We Call it Asian Crack Sauce for a Reason
This Culantro Pesto Asian Crack Sauce is just about as addictive as actual crack. It’s kinda like an Asian version of my Chimichurri Sauce, but it’s made with culantro instead of cilantro, and includes several other “Asian” ingredients. I have not found another recipe on-line that has these combined ingredients or even similar. This amazing Asian Crack Sauce as I’ve decided to call it, goes well on so many things. I especially like it on chicken, beef, pork or fish, but I’ve actually eaten it simply mixed into a bowl of rice and topped with sliced cucumbers. Leftovers get a whole new life in my kitchen.
We always try new food
My hubby and I were invited to our friend’s house for lunch, and he is a chef from Malaysia. He knows we will try anything, so he doesn’t really have to think about whether we will eat what he serves or not. He made a sauce very similar to this one and said it was Culantro Pesto. I thought he was just pronouncing “cilantro” incorrectly because I had never even heard of culantro. He has never really told me the exact recipe or ingredients, but this tastes VERY close to his and he really liked it when I served it with my Grilled Chinese Five Spice Chicken Wings [recipe coming soon] at our house.
How to Make this Awesome Crack Sauce…
Tear culantro into large chunks, peel garlic cloves, chop Thai red chilies and add all to a food processor. Add all other ingredients except oil and pulse. scrape sides, pulse some more. Pour oil through the hole in the processor lid while it’s running until you reach desired thickness. Taste and adjust if needed.
Other Amazing Green Sauces You Might Like
Italian Basil Pesto with Walnuts
Delicious Chimichurri
Foraged Stinging Nettle Pesto
Culantro Pesto | Asian Crack Sauce
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 4 Ounces Culantro (about 2 cups fresh)
- 5 Teaspoons Garlic (about 5 large cloves)
- 1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper (ground)
- 1/2 Cup Canola Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Honey (mirin, sugar or sweetener of choice)
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Thai Red Chili (or more if you want it spicier)
- 3/4 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Purée all ingredients with a food processor. Sometimes I add additional chopped Thai red chilies after it’s been puréed just to see bigger bits in the mix. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator – it will last for about a month if you don’t devour it before then. Tastes great on just about anything.
Notes
Nutrition
Yes, but know that although culantro and cilantro are very similar, they are not the same. They smell and taste very much alike, but culantro has a bit more pungent flavor so you might want to add more cilantro if your recipe calls for culantro.
Culantro has a stronger flavor and can withstand the heat of cooking unlike cilantro, which is more delicate, and is always added at the end of the cooking process.
The binomial or Latin name for this tropical perennial herb is Eryngium Foetidum, it is also known as recao, shadow beni, Mexican coriander, bhandhania, long coriander, sawtooth coriander and ngò gai.
It is a native plant to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. It’s cultivated worldwide – a perennial in warmer tropical areas and an annual in climates that have cooler seasons.
