This is a rip-off of the hot salsa you find at Rubio’s. I originally found the recipe on a Chowhound thread and tweaked it a little further to make it as close to perfect as I could get it. So, here we go:
Ingredients:
1 can of tomato sauce (15 ounce)
2 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Method:
Put the tomato sauce, sugar and salt in a saucepan, and set it aside.
Put the chili flakes in a non-stick frying pan. Cook them for 5-7 minutes on medium heat, turning very frequently. You want to turn them close to black, without burning them. It’s a very fine line. Be careful.
When they’re done, run 2/3 of the flakes through a coffee grinder then add them all to the sauce. Stir and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Let it cool in the refrigerator for an hour or so and serve.
Warning: This gets ugly. Cooking the flakes releases the oils which fills the air with a teargas-like experience. Running them through the coffee grinder takes it to a whole new level. Do this in a well-ventalated area with all your fans blowing. Better yet, do these steps outside, if possible.
