Hot Pepper School
We headed out to Quesada in Burnaby to sample some burritos and caught up with founder Steve Gill who demoed his hot pepper recipes and made some spicy salsa!
Their chicken burritos were fantastic and their burrito bowls a great way to get your veggies in.
Check out our video below for the salsa method!
Steve’s Top 3 Hot Pepper Recipes
Steve Gill, Founder and CEO of Quesada Burritos & Tacos is constantly in the kitchen experimenting with different flavours. To help recreate fresh and flavourful Mexican-inspired recipes at home, Steve shares his tips & tricks to cooking with hot peppers with his recipes for Ancho Adobo Marinade, Chile De Arbol Oil and Salsa Roja. Enjoy!
Ancho Adobo Marinade
| Ingredients
4 Garlic cloves 10 Ancho Chiles 2 Pasilla Chiles 2 tsp Salt 1-inch Cinnamon Stick 2 cloves 1 tsp Coriander 1 tsp Cumin 2 Tbsp. Oregano ½ cup White Vinegar
|
Method
1. Roast garlic in foil at 350F for 30-40 minutes until soft. 2. Peel skins. 3. Rehydrate chiles in hot water for 30 minutes. Remove stem and seeds. 4. Grind spices. 5. Combine all in ingredients in blender and process to form a paste. |
Chile De Arbol Oil
| Ingredients
½ oz. Chile de Arbol 2 Garlic cloves – smashed ¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil ½ tsp Coarse Salt
|
Method
1. Heat oil over medium heat until about to boil. 2. Add garlic to oil until browned. a. Remove, set aside 3. Add Chile de Arbol to oil until slightly blackened. 30-45 seconds. Watch closely. a. Remove, set aside 4. Remove pan from heat and allow oil to cool until just warm 5. Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high until thoroughly combined. 6. Add salt to taste and blend some more.
Once cooled, store in refrigerator.
|
Salsa Roja
| Ingredients
4 Tomatillos 3 Medium Tomatoes ⅓ cup Water 10-20 Chile de Arbol (Depending on desired heat level) 1 Garlic clove 1 tsp Oregano ½ Small onion ½ tsp Salt 1/3 cup water
|
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 450F. 2. Bring small pan of water to boil 3. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse to remove soap-like film. a. Place tomatillos in boiling water and boil for approx. 10 minutes until soft but not broken. b. Remove from boiling water, set aside 4. Place Chile de Arbol on baking tray into heated oven and roast for 60 seconds until slightly blackened. a. Remove and grind the chiles. b. Be careful to avoid contact with eyes. 5. Wash and score the tomatoes with an X pattern across the top. a. Place on baking sheet in oven and roast for 10 minutes until soft and slightly charred 6. Combine roasted tomatoes, blackened chiles, boiled tomatillos with garlic, oregano, onions, salt and water in container and blend on high until desired consistency. 7. Place salsa in small pot and simmer for 10 minutes to smooth out flavours. |
About Quesada
Quesada is a homegrown Canadian success story started by an active guy with a passion for snowboarding and Mexican food. Steve Gill loved a good burrito after a day on the hill. In 2004, he finally decided to leave his well-paying tech job to open the first Quesada in Toronto on Wellington Street. People thought he was crazy. He proved them wrong! There are now nearly 59 locations and growing across Canada and Steve vows that nothing at Quesada will ever come from a can.
*sponsored by Quesada
Fresh salsa is sooo good! And obviously easy to adjust the heat to your preference… I love how it seemed to be right at your tolerance point and yet so mild to him. XD