Salsa Macha is hot, and I mean that literally and figuratively. Not surprisingly it was named the most valuable condiment of 2020 by the New York Times. And that is outside of Mexico. In Mexico, Salsa Macha has been popular for ages, and for good reason.
The name of this salsa refers to the fact that it is extremely spicy, so if you are brave enough to eat this super hot condiment, you are considered a Macho. Its origin is argued between Veracruz and Oaxaca, but the Olmecs were already mixing toasted dried chiles with palm oil to make a condiment that would last a long time. Veracruz and Oaxaca share a border, so we could say it could belong to both. Today, the difference in the salsas made in Veracruz to the ones made in Oaxaca is the type of chiles and other ingredients used: in Veracruz they typically use dried morita and cuaresmeño chiles, along with peanuts, whereas in Oaxaca they use chile cascabel and grasshoppers. It is very obvious to me that the Salsas Machas of today are a fusion of ingredients that came after colonization, and Veracruz was a major port where foreign ships arrived, so it is not surprising to see sesame seeds in most recipes.
The three ingredients that MUST be in a Salsa Macha are dried chiles, oil and nuts or seeds, so the beauty lies in the creation of the flavour profile for it. I like mine to be really spicy, so the bulk of my recipe is chile de árbol, but then I like to add other types of chiles to give it different notes - earthiness from the anchos, brightness from the guajillos and even more intensity from the piquines. For crunch, I love peanuts and sesame seeds equally, so one day I will use peanuts (like today) and other days I will use pumpkin seeds, but you could certainly mix them up. Sesame seeds are essential, as well as a bit of vinegar to add acidity. Another must is the garlic (are you thinking chili crisp here? there certainly is a similarity!), which gives this salsa that real crave-worthy appeal. Lastly, the Mexican oregano - though optional - it does add a herbaceous tone to the salsa, yet another dimension.
The technique is very easy, and the only real thing to keep an eye on is how fast you cook that garlic. I like to put the oil, peanuts, sesame seeds and garlic in the saucepan, then turn on the heat to medium high for a couple of minutes. When I start to see little bubbles appear on the edges of the pan, I turn the heat down to medium - medium low and keep an eye on that garlic. It will slowly start getting golden, and when you see it get golden on the edges and whitish on the centres, then turn off the heat, add the chiles and let it cool for 10 minutes. The other important thing is to dissolve the salt in the vinegar before adding it to the oil, as salt doesn't dissolve easily in oil. After the mixture is cooled completely, then it goes to the blender, but make sure you leave some chunky texture in your salsa - it should never be completely smooth.
Salsa Macha lasts forever! Well, not forever because you will want to put it in everything. It is really delicious on seafood, on all manner of tacos and antojitos, pizza or grilled meats… you can add some of the oil to your favourite noodles or pasta sauce (arrabbiata anyone?)… need I go on?
I hope you make a batch of Salsa Macha and make it part of your repertoire. It will really be a game changer!
SALSA MACHA
Spicy Chili Oil Salsa
2 cups grapeseed, vegetable or olive oil
1/3 cup (40g) raw peanuts
1 Tbsp (10g) raw sesame seeds
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thick
3/4 cup chile de árbol (20g), cut into 1” pieces
2 chile guajillo (15g), stemmed and seeded, cut into 1” pieces
2 chile ancho (20g), stemmed and seeded, cut into 1” pieces
2 Tbsp (5g) chile piquín
1 Tbsp (15g) apple cider or pineapple vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano (optional)
In medium saucepan, place oil, peanuts, sesame seeds and garlic. Turn on the heat to medium high and when you see small bubbles on the edges of the oil, turn heat down to medium - medium low.
Continue to cook until garlic is golden around the edges but still white in the centre.
Add the chiles and turn off the heat. Mix well so all chiles are coated. They will cook in the residual heat.
Let mixture cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve salt in the vinegar completely. After the 10 minutes, add vinegar salt mixture and Mexican oregano to the pot and let cool completely.
Once mixture is cool, transfer to a blender. Blend slowly, making sure you leave some texture in your salsa, it should have chunks of nuts and chiles. Transfer to a glass jar.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups.