Salsa Vaquero Rojo is a tangy, wood-smoked sauce that works just as well on street tacos as it does on scrambled eggs. Named in honor of the Fernley Vaqueros, this sauce brings the heat and is destined to be a hometown favorite.
What starts as a simple can of $0.50 tomato sauce, spices and vinegar is magically transformed by the oldest trick in the book: cast iron, smoke and flame. It’s like having a bottle of the Old West right in your refrigerator.
Beyond flavor, this recipe is as frugal as the old Vaqueros were resourceful. While a premium smoked sauce at the store might run you $5, this batch costs less than $0.75. By making Salsa Vaquero Rojo at home, the average household saves about $100 a year. That’s almost half the cost of a pass to Night in the Country, just by swapping a barcode for a BBQ grill.
Ingredients:
1 blender or stick blender (emulsifier)
1 cast iron pan
1 grill (charcoal or gas)
Mesquite chips (for smoking)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1.5 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in iron pan and blend with stick blender. If using a countertop blender, blend and transfer back to pan.
- Place wood chips in a metal smokebox or foil “bag” and place on grill. When smoke begins, place pan of sauce on top rack on opposite side of lit burner.
- Let sauce cook approximately 20 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool, blend a final time.
- Transfer to a squeeze bottle (new from store or recycled).
Makes about 10 oz.
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