The Hot Sauce I Put on Practically Everything

When summer shows up, my cooking changes.

Once the sun starts beating down and the evenings stretch longer, I spend a lot more time outside. I’ll fire up the barbecue, bring a plate upstairs, and sit out on the rooftop patio while the sun is still warm on the table.

That’s when this hot sauce usually makes an appearance.

I make a batch of pineapple habanero hot sauce every summer and keep it in the fridge. Once it’s there, it starts showing up on just about everything that comes off the grill. Chicken, shrimp, grilled vegetables, tacos, even the occasional burger. If it comes off the barbecue, chances are a few drops of this end up on it.

It’s sweet from the pineapple, bright from the lime, and then the habanero comes in and reminds you who’s in charge.

And the best part is it takes almost no time to make.

Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: about 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Makes: about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2–3 habanero peppers
• ½ ripe pineapple
• ½ onion
• 1 cup water
• ⅔ cup white vinegar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 8 slices fresh ginger (about a ½-inch piece)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

Start by slicing the pineapple, onion, ginger, and the habaneros. If you want to tame the heat a little, remove the seeds and the white pith from the peppers.

In a saucepan, add the onion, pineapple, habaneros, ginger, and the cup of water. Bring it to a gentle simmer and let it cook for a couple of minutes until everything starts to soften.

Add the sugar and salt, then keep simmering until the onions and peppers are tender, usually another five to ten minutes.

Transfer everything to a blender. Add the vinegar, lime juice, marjoram, and cumin.

Blend until smooth.

Let it cool, taste it, and adjust the seasoning if you want a little more salt or sugar.

Then pour it into hot sauce bottles or a mason jar and keep it in the fridge.

A Couple Notes

If you want the sauce milder, remove the seeds and pith from the habaneros before cooking.

A small funnel helps if you’re filling bottles, but a jar works perfectly.

If you don’t have marjoram, oregano works just fine.

A Few Questions That Always Come Up

How long does it last in the fridge?
A few weeks easily. The vinegar helps preserve it.

Can I use a different vinegar?
Yes. Apple cider vinegar works well and adds a slightly deeper flavor.

What if I don’t have marjoram?
Just substitute oregano or leave it out entirely.

Most summer evenings, when the barbecue’s still warm and the sun is hitting the rooftop patio, this bottle is sitting somewhere on the table.

A couple drops and suddenly whatever came off the grill wakes right up.

Sweet pineapple first.

Then the heat.

After that, it’s hard not to reach for it again on the next bite.