Salsa Macha

I’ve made Barbara Tropp’s Hot Chili Oil from her cookbook China Moon several times. Though the flavor profiles are different, Chinese vs Mexican, there is some overlap in types of ingredients. She recommends 225° to 250°F for hers.

Since the balance between over cooked and under cooked is so important with these ingredients, are you able to provide an approximate oil temperature for these different steps, similar to a deep fried recipe? 2 cups of oil is a lot, so with the tip of a Thermapen I think there will be enough oil depth that a pretty accurate temperature measurement could be obtained. Maybe the next time you make this, you could reply or update the recipe? Thanks for considering!

I used an 8qt Le Cruset, started at 250, dropped to 235 adding the chiles, and held at 235-245. Chiles didn’t bubble or get crisp. Dropping to low, added the garlic at 240, and dropped to 225 quickly. Barely bubbling, soft and not browned after 5+ minutes at 225-235. Slowly increased to final temp of 280 over 20+ minutes until they were dry and browned. Clearly too low, I raised to 300, did the chiles for 5 more minutes at 300-305, this time bubbling, puffing, and crisping. Nuts + seeds 270-290.

Two weeks ago I made my first batch of Sichuan red oil, primarily for wontons, but with other destinations in mind too. I thought that I was horribly late to the party but in another of those cosmic coincidences salsa macha pops up. Different chilies and vinegar but essentially the same thing under a red, white and green flag. I'm looking forward to trying out the nuanced differences this weekend.

Morita chiles are just a variety of chipotle chili. Most chipotle chiles sold in the US are actually morita chiles, so if you can access chipotle chiles, you will be fine (assuming you're in the US).

I have been making Salsa Macha for a good while. The recipe I was given my Mexican family calls for sesame seeds and pepitas. Also a LOT more chile de arbol peppers. Try different ingredients and make it your own. It is delicious!

I adjusted the method with excellent results: - add garlic, seeds, peanuts, and oil to pan all together and put over medium-high heat, cook around 5 minutes, until seeds begin to turn golden and a little color starts to appear around edges of garlic - remove from heat, and add deseeded chiles, chopped/torn into small (1/4 inch max) pieces - let cool 15 minutes off heat in pan, then stir in vinegar and sugar - process as instructed in step 5

Haven't made this yet, but reading step 3: is it really a good idea to add vinegar to hot oil?

I've been making this using a similar recipe from Rick Bayless, which has you cook the nuts and seeds with halved garlic cloves over medium high heat around 5 min until golden. Then add the chiles snipped into 1/4" pieces, take off the heat, stir and let cool . The hot oil toasts the chiles without burning. Then add the vinegar and salt and blend until chopped, I use a stick blender. Delicious.

Oh, and do this in a medium sized saucepan, no need to mess around with a skillet. When it gets hot the oil bubbles gets super active... nobody wants to deal with a hot oil spill.

Terrible recipe. Although it says to cook peppers 8min(!) they burned to a crisp within a min. Looking at other recipes they say either to turn off the heat and add peppers or cook only for 30s. The vinegar bubbles and splatters like crazy when added to the hot oil. Will make again using re ope from another source.

I had all the ingredients on hand so decided to try! Peppers blackened even though cooked on low. I let them cool in the oil after frying garlic, etc. Removed and tossed and then just let a jar of roasted peppers rest in the oil. I added some chili flakes . Don't know what I made but it looks exactly the same and is delicious!

Also: to those who mention the timing: NONE of the timing works. Everything is burned.

Depends on if the allergy is only to peanuts or all nuts if the former than maybe a walnut or pine nut would work well. Maybe cashew? If the latter I'd stick with sunflower or maybe sesame seeds. Though of course the end result is going to be different.

An easier way to make this is to use two saucepans and a fine strainer. After you've cooked the chilis, pour the contents through the strainer to your second pan. In that pan, cook the garlic, pour the contents through the strainer to the first pan. ...