Salsa Mahca (Puebla-Tlaxcala Style)

1Let's get these chiles ready! This step is key to getting the perfect balance of heat and flavor in our dish, so we'll walk through the details together. First, gather your dried chiles: the árbol, the morita, and the pasilla. We need to remove the stems first. Use kitchen shears or a small, sharp knife to gently snip the stiff little stem off the top of each chile. Next, we'll deal with the seeds, which are the primary source of heat. For the árbol chiles, we want them to contribute a nice, assertive warmth. Hold them over a trash can and give them a good, vigorous shake to remove most of the seeds. It's perfectly fine if a few seeds remain; we want to keep that sharp, quick heat they offer (I tend to keep a few more here as I like a punch). Toss them in a bowl. Now for the morita and pasilla chiles. These are mostly here for their wonderful smoky, fruity depth, not intense heat. Remove the stems and all of the seeds, tearing them into smaller pieces (3-4) and place them in the same bowl. Set aside

2Let's get these nuts and seeds perfectly toasted! This step is wonderful for building a deep, nutty base for your salsa. To start, grab a small saucepan and pour in your ½ cup of neutral oil & 2 Tbsp of lard (it really adds a fantastic richness!). Place the pan over medium-low heat. We are aiming for a gentle, consistent warmth here. Once the oil is warmed and looks a little shimmery (this usually takes about 2–3 minutes), carefully add the peanuts. The temperature should be just right, you should hear them sizzle gently, not bubble up too aggressively. Now, this is a low-and-slow process, so take your time! Stir the peanuts frequently with a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula to make sure they toast evenly and don't scorch on the bottom. Keep a close eye on them; this will take approximately 5 minutes. Now add the pepitas in. We are just looking for a light golden brown here, so this wont take long. Keep the pan moving so not to burn. Finish off by adding in the sesame seeds. These will only take about 30-45 seconds to bloom their oils and extract that nutty, toasted flavor. Remove all of your solids to a bowl, leaving the oil in the pan to continue building flavors.

3Now it’s time for a really exciting step: blooming the chiles! This process is essential for developing a deep, rich flavor, so let’s pay close attention to the heat and timing—it happens quickly. If you’ve been frying other ingredients, please reduce the heat under your oil to low, or even medium-low. You know your stove best, but the goal is for the oil to be warm and hot, but definitely not smoking or scorching hot, which would burn the chiles instantly. Gently add all of the dried chiles into the warm oil. Keep your eyes on the pan and have your slotted spoon or spider strainer ready. Give the chiles a gentle stir to make sure the oil touches every surface evenly. We are looking for a very specific transformation: the chiles will darken just a little, become flexible, and, most importantly, they will release a wonderful, deep, nutty, roasted aroma. This may only take 10-20 seconds, so work quickly. Once you are there - remove immediately as burned chilis = bitter Macha.

4Now that those gorgeous dried chiles have had a moment to cool down, just a brief rest so they are easier to handle without burning your fingers. It's time to move them onto your cutting board. They should feel pleasantly warm to the touch, not scorching hot. Next, gather your toasted nuts & the cooled, fried chiles. Gently scoop them up and place them together in a nice pile right in the center of your largest, cleanest cutting board. This is where we start transforming these ingredients, and it will require a little bit of effort! Using your chef’s knife, you’re going to begin turning this pile into a coarse, textured "chili powder." Start by roughly chopping the entire pile together. Use a rocking motion with your knife across the mound of ingredients. Don't worry about making it perfect right now; the goal is just to break down the larger pieces. Continue until you have things integrated, and about the size of sesame seeds. Broken down like this the chilis will be free to infuse the oil with their goodness.

5Let's get the salsa base ready for its final warm-up. Take the remaining one cup of neutral oil and pour it into your saucepan. We want a gentle warmth here, so turn the heat to low, or medium-low at the very most. Let the oil warm up for about one minute. You'll notice it start to shimmer faintly, which is our signal that it's ready. Now, gently slide all those beautiful ingredients together: the onion & garlic, the chilis and nuts, and lets mix in our final ingredients: salt, Mexican oregano (it helps to lightly crush it between your palms as you drop it in to release those wonderful essential oils) & piloncillo into the sauce pan with the warm oil. Give it a quick, sturdy stir to make sure everything is mixing together nicely.

6Time to create texture. Let's let this wonderful salsa cool down a bit. It’s really important to let it rest for a full 10 minutes before we do anything. This cooling time is key for two reasons: safety (we don't want to process scalding hot oil - but we do sometimes....) and texture (slightly cooled ingredients give us a much better, less greasy result). Transfer everything into your food processor. Now comes the exciting part: pulsing! Our goal here is to create a coarse, crunchy, spoonable texture, not a smooth paste. We want lots of amazing texture! Use the pulse function very briefly. Aim for about 3 to 5 quick bursts, each lasting less than half a second. We’re just encouraging the nuts and chiles to break down into smaller pieces so the flavors can mix beautifully while still keeping distinct visual and textural contrasts. Once things settle a bit after the pulse's, you should see chili flakes, nut bits, oil pooling - not paste. Once there take your finger off the trigger! Stir in the vinegar and adjust the salt to your taste. Flavors develop more even after resting for 30 minutes, but i like to pop it in the fridge for a day before using to really bring it home..