Homemade Hot Sauce

Homemade Hot Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 medium chile peppers, such as poblano, New Mexico or Anaheim, diced
• 2-4 habanero peppers, or other small hot chile peppers, stemmed, halved and seeded (see Tip)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1-3 teaspoons sugar

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, chile peppers, habaneros to taste and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, vinegar, salt and sugar to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
3. Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot ingredients.) Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; pour the pureed mixture through the sieve, pushing on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid. (Discard solids.) Let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 1½ hours.