Michelle Tam's Nom Nom Paleo Sriracha

Ingredients

Makes 4 cups

1 1⁄2 pounds fresh red jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar        
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons honey                        
2 tablespoons Red Boat Fish Sauce
1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preparation

1. First, prep your veggies. I’ve found that removing the seeds and most of the ribs from the jalapeño peppers produces a sauce of moderate heat, which is my personal preference. If you like to breathe fire and have a Teflon gastrointestinal tract, feel free to keep the ribs and seeds, and/or use hotter peppers (like serranos or even Lumbre peppers).
   
   
2. Throw everything into a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix or Blendtec) or a turbocharged food processor. A regular food processor will also work — but you’ll want to cut the peppers and garlic into smaller pieces, and blitz the ingredients longer. Otherwise, your sauce may end up on the chunky side.
   
   
3. Purée until smooth. Don’t worry about the froth on top — it’ll cook off later.
   
   
4. Pour the purée into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
   
   
5. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to low
   
   
6. and maintain a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. By cooking the sauce, we concentrate and deepen the flavors, and cut the sharpness of the raw garlic.
   
   
7. Once the foam subsides, the sauce should be a vibrant red color, and you shouldn’t be able to detect any raw vegetable smell.
   
   
8. Taste and adjust for seasoning if necessary.
   
   
9. Transfer the Sriracha to a jar (or three) and allow the sauce to cool. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.