Salsa de Cacahuate Guerrerense

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or heavy skillet
• •Volcanic stone molcajete or blender
• •Small clay cazuela or skillet for warming oil
• •Barro serving bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the peanuts

   Set a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the peanuts and toast them for 6 to 8 minutes, moving them constantly, until the skins darken in spots and the peanuts smell deep and roasted. Do not walk away. Peanut goes from golden to bitter faster than people admit. Tip them onto a plate so they stop cooking.

2. 2

   Toast the chiles

   On the same comal, toast the chile de arbol and chile costeno rojo separately. The chile de arbol needs only 10 to 15 seconds per side. The chile costeno can take a little longer, about 20 seconds per side, until it softens and smells fruity. They should darken, not blacken. Burned chile makes a bitter salsa, and no blender will save you.

   Chile costeno is not guajillo. It has a coastal fruitiness and a sharper perfume. If your market has it, use it by name. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
3. 3

   Char the garlic

   Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on the comal and roast them for 5 to 7 minutes, turning often, until the skins are blackened in patches and the cloves feel soft when pressed. Peel them once they are cool enough to handle. Roasted garlic gives sweetness to the salsa without making it polite.

4. 4

   Fry the seeds

   Warm the oil in a small clay cazuela or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sesame seeds and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, just until pale gold. Add the toasted chiles and stir for 20 seconds to wake them in the oil. Pull the pan off the heat before the chiles darken too much. This is where the sauce gets its body and shine.

5. 5

   Grind the salsa

   For a rough table salsa, pound the peanuts, chiles, sesame, roasted garlic, oregano, and salt in a molcajete, adding the warm oil little by little until the paste turns thick and glossy. For the blender, pulse everything with the oil and vinegar until coarse, not smooth. Add warm water one tablespoon at a time only if the blades refuse to move. This salsa should have grit from the peanut. No me vengas con atajos that turn it into peanut butter.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the salsa rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Taste for salt after the rest, because peanuts swallow salt as they sit. Spoon it into a small barro bowl and set it on the table with grilled beef, roast chicken, tacos al pastor, quesadillas, or warm corn tortillas. The oil should settle around the edges and the peanut should stay rough. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Buy peanuts that smell fresh and sweet, never dusty. Old peanuts turn rancid and ruin the salsa before you light the comal. Si no conoces el mercado, no conoces la cocina.
• •Leave some peanut skins on if they are clean and well toasted. They add color and a faint bitterness that works with the chile costeno. Do not use honey-roasted peanuts. That is candy, not salsa.
• •A molcajete gives the best texture. A blender works if you pulse and stop before it becomes smooth. This salsa should be coarse enough to cling to grilled meat.
• •If you cannot find chile costeno rojo, use two more chile de arbol and one small chile ancho for body. But understand what you are missing: the coastal chile's dry fruit flavor and Guerrero identity.

Advance Preparation

• •The salsa can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated in a clean glass jar. Bring it to room temperature and stir before serving because the peanut thickens when cold.
• •For a looser table salsa, stir in one or two tablespoons of warm water just before serving. For tacos, leave it thick so it grips the tortilla.
• •The flavor is best after at least 20 minutes of resting, when the toasted peanut, chile oil, garlic, and vinegar stop tasting like separate ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 24g)