Mama Chance's Kick Ass Hot Sauce... That Would Be Me

 When my daughter was in college at the University of Texas - Austin, she and her friends took to calling me Mama Chance and they all loved my hot sauce. As a result, my salsa evolved into being called Mama Chance's Hot Salsa. It is how I'm still referred to, to this very day. I kind of like it because it sounds just so sassy! You know. Like I could I could kick some bad guy's ass. Hahahaha! Yeah. Right. I'd probably be dead. However, if I threw this in a bad guy's face he'd be in pain for a very long time. ;-)



We love hot salsa in this house. We eat a lot of Mexican food, and I make a lot of Mexican dishes, so having a hot salsa on hand is a must.



Yesterday I made what I consider to be the absolute best hot salsa I've ever made. I mean, haven't you been there before? You just know when you (even accidentally) have nailed a recipe just right. It was just kind of magical that everything fell into place the way it did. It had the right amount of thickness, while not being too thick. It also has the right amount of heat, while not being unbearable to eat. It. Is. Perfect. While my hot suace is always good, there have been years that I haven't quite gotten it to the point that I want to be. Sometimes it's been too hot, sometimes too thick, sometimes too runny and sometimes not hot enough. Somehow, I managed to get it just right this year.



So, I'd like to share my recipe with you because I'm generous like that. Here it is:



Mama Chance's Kick Ass Hot Sauce:


Ingredients:

4 quarts of peeled, seeded fresh tomatoes (or you can use canned tomatoes since they are picked at the height of their flavor)

3 large yellow onions

1 large can of tomato juice (you could even substitute with bloody mary mix if that's all you've got)

20 cloves of garlic

2 green bell peppers

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

10 large jalapeno peppers

8 habanero peppers

1 bunch of cilantro

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:



1. Using a food processor, pulse all ingredients (in batches) and place in a dutch oven or stock pot. Bring nearly to a boil and reduce to simmer.

2. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Stir every 10 minutes or so to make sure that nothing sticks to the bottom.



3. When done, use a ladle to spoon the salsa into canning jars. Place the lids on the jars and add the rings, making sure to not tighten too much, as that can sometimes compromise the seal.



4. Have the jars and lids ready at this point. Turn over and allow to stay that way for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. When turned right side up each jar should pop or already have popped. If one doesn't seal (pop) you either need to put in a hot water bath or just store it in the fridge and consume rather quickly. After opened, the contents last for approximately two weeks.

5. Of course, you are most welcome to adjust the amount of ingredients to your personal taste and I wish you good luck with that. Proceed with caution is perhaps my best advice.