HABANERO-CITRUS HOT SAUCE
About 1 cup
This thin and punchy Yucatecan-style hot sauce is the perfect accompaniment to Braised Carnitas, or any grilled or broiled fish, poultry, or meat. We also enjoy it with raw oysters on the half shell or mashed into an avocado. Pan-roasting and steeping the habaneros in citrus juice makes them surprisingly mellow. That said, this is a truly hot sauce, so use carefully.
Place in a medium dry skillet over medium heat:
- 4 green onions, white parts only (reserve the green tops)
- 6 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 2 to 4 habanero peppers, to taste
Cook the onions, garlic, and habaneros, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides and the garlic is softened. They may not cook at the same rate, so remove them from the skillet as they are done. Peel the garlic and remove the stems from the habaneros. Add them to a blender, along with the green onion bottoms and reserved green tops and:
- ¾ cup sour orange juice, or equal parts orange juice and lime juice
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Blend until smooth. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.