Food by VICE

Salsa De Hormiga Recipe

This salsa is versatile (read: magical) and makes a perfect finishing sauce on any kind of grilled meat, seafood, or roasted veggies—especially when all of the above is wrapped up in a tortilla.

by Alfonso Garcia
Jun 8 2015, 10:24pm

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup canola oil
handful of whole "Japones" chilis, dried
handful of whole chiles de arbol, dried
3 habaneros, dried
"three fingers worth" oregano
"three fingers worth" cumin seeds
"three fingers worth" thyme
"three fingers worth" marjoram
"three fingers worth" black peppercorns
one head garlic, peeled
3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tablet Mexican-style chocolate (such as Abuelita's)
1 small nub of fresh ginger, peeled
10 bay leaves, dried
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 white onion, peeled and sliced
kosher salt, to taste


1. In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, heat up the two oils until right before smoking.

2. Add the chilis, stem and all, and fry in the oil until nicely browned and extremely aromatic. Remove chilis from heat and let oil cool.

3. In a blender, combine all ingredients (except for the chilis) with the chili-infused oil. Blend until smooth.

4. When mixture is smooth, add the chilis and pulse until the texture is chunky. Salt to taste and enjoy.

From My Time as a Mexican Cop Made Me a Better Street Vendor in Los Angeles