Food Blog

I got some free habaneros a week ago, and I’ve being experimenting with them (see the soup), although very conservatively. They’re brilliantly hot, but I find I can get them to just be a hint of heat and flavor by using them sparingly. I threw a minced square inch of it into a BBQ sauced pork loin and it wasn’t really enough. But I did come up with this applesauce which will become one of my staples. It turned out rather mild, but I’m sure it’s easy to make this as firey as you want with a little more habanero or one of its ribs. Keep in mind these peppers can vary in heat so exercise caution.

Not my best photograph, but it illustrates its color next to some panko-coated fried pork cutlets.

a cored, peeled and diced granny smith apple
a square inch of minced habanero
a minced carrot
a shake of powdered ginger (although minced fresh stuff might make a nice touch)
1 T apple juice
1 T Datu Puti Sukang Maasim cane vinegar

Maybe that last ingredient is a little obscure, but the slightly sweet Phillipino cane vinegar is perfect for this. I think I picked it up at Lincolnwood Produce. I imagine apple cider vinegar would work too, but I haven’t tried it.

If you have a small food processor or chopper, pulse all the ingredients a few times to get an applesauce consistency. The bright habanero flavor shines through the apple sweetness that’s cut by the mild acidity. You may have to strain it a bit if it’s too wet. This stuff is awesome on pork.