PDA

View Full Version : Quest for sriracha chili sauce


Grendal
08-18-2011, 05:38 PM
Well Today's the day I've completed my quest for sriracha...both fermented and fresh.

What is sriracha? A thai hot sauce. Absolutely delishious. Typically made from hot peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Some sriracha has fish sauce in it but the commercial ones don't list fish sauce. I don't have any at hand but I've made both a fresh and fermented version as close as I can get.

Well here's the fremented one.


¾ pounds Fresno, Holland (long), Jalapeno or Cayenne chiles, snipped, halved lengthwise and coarsely chopped (any of them will do, can mix if you'd like)
2 cloves garlic
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
Water, as needed

Combine the chiles, garlic, salt, and sugar in a food processor and chop finely to a texture like that of wet oatmeal. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl or jar and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, until small bubbles have formed under the surface of the mixture. If a little fuzzy mold forms, lift it off with a fork or knife and discard.

Put the fermented mixture and vinegar into small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a blender and puree for about 3 minute, until a smooth, orange-red mixture forms. Add the water to facilitate the pureeing, if needed.

Position a fine mesh strainer over a clean bowl. Then pass the chile sauce through, pressing on the solids with a spatula or spoon to extract as much chile sauce as possible. The mixture is often slightly too thick for me so I’ll stir 1 tablespoon of water into the finished chile sauce. Let the flavor develop and bloom for a few hours before using. Taste it and make any flavor adjustment with salt, sugar or vinegar. Place in jars and process 10 minutes in water bath canner.

(makes 1.5 half pint jars, so double and use 3 jars ^_^ )

The Fresh version is nice too.

¾ pounds Fresno, Holland (long) or Cayenne chiles, snipped, halved lengthwise and coarsely chopped (again they all will work)
4 cloves garlic
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ to 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup water

Put the chiles, garlic, salt, sugar, vinegar and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to vigorously simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Transfer to a blender and puree for about 5 minutes, until a smooth, orange-red mixture forms. Add water by the teaspoon to help the pureeing, if needed. It will be needed but it does make it easy.

Position a fine mesh strainer over a clean bowl. Then pass the chile sauce through, pressing on the solids with a spatula or spoon to extract as much chile sauce as possible. If the mixture is too thick, stir in water by the tablespoon of water. Let the flavor develop and bloom for a few hours before using. Taste it and make any flavor adjustment with salt, sugar or vinegar. Place in a jars and process for 10 minutes.

Now many people will ask me what do you make with it. I make many things.

I make my own buffalo ranch dressing for chicken wings.

For 1 cup sriracha you use 1 cup blue cheese dressing, and for every 2 cups of this mix you add in 1/2 cup of ranch dressing.

This mix can go on wings, ribs, chips, toasted breads, sandwiches, burgers, the list goes on.


My favorite is what I call Texan thai fries.

1 bag of frozen steak fries
1 bag of shredded cheese blend
1 package of bacon
1 jar of jalapeno peppers
1 green onion

Spread the fries evenly over a cookie sheet and bake according to package.

Line strips of bacon on another cookie sheet and bake until crispy.

When the fries and bacon are done remove from the oven.

Add a thick layer of cheese and jalapenos. Sprinkle on chopped green
peppers, top it off with your sauce and crumble the bacon on top of the fries.

I find in this that a blend of sriracha and blue cheese dressing works best, but ranch and sriracha will do quite nicely.

Return to the oven and bake until the cheese melts.


Sriracha marinara sauce for pasta!

Add a spoonful of Sriracha and you've got instant arrabiata to toss with your favorite cooked pasta.

Cocktail sauce

Stir Sriracha into ketchup along with a spoonful of horseradish, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice; serve with fresh shrimp, oysters, and clams.

Sriracha ketchup

Just mix into ketchup and spread on a burger or sandwich.

Deviled eggs

Mash the yolks of halved hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Sriracha, minced celery, and fresh chives; spoon into egg whites and garnish with celery leaves.

Garlic bread

Whisk Sriracha, minced garlic, and melted butter in a small bowl; brush over cut sides of bread. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino or Parmesan and broil until toasted.

Sriracha veggies

Heat oil in a large skillet; add fresh corn kernels, a handful of chopped fresh cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a spoonful of Sriracha; toss with a mix of wild mushrooms or squash and peas.

Sriracha brines

For every quart of brine Add a spoonful of Sriracha.

Egg salad

Mix chopped hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, pickle relish, and Sriracha.

The list goes on =)

Grendal
08-18-2011, 05:40 PM
Had to make room so this one got removed...and now it's being added back in.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

Hot Chili Mayo
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam - can omit)
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Sandwiches
2 cups coarsely grated carrots
2 cups coarsely grated peeled daikon (Japanese white radish)
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)
Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles
16 large fresh cilantro sprigs

stir the hot chili mayo ingredients in a bowl.

Make meatballs by lining a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet.Bake on oiled cookie sheet without plastic wrap.

Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes.

Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette tops.