Quality ๐ฅ Sauce from the ❤️ of Dragon Country ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ
We have a range of hot sauces in production as well as fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, honey garlic, canned tomatoes, ketchup, mustards and fermented beverages like kombucha.
a generous handful of roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp sumac, plus extra for sprinkling
170g authentic Greek yogurt
zest of 1 lemon and 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
Get your BBQ grill up to temperature and with a large pan, toast your pistachios, let cool and chop.
In a bowl, mix the pistachios, diced pork, herbs and spices together with a generous pinch of salt, then form the mix, set aside for the pork to absorb the flavours.
For the slaw, toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan for 1 minute; tip into a bowl. Toast the nigella seeds for 30 seconds and add.
Shred the cabbage and fennel; slice the radishes and apricots. Add to the bowl with the parsley, seeds and 1 teaspoon sumac; toss.
In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with the lemon zest and juice, the honey and some salt.
Using your large pan on the BBQ, cook the pork and pistachio mixture for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through. Barbecue the wraps for a minute on each side. Remove the pork and pistachio mix from the BBQ; serve in the wraps with the slaw, with drizzled dressing, a little pomegranate molasses and a sprinkle of sumac.
Now I already know what you are thinking? Smoked beef tongue? I’ll pass. However, if you make this smoked beef tongue you will make all your friends tongues wagging for more.
There are several different ways to prepare beef tongue. Some folks will boil it, braise it or in my case smoke it. And when done cooking, you can slice it up for a sammich or make into tacos de lengua.
Tongue isn’t always the easiest to find but, there are many online organic butchers that can source them with some notice. Most cow tongues are in the three to four pound range.
Smoked Beef Tongue — Quick Guide
Here is what you will need for this recipe:
Cow tongue
2 cups of water
1 onion quartered
6 to 8 cloves (not clove powder, the real deal)
6 to 8 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
A pressure cooker or stewpot
Steps for pre-smoking your beef tongue:
Wash your beef tongue thoroughly
Place steamer rack into pressure cooker (stewpot alternative below)
Put beef tongue on steamer rack
Pour in water and all ingredients
Close your pressure cooker and use stew setting (if on an Instapot) or set timer for 45 minutes
You will want to let the pressure naturally release itself
The alternative stewpot method is to place your beef tongue into a stewpot and use enough water to cover the beef tongue. Then add all of your ingredients and cover your stewpot. You will want to simmer the beef tongue for two to three hours.
Once you have finished your pressure cook or simmering of the beef tongue, you will want to cool the beef tongue enough so that you can easily handle the beef tongue. At this point, you will want to peel off the skin that surrounds the beef tongue. You can smoke right away, however I put my beef tongue into the fridge for an overnight nap.
Cooled and Peeled Beef Tongue
Preparing Your Beef Tongue For Smoking
The first thing I always do when smoking any meat is to pull my meat out of the refrigerator before I start my smoker. I typically like to have my meats sit in room temperature for an hour before I begin smoking my meats.
Fire up your smoker and in this smoke, I used my Big Green Egg for smoking. You will be targeting a pit temp of 225 Fahrenheit.
While you have your smoker at 225 degrees it is now time to prep the beef tongue.
Here is what you will need for smoking your beef tongue:
Aluminum pan filled with ice
Pecan wood chunks or another heavy or hearty wood such as oak, beef or even hickory
Dijon mustard
All purpose or beef rub of your choice.
Place your beef tongue on to a plastic cutting board and slather a thin layer on one side of the tongue with dijon mustard. Next you will want to sprinkle on your rub. Flip the tongue over and repeat until the you have rub on the entire tongue.
How to Smoke Smoked Beef Tongue
Once you have completely rubbed your beef tongue, head back to your smoker. Place your wood chunks on top of the charcoal and then put your platesetter in feet up for the Big Green Egg. For those on a Kamado Joe, put in the divide and conquer system and the heat deflectors on top of the X-grate.
Next take your aluminum pan filled with ice and place on to your platesetter or heat deflectors. Place a stainless steel grate on top of the aluminum pan. The aluminum pan acts as not only a drip pan, but as the ice as it melts helps to keep the beef tongue stay nice and juicy.
Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the beef tongue. Do not place into the long part of the tongue as that is the thinnest part of tongue and will smoke the fastest.
Close the lid of your smoker and grab your favorite libation and now relax.
You will want to smoke the beef tongue until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees. I would highly suggest using a Thermapen or other instant thermometer to check multiple places with the beef tongue.
Total smoke time should be about two to three hours and I also flipped my tongue over at about and hour.
Beef Tongue Before Slicing
Eating Your Smoked Beef Tongue
Once you have smoked your beef tongue to an internal temperature of 150, remove from the smoker and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. Generally speaking, I like to let my tongue cool all the way down before I slice.
When you cool down your tongue it is easier to slice, but most of the time I just cannot resist.
You can thinly slice the smoked beef tongue with your brisket knife and this makes excellent sandwiches. You can also slice and then chop the beef tongue for making tacos de lengua.
Sliced Smoked Beef Tongue
What ever way you prepare your smoked beef tongue, you and your guests will have just eaten the most freaking delicious beef tongue ever.
You don't need any eggs for this bacon wrapped jalapeno popper stuffed chicken breast. Based this off a #BBQPitBoys recipe, thanks for putting this together.
For this Chicken Dragon Eggs recipe you need the following ingredients:
• Chicken Breasts
• Pork Belly Bacon
• Garlic Cream Cheese
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Your Favorite Cheese)
• Your Favorite Seasoning / Rub
• Roasted Red Pepper Paste
• Chipotle Paste
• Jalapeno
Method:
1. Slice the chicken breast in half and using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, bash the chicken flat until it reaches an even thickness.
2. Mix the pepper and chipotle paste together and spread over the pounded breasts.
3. Cut the jalapeno in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds, fill with cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese and place along the natural fold in the chicken.
4. Wrap the jalapeno with pounded chicken breast.
5. Season the chicken breast with your favourite spice mix and wrap the chicken breast with the pork belly bacon.
6. Glaze the chicken half way through with the remaining pepper and chipotle paste.
7. Place over indirect heat and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F [74°C]. I like to place mine in the smoker for that additional smokey flavour ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ
We have all heard of Smokin’ Ed Currie of the PuckerButt Pepper Company.
The man that attained hot-pepper cult status in 2013, when he premiered the Carolina Reaper, the hottest hot pepper at the time at up to 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
His world record-breaking achievement was surpassed in early 2017 by the Dragon’s Breath, a chili accidentally bred by a competitive Welsh gardener ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ trying to breed an attractive plant for the #chelseaflowershow.
Now, Smokin’ Ed is back with what he says beats the taste bud-searing heat of both peppers.
The mythical “Pepper X” took 10 years to develop. It reportedly clocks in at 3.18 million SHU.
(For comparison, the Dragon’s Breath chili lands at 2.48 million SHU and a jalapeรฑo at just 5000 SHU)
#PepperX isn't officially the world's hottest yet—Smokin’ Ed is still waiting in anticipation for verification from the @guinnessworldrecords committee and still remains unconfirmed by as of June 2020.
4-5 lbs. pork shoulder (adjust recipe for larger pork shoulder)
Rub:
2 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp garlic power
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp gran luchito smoked fajita rub
For the rub to stick:
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp honey
Glaze:
380g bottle gran luchito tinga taco
180g honey
2 tbsp gran luchito smoke fajita rub
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp gran luchito chipotle paste
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Mop mist:
Bottle of dry/medium cider
3 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
Equipment:
BBQ smoker
Water pan
Meat thermometer
Lumpwood charcoal
Wood chunks (I recommend apple and Oak)
Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Light your smoker and stabilize temperature at 225°F-250°F.
Step 2: Remove pork from packaging, rinse under cold water, and pat dry.
Step 3: Remove the skin and trim the fat leaving an even coating of fat that keeps the pork moist during the cook.
Step 4: Mix the dijon mustard with the honey and coat the entire piece of meat very lightly. This is going to add just a little sweetness to the pork but is mostly used as a binder for the rub and to help form that incredible bark.
Step 5: Combine the ingredients for the rub in a bowl and mix well. Coat pork generously with rub. As you can see below, don’t be shy with this rub. It’s going to add some amazing flavor to your pork.
Step 6: Drop wood chunks onto hot coals and place pork on the top rack of your smoker, place your water pan **filled with water** directly underneath the meat to catch the dripping fat and add some moisture to the air. Insert your meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the meat to enable you to monitor the internal temperature of the meat.
Step 7: While pork is cooking, combine the glaze ingredients in a pan over a low flame, mixing thoroughly, allow to thicken slightly and set aside to cool.
Step 8: Remove the pork when internal temp reaches 160°F, this will take about 2-3 hours. You will notice how the fat is starting to render down and baste the meat.
Step 9: Place pork on a double layer of tin foil. A double layer is really important to avoid a mess on your grill. Add your Tinga glaze to the pork. When wrapping your pork shoulder, it’s important to do so as tightly as possible to prevent the pork from steaming—this will adversely affect your bark.
Step 10: Return to cooker until the internal temperature reaches 198°F-200°F (the pork will continue to cook after removing and the internal temperature should reach 205°F, this is important to achieve a breakdown of the collagen inside the pork. At this point, the pork should be probe tender (a toothpick should easily slide in and out of the pork with little to no resistance).
Step 11: Open the foil and let steam out. Let the shoulder sit open for about 20 minutes.
Step 12: At this point you can pull the pork, but if you have the time once the steam has dissipated, recover with foil let it rest for a couple hours in an insulated cooler. Simply wrap the foil covered pork in an old, but clean, towel to keep it warm while it rests.
Step 13: Pull the pork and ensure the juices that formed are mixed thoroughly into the pulled pork. Spray down with some of the apple cider mist to help cut the fattiness of the pork or some of the leftover tinga glaze.
Step 14: Serve hot on a roll with some raw slaw/dill pickles—or both.
Perfect for a cold, rainy day and served with creamy mash and BBQ baked beans.
Ingredients:
Beef mince 500g
Pork mince 500g
Smoked bacon 500g
Dried chillies:
New mexico red 2
Arbol 2
Chipotle 4
Guajillo 2
Ancho 2
Carolina reaper 2
minced garlic cloves 4
Smoked paprika 2 tsp
Ground black pepper 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Brown sugar 1 tbsp
Grated ginger 1 thumb
Grated carrot 1 medium
Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp
Tomato ketchup 4 tbsp
Beef stock cube 1
Bread crumbs 180g
Beaten egg 1
Firm mozzarella cheese 250g
Method:
* Take 2 of each dried chilli, take off the stalks and break up into small pieces placing into a large bowl or jug.
Cover with water and place cling film over the top to allow them to rehydrate, set aside for 1 hour.
* Dice the bacon and place in a large mixing bowl with the pork, beef, garlic, ginger, spices, half the salt, bread, carrot and egg.
Mix thoroughly until all of the ingredients are incorporated together.
Divide this mixture into two halves.
* Once the chilli's have rehydrated, remove some of the residual liquid allowing just enough to blend them up with a stick/stand blender.
Add your ketchup, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, half of the salt and beef stock cube to the mix and blend again until the sauce is smooth and thick.
* Take a medium oven proof casserole dish and lightly oil the bottom.
Place half of the meat mixture in to the dish, making sure the mixture is distributed evenly.
Take a spoon and spread approximately half of the chilli mixture over the bottom layer.
* Cut your mozzarella into long half cm slices and divide into two.
Place half of the cheese in the centre of the mixture allowing a border to allow the top mixture to bind to the bottom edges.
* Take the second half of the mixture and cover the bottom meat, sauce and cheese evenly.
Cover with foil and place in an oven on low (160C = 325F = Gas Mark 3) for 1 hour.
* After 1 hour, remove the foil and the meatloaf should have shrank away from the dish a little with the sauce bubbling away at the edges.
Baste with any remaining sauce and place the last half of the mozzarella over the top to melt (I would recommend transferring to a grill/salamander at this point to allow the cheese to melt thoroughly and the sauce to slightly caramelise)
* Once done allow to cool slightly and I always serve with a mound of buttery soft mash potatoes and a tin of baked beans.
Little tip** take any residual juice from the dish and mix in to the cooking beans for that extra spice.
* In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, coriander stalks and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more, then add tomato pureรฉ, stirring to combine.
* Add minced beef and sausage, cook until no longer pink. Drain fat and return to heat.
* Add chilli powder, paste, chocolate, cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, and season generously with salt and pepper.
* Pour in the stock, lime juice, kidney beans and chopped tomatoes and bring chilli to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
* Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
* Ladle into bowls and toppings and serve with long grain rice.
For the biscuit base, blitz the biscuits in a blender or food processor (or put in a bag and bash with a rolling pin) until it forms the texture of fine breadcrumbs and transfer to a bowl. Stir the butter into the biscuit crumbs. Press the mixture into the base of a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed, preferably springform, round cake tin. Put in the freezer to set while you make the caramel.
For the salted caramel filling, place the butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Melt over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it starts to bubble. Allow to bubble for a minute, then remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes. Pour over the biscuit base and return to the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until it is set.
For the chocolate mousse, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Leave to melt, stirring occasionally. Once melted, stir in the chillies, remove from the heat and leave to cool a little. Whisk the cream in a large bowl until it forms soft peaks and pour the chocolate into the cream, along with the cocoa nibs. Mix thoroughly until it is no longer streaky, then spoon over the caramel, making the top as smooth as possible. Freeze for a further 30 minutes or transfer to the fridge and leave until ready to serve.
For the praline, line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar into a saucepan over a medium heat and stir constantly until the sugar has melted. Carefully add the water from the chillies and mix well. Stir in the nuts. Pour onto the baking tray, spreading it out as quickly as possible as it will continue to cook off the heat. Leave to cool until hard and brittle. Break into shards.
For the topping, whisk the cream with the icing sugar until it forms soft peaks. Swirl the cream over the chocolate mousse with the back of a spoon and top with shards of praline. Sprinkle over the lime zest and finish with sprinkle of Mexican chilli powder.
Prik is the transliteration of the Thai word ‘เธเธฃิเธ' which means chili. If you simply used the word on its own you will likely get the super hot bird's eye chili which is what Thai's call Thai chili.
Prik king paste or phrik khing paste is a very spicy paste that is used to make pad prik king curry. Pad prik recipes use this paste to make the dry southern-style Thai curry which is dry and cooked without coconut milk.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken Thighs *300 grams
Long Green Beans *100 grams
Phrik Khing Curry Paste *3 tbsp
Ginger Roots *1 thumb
Kaffir Lime Leaves *5 leaves
Fish Sauce *2 tbsp
Brown Sugar or Palm Sugar *1 tbsp
Seasoning Sauce *1.5 tbsp
Olive Oil *1 tbsp
Spur Chilli's *1 sliced for garnish
Birds Eye Chilli's *To Taste
PREPARATION
Wash the long green beans and cut into 1 inch lengths. Tear the kaffir leaves half removing the thicker stem and centre vein. Slice up the finger ginger roots lengthwise, and wash the pepper corns (if using) and set aside.
Thinly slice / cube chicken and marinate with 1 tablespoon of seasoning sauce, set aside.
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan until quite hot.
Stir fry the chicken until nearly done and then add the Prik King (Red Curry) paste and continue to stir fry until fragrant. At this point I like to ramp up the spice by crushing a few Thai chilli's in with the Prik King paste to add extra heat, this is optional and to your pallet.
Add sliced finger ginger roots, long green beans, kaffir leaves and mix,
Add seasoning sauce, fish sauce (if using), brown sugar or palm sugar, and stir to mix.
When chicken is cooked through scoop up onto a serving plate.
Garnished with chili spur for colour and serve with jasmine rice.
While the peppers definitely look different, all colors are actually all the same fruit in varying levels of maturity. The peppers start off green, then turn yellow, and finally red (but some of the time the orange or yellow is the fully mature color). Green peppers taste more bitter than their counterparts because they lack the same chemicals and vitamins that the more mature fruits develop. Thanks to a supply of chemicals like vitamin C and beta-carotene, orange and red bell peppers have a much sweeter taste. You may have noticed that these differences affect the prices at the grocery store. Jalapeรฑos also turn red, but are usually picked before they're ripe.
Being #veganuary and wanting to get some healthy heat into my diet I came across this recipe and adapted it for my pallet ๐ฅ๐ถ️๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ
Really enjoyed the results and I'm thinking of making this a permanent addition to my regular go to recipes.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp (30 ml) grape seed or coconut oil
1 white or yellow onion, diced (110 g)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper, divided (plus more to taste)
148g dry red lentils, thoroughly rinsed in cold water + drained
1 can kidney beans, slightly drained
1 can black beans, slightly drained
1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or maple syrup)
optional: 1 can sweet corn, drained
Chilli heatwave/lightly salted Doritos chips
Fresh chopped coriander
Avocado
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, and red pepper. Season with a healthy pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Sautรฉ for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add jalapeรฑo and garlic to a mortar and pestle and crush into a rough paste (alternatively, blend in a small food processor, or finely mince). Add to the pot with onion and red pepper, and season with another pinch salt and pepper.
Add 2 TBSP chili powder, 1 TBSP cumin, 2 TSP paprika, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a low boil over medium high heat.
Once boiling, add lentils and reduce heat to medium-low or low, so it's at a gentle simmer. You want to see bubbles, but you don't want it boiling. Cook for 15 minutes, or until lentils are mostly tender. As it's cooking you may need to add more water if the mixture is looking too dry and the lentils aren't submerged (I didn't find that necessary).
Next add kidney beans, black beans, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, and remaining 1 Tbsp cumin, and 1 Tbsp chili powder, and stir to combine.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat slightly to low (or medium-low), add corn (optional), cover, and gently simmer for 20 minutes to meld the flavors together. Stir occasionally.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more chili powder or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, or a little coconut sugar to balance the heat and draw out the other flavors.
Serve as is, or garnished with chili cheese fritos, fresh jalapeรฑo, cilantro, red onion, and/or avocado (optional).
One of my favourite Sunday morning breakfast dishes. Simple to prepare, beautifully bright and warming. I like to make mine with a spicy, fresh salsa for that extra zing ๐ฅ
INGREDIENTS
For the hash
1lbbaby red potatoes
2Tbspcooking oil
1/2lbMexican uncooked chorizo
1yellow onion
1green bell pepper
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 tspchili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 spring onions, sliced
4large fried eggs
4Tbspsour cream
For the salsa
5 medium tomatoes - deseeded and finely chopped
1 onion - finely chopped
3-4 green chillies - finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt - or to taste
Finely chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons beer
Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Place in the fridge for the flavours to develop for about an hour.
Serve as a topping on whatever dish you want. This goes well with crisps too.
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash the potatoes well, then place them in a large sauce pot and cover with water. Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Boil the potatoes just until they are tender enough to pierce with a fork, but not so soft that they'll fall apart when pierced (about 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes). Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly.
While the potatoes are boiling, begin cooking the chorizo. Heat a large skillet over medium, then add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Swirl the oil to coat the surface, then add the chorizo (if it's in links, squeeze it out of the casing into the skillet). Cook the chorizo, breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks, until it's brown, crispy, and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked chorizo to a clean bowl.
While the chorizo is cooking, finely dice the bell pepper and onion. After removing the chorizo from the skillet, add the diced bell pepper and onion to the remaining fat and oil in the skillet, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sautรฉ the onion and bell pepper until they are soft and browned on the edges (5-7 minutes). The moisture from the vegetables should help loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, which will in turn flavor the vegetables. Use the slotted spoon to remove the cooked bell pepper and onion to the bowl with the chorizo.
While the bell pepper and onion are cooking, dice the boiled potatoes into 1/4-inch cubes. After removing the bell pepper and onion from the skillet, add an additional tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the diced potatoes along with another pinch of salt and pepper, and a smoked paprika and chili powder. Cook the potatoes in the hot oil, stirring only occasionally, until the potatoes are brown and crispy (about 10 minutes). Avoid stirring too often as this will prevent the potatoes from forming a brown crispy exterior.
Finally, add the chorizo, bell pepper, and onion back to the skillet and stir to combine. Top with sliced spring onion. Divide the hash between four plates, add a fried egg, and top with a dollop of sour cream and salsa.
While capsaicin may burn and irritate the flesh of mammals, birds are completely immune to its effects. As a result, birds are largely responsible for helping wild peppers spread by eating them and excreting the seeds.
3 tbsp of Chilli Wizards 'Hells Chilli Powder' (link below)
1.5 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan, then grind down in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Try to get as fine a powder as possible.
Using a sharp knife, following the grain of the meat, cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) thick lengths and place in a non-metallic container.
Combine all the spices and sprinkle into the meat with a tablespoon. Sprinkle the vinegar on and rub everything in thoroughly.
Cover the container and let your biltong cure for 12 hours in the fridge, turning the meat occasionally.
Remove the meat from the container and pat dry with kitchen towels, taking care not to remove too much of the spice.
Add a hook to the thickest end of each length. Plastic-covered paper clips make for a cheap solution. Hang in your biltong box, or in a well aired, ventilated space with a fan blowing gently to increase air flow. Do not point directly at the meat (to avoid case hardening). Make sure none of the pieces are touching. Place some newspaper below the meat to catch any liquid.
Drying times will vary with humidity, airflow and temperature. Test the readiness of your biltong every couple of days by squeezing the sides together with clean fingers. If you feel any give in the meat, it’s still ‘wet’ inside.
Once ready, cut into thin slices with a sharp knife and enjoy some of the best meat you’ll ever eat.
Recipe Notes
Note:- if using venison or game, or cheaper cuts of beef, add 2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda to tenderise the meat.
If you’ve ever eaten a chili pepper, you might have noticed that the second bite is hotter than the first. Some people believe it’s because the seeds are the spiciest part, but it’s actually the flesh near them that sets your tongue on fire. The part of the pepper closest to the stem is usually the hotter part because it has the highest concentration of capsaicin. These components of the pepper irritate the skin and cause your mouth to feel that distinct burning pain.
Peel and finely slice the onions and garlic. Finely slice the peppers and chillies.
Get a large frying pan (make sure you’ve got a lid to go with it) on a high heat and add several good lugs of olive oil.
Add the onion, garlic, peppers, fresh and dried chillies, bay leaves and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and cook for 15 minutes, or until to softened and caramelised, stirring regularly.
Pour in the tomatoes, using a spoon or potato masher to break them up. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a medium heat and cook for a further 5 minutes to reduce the sauce.
When you’ve got a nice thick tomato stew consistency, have a taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Slice the fresh tomatoes and lay them over the top of the mixture.
Use a spoon to make small wells in the tomato stew, then crack in the eggs so they poach in the thick, delicious juices – try to crack them in as quickly as you can so they all get to cook for roughly the same amount of time.
Season from a height, put the lid on and let the eggs cook for around 3 to 4 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
Warm the tortillas while this is happening. You can pop them into the oven at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for a few minutes, microwave them for a few seconds or even lay them over the lid of the pan so they heat up as the eggs cook.
Take the lid off and check your eggs by giving them a poke with your finger. When they’re done to your liking, turn the heat off and take the pan to the table with the warmed tortillas, the Cheddar and a grater so everyone can get involved and make their own. Personally, I like to grate a bit of cheese right on to a warm tortilla, spoon an egg and some of the wonderful tomato stew on top, Tabasco to taste.... wake up to this nice and spicy breakfast ๐ค
