I've been experimenting with different types of salsas and hot sauces lately. The big salsa project started when I had to make a salsa for tortas ahogadas. I found a recipe on YouTube that seems to be common to Jalisco or possibly just Guadalajara. The recipe uses just rehydrated chile d'arbol, a little pineapple vinegar, garlic and spices (salt, pepper, cinammon, clove & marjoram). Being very pleased with the results, I decided to try a few variations. I used dried chile japones instead of the d'arbol. I've always thought that the chile d'arbol is a little harsh. The chile japones seems to have a smoother taste. I also added some Mexican oregano and a touch of ground cumin. I have made several batches using different types of vinegar. So far, the best has been with a pinot grigio vinegar. Lupe has given these salsas the official "good enough for Mexican palate" seal of approval. She especially likes my Fake-a-tio salsa. According to her well-tested and discerning palate, the Fake-a-tio is very similar to her go-to salsa: Tapatio.
I have been doing a little experimenting with fermented chile hot sauces as well. I had a big end-of-season harvest on my Cayenne chile plants, so I decided to make some special hot sauces. I have three different batches fermenting at the moment. The Cayennes were mashed and mixed with a garlic puree. I also made a couple of batches with red jalapenos. One is just straight jalapeno and salt and the other has pureed garlic and onion. I'm not sure if the garlic and onion purees should be fermented with the chili, but I'll find out in three months. Come February I'll scrape the mold and add some good vinegar. After another couple of weeks it should be ready for bottling. It has only been a week and the mashes are really starting to smell great. I have a feeling that they will become a little more pungent over time. Hopefully, the end result will be something like Sriracha (the garlic chili mix) or Tobasco (the straight chili).
