Homemade Mexican Chile Oil (Salsa Macha)

Heat the olive oil in the frying pan over medium to medium-low heat. It shouldn't be really hot or smoking! If using a cast iron skillet, know that it retains its heat once brought up to temp, so it is easy to burn the ingredients — be careful of the temp and move quickly.

Fry the garlic slices until golden brown (about 1 minute), then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool off a bit.

Fry the chile peppers for about a minute in the same oil, until their color darkens. Remove and set aside.

Fry the peanuts in the skillet until they reach golden brown (about 1 minute). Remove and set aside. The peanuts can be hard to remove with a slotted spoon, so you can pour the contents through a sieve into a bowl; reserve the oil and set the peanuts aside to cool.

Add the sesame seeds and the vinegar to the blender along with the garlic, peppers, and peanuts. Pulse until the desired consistency is reached. Leave some bits — you don't want to turn the chile oil into chile paste!

Pour into a bowl or jar and add the oil back in. Mix well and add salt to taste.