. Remove from heat, stir in the water and lime juice, and let cool to room temperature.

Once cool, puree everything in a a food processor until smooth. Stir in the white vinegar a little at a time, until the desired texture and acidity. Bottle, and store in the fridge.

* Oil will be absorbed by the vegetables, and can later thicken the mixture once itʼs refrigerated. To minimize this, use just enough oil to lightly coat your skillet.

** Adjust number of peppers to suite personal tastes. I leave all the seeds and capsaicin in, but these can be removed to lower the heat while retaining some of the pepperʼs fruitiness.