Habanero Tomato Salsa

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My favorite thing to eat is tacos. I specialize in them. So much so, that people sometimes pay me to create a taco bar for their event or occasion. The secret to a great taco is not the meat, tortillas or toppings. The secret is in the sauce, where heat from a hot pepper, tartness of a lime, or a limitless number of ingredients can be used to create a flavor explosion that defines the taste of the taco.

When putting out sauces for a taco bar I always include a couple of the mild variety, for the none heat-loving people, and a couple of spicy offerings for those who can handle the fire.

For this recipe, I make a habanero hot sauce for heat lovers. I’ve been working on it for sometime, because it’s easy when using habanero peppers to make sauce so hot that it literally creates pain and misery. Here I use the acid of tomato, the citrus of lime and the sweetness of honey to balance the habanero inferno. The sauce is hot, but hot in an addictive way, that’s sure to create future cravings.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Habanero Tomato Salsa

I made tacos for a gathering at the church recently and put out a sauce that I thought was really hot. Earlier in the day when I made and sampled it out of the blender, it was lip numbing and set my mouth on fire. In the 4 hours between that taste and actually serving it, the lime and sugar really went to work on the heat and as the flavors melded together, completely neutralized it. I was telling people to watch out because it was hot. After a while a friend of mine came over and said “I thought this sauce was supposed to be hot?”

I then went and sampled it.

I was astonished that the heat had disappeared, and a little embarrassed because I was really talking the sauce up. Since then, everyone who tried the sauce has given me a hard time about it. That’s the inspiration behind this sauce. I could make a hot sauce so hot it would be inedible, but I wanted to make something that packs a whollop but can be eaten on two or three tacos at dinner, so there needed to be some restraint to the fire. This sauce does that.

I recommend using only one habanero the first time if a person is just experimenting, but for a hot sauce lover two habanero is the way to go. Make sure you have tissue around when you try this – it will make your nose run!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Habanero Tomato Salsa

Makes 1 quart; 40 minutes
3 medium Tomatoes quartered
1 large Red onion quartered
4 cloves Garlic
2 Habanero peppers
1 Jalapeño pepper
1/2 C Cilantro chopped
2 Tbs Honey
1 Lime zest and juice
Water to create desired consistency of sauce

Roast vegetables
Preheat oven to 425°
Season onion, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and habanero with salt and pepper to taste, toss in olive oil. Place in a roasting dish and cook until tomatoes wilt and black bits appear on edges of onions and peppers, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Blend
In a blender add roasted vegetables, cilantro, zest and juice of lime, honey and a little water if necessary. Blend mixture until smooth, 5 to 6 minutes. Pulse and stir occasionally to break up any chunks.

Rest, test and serve
Let salsa rest for at least one hour for flavors to meld. Taste, if to hot add more honey if necessary. Serve on tacos, or eat with tortilla chips.

Spicy Refried Beans

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This recipe is an update of a basic refried bean dish I made back in May. This time I added some choice spices and a little cheese to the final product. I also tried to extract some heat and flavor from three habanero peppers while I cooked the beans.

I was going for a much spicier bean dip than what I ended up with. I have used this habanero extraction technique before in barbecue sauce and it worked like a charm, but for some reason it didn’t translate with the beans, I’m not sure but I think the amount of beans to the ratio of liquid might have been what neutralized the heat. It was a little spicy but not habanero spicy.

I could have gotten much more kick by skipping the habanero and just adding cayenne pepper in the final stage. The habanero was tame but the jalapeno pepper and the pepper jack cheese were able to bring a little kick of their own to the party.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Spicy refried beans

I put together a nacho bar for a church gathering recently and decided it was a good opportunity to improve on my refried bean recipe from a few months back. I have found that nacho, taco or even hot dog bars are some of the best ways to feed a group of people. All you need is a variety of toppings to go along with the main proteins.

Not everyone at the party is going to put all the items on their hot dog or nachos, they will pick and choose. This can backfire if everyone goes over board, but in general, enough of each topping to cover half to three-quarters of the guests is usually more than enough. If something runs out then people have other options.

If your not sure what to take to the next family get together try a couple bags of tortilla chips, canned chili and nacho cheese, throw in some fresh onions and tomato and I’ll bet it’ll be a hit.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Spicy refried beans

Makes 4 Cups; 4 hours
1 lb Dried pinto beans
3 Habanero peppers
8 C water
1 Tbs Salt
1/2 C Onion,diced
1/4 C Jalapeno, seeded, diced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cumin
1 C Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Prepare beans
Place beans in a large sauce pan or soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit at least one hour then drain. Return beans to pot with fresh water and salt. Cut slices in habanero peppers and throw in pot. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until soft, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Discard habanero peppers.

Make refried beans
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat saute onion and jalapeno in a little olive oil until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the beans and mash, add some of reserved water to make a paste-like mixture (amount may vary). Stir in chili powder, cumin and a quarter cup of cheese. Once melted add another quarter cup of cheese, repeat until gone. Adjust seasoning and simmer to a desired thickness, then serve.

Pineapple Habanero Barbecue Sauce

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McDonald’s introduced the Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder recently and as soon as I saw the advertisement I knew I had to try it. I love spicy food and can handle it as long as I limit the amount that I consume.

In the past, when fast food chains introduce new products billed as “spicy” I usually try them and think “wimpy,” so I ordered the new offering with my expectations low.

The Bacon Habanero Quarter Pounder really surprised me - it was spicy! Hot enough to make my nose run a little after trying it for the first time.

I was so impressed that I decided to make my own sauce featuring habanero peppers. To tame the extreme heat I simmer them in pineapple juice. As the juice reduces, it takes on their heat and flavor. I then use the juice to make a barbecue sauce with enough sweet to balance the heat. The end result is a spicy sauce different from McDonald’s, but perfect for adding a little fire to the next backyard barbecue.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I hadn’t worked with habanero peppers in a couple of years before creating this recipe. They’re just way to hot to deal with. I love spicy food but chopping up a raw habanero and throwing it into a dish is almost guaranteeing that it will be to hot to eat. Delicious spicy food is one thing, insane, agonizing, set your ass on fire the next morning food is another.

Food can be painful and habanero pepper will deliver if not treated with the proper respect. The technique employed here is the best way to extract flavor and heat from the pepper, it provides the dish with a hint of the habanero’s power and allows you to actually taste it’s fruity apricot-like essence.

I’m starting work on a habanero aiolo for the near future. I want to create a dipping sauce for french fries that is creamy and spicy. I’m not sure how to accomplish that but it seems like a nice habanero challenge. I just hope that I can get it right the first time and don’t have to suffer through a habanero overload.

They're painful.

Eat well, cook often... 

THE RECIPE
Makes 3 cups; 1 hour
3 Habanero peppers
2 Cinnamon sticks
1 can Pineapple juice (46 oz)
1/4 C Red onion diced
1 Tbs Garlic minced
1 C Ketchup
1/4 C Cider vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs Honey

Make pineapple reduction
Cut slits in sides of the habanero peppers. Place peppers and cinnamon sticks in sauce pan then pour in pineapple juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pineapple juice is reduced by two-thirds or about 1 1/2 cups, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat, discard peppers and cinnamon.

Sauté vegetables, finish sauce
In a sauce pan over medium heat sauté onion in a little olive oil until soft 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more. Add pineapple reduction, ketchup, vinegar, dijon mustard, worcestershire and honey. Mix together with a whisk and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, let cool. Use on grilled meat or as a finishing sauce on burgers.