Salsa Macha with Peanuts, Sesame and Three Chiles

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A deeply savory Mexican chile oil built by slowly infusing warm oil with garlic, peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, then three dried chiles for smoke, fruit and heat. Pulsed just enough to stay crunchy and spoonable, it keeps for weeks and makes everything from eggs to grilled steak taste like it came from a restaurant kitchen.

Ingredients

• 5 dried guajillo chiles (about 1 oz), stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles (about 1 oz), stemmed and seeded
• 15 dried chiles de árbol, stems removed
• 2 dried morita or chipotle meco chiles, stemmed (optional, for smoke

• 1 1/2 cups neutral oil such as grapeseed, avocado or canola
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup raw skinless peanuts
• 1/4 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 3 tbsp raw sesame seeds

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano

Instructions

1. Tear the guajillo, ancho and morita chiles into rough 1-inch pieces, discarding stems and most seeds (leave the árbol chiles whole). Wipe them with a dry towel if dusty; do not rinse. Set all chiles near the stove — once the oil is hot, things move quickly.
2. Combine the neutral oil and olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Bring the oil to 275°F on an instant-read or candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Holding this low temperature is the whole technique: hotter oil scorches chiles and turns the salsa bitter.
3. Add the sliced garlic and fry, stirring often, until pale gold and just beginning to color at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift the garlic out with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel.
4. Add the peanuts to the oil and fry, stirring, until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Scoop them out to the plate. Add the pumpkin seeds and fry until they puff and pop, about 60 seconds, then remove. Add the sesame seeds and fry just until sandy gold, 30 to 45 seconds, then remove. Keep the oil between 265°F and 285°F throughout, adjusting the burner as needed.
5. Turn off the heat and let the oil drop to about 250°F, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the guajillo, ancho and morita pieces and stir constantly for 45 to 60 seconds — they should sizzle quietly, darken slightly and smell toasty, never smoky-acrid. Add the chiles de árbol and stir 20 seconds more.
6. Immediately stir in the vinegar, piloncillo, salt and oregano (the vinegar will hiss and stop the cooking). Return the garlic, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds to the pan, stir, and let everything steep off the heat until fully cool, at least 45 minutes. This cooling steep is where the flavor is made.
7. Transfer everything to a food processor. Pulse in short 1-second bursts, 12 to 18 times, scraping down once, until the chiles and nuts are broken into coarse flecks but you can still see distinct pieces — aim for a chunky, spoonable texture, not a purée. Taste and add salt in 1/4-teaspoon increments until the flavor pops.
8. Pour into a clean pint jar or two half-pint jars, making sure the solids are submerged under oil. Let rest at room temperature for at least 4 hours (overnight is better) before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 months; the oil will thicken when cold, so let it sit out 15 minutes and stir before spooning.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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