Pique (Puerto Rican Hot Sauce)

Blend the flavors of aji dulce, culantro, habaneros, pineapple, and tequila into homemade pique, a thick and tangy Puerto Rican hot sauce.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Calories: 52 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 tablespoons lime juice
• 8 sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped, divided
• 20 habanero peppers, halved
• 5 aji dulce peppers, halved
• 2 sprigs culantro
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 cup white vinegar
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 0.25 cup tequila
• 0.5 teaspoon cacao powder

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 of the onion, habanero peppers, aji dulce, and garlic. Cook and stir until tender, about 3 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

Step 2

Transfer cooled pepper mixture to a blender. Add pineapple juice, lime juice, tequila, vinegar, cilantro, culantro, sugar, oregano, salt, black pepper, cacao powder, and cumin. Blend until sauce is smooth.

Step 3

Pour sauce into a glass bottle with a lid; let stand for a least 1 week to allow flavors to blend.