Pique - Puerto Rican Hot Sauce
Pique is the term used for a household recipe that is traditional to Puerto Rico. It's main ingredients are vinegar and hot peppers. Add it to your beans, chili, rice and chicken, or even soup for a delightful kick.
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Gloves
- Glass container
Ingredients
- 10 oz white vinegar
- 3 serrano peppers
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- 3 fingerhot peppers
- 3 longhot peppers green and red
- 3 garlic cloves
- cilantro
- salt
- 1 tsp peppercorns
Instructions
Preparing the hot sauce
- Prepare glass a container where pique will be stored by cleaning and drying thoroughly.
- Put on gloves to protect your skin from oils of the hot peppers.
- Cut stems from all hot peppers and roughly slice just small enough for pepper to fit into neck of your glass container.
- Peel garlic cloves and slice in half. This is mainly for it to fit into the glass container and to release some of the oils within.
- Roughly chop a few cilantro stems.
- Place all prepped hot peppers, garlic, and cilantro into the glass container.
- Add salt and peppercorns
- Pour vinegar until glass container is almost full, leaving just about a finger-width of air to allow for easier mixing later.
Allowing to cure
- Close glass container and allow to cure for 2-14 days in a warm place. It is customary to place on top of your refrigerator, or by your stove in the kitchen.
- After the pique has cured, you should store the hot sauce in the refrigerator.
Refilling your pique
- Every time your pique container is about half-empty, it is recommended that you add more hot peppers and vinegar. Continuing this process will result in a unique flavor based on your preferred balance of hot peppers.
Notes
Though I list 2 days for the resting time, I highly recommend you wait at least 2 weeks for optimum flavor and spice. After this time, you should refrigerate your hot sauce.