Chef Lupita
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Pickled Simojovel Chiles (Chiles Simojovel en Vinagre)
Created by
Chiapas highland chile simojovel, smoke-dried and cured in vinegar with garlic, bay, carrot, onion, and oregano, made to sit on the table beside beans, eggs, and caldo.
Sauces & Condiments
Mexican
Make Ahead
Batch Cooking
Comfort Food
20 min
Active Time
10 min cook•30 min total
Yield2 pint jars
Chiapas, the highland route between San Cristobal de las Casas and Simojovel, is where this jar belongs. Chile simojovel is small, red, smoke-dried, and serious. It is not pasilla. Do not let anyone sell you pasilla and call it close enough. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado. They know the difference.
This is a table preserve, not a salsa. The vinegar carries garlic, bay leaf, Mexican oregano, carrot, and onion, then it pulls the smoke and heat from the chile over a day or two. A home cook in the highlands keeps a jar like this for beans, eggs, caldo, rice, and whatever needs discipline at the table. The chile does not shout. It stays in the vinegar and waits.
I learned this kind of curtido from women who cooked for markets before sunrise, women who understood that preserving a chile is household economy. When the fresh chile is gone, the jar remains. That is the point. Mexican cooking is not decoration, it is work. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.
Use a rough Chiapas clay bowl when you put it on the table, or a clean glass jar with a spoon beside it. No fine plating. No costume. Cada estado, su propia cocina.
Chile simojovel is tied to Simojovel de Allende in northern Chiapas, a region known for small smoked chiles sold through highland markets rather than through the national dried-chile trade. Vinegar preserves became common in Mexican household kitchens after Spanish-introduced sugarcane vinegar and fruit vinegars met older Indigenous preservation habits based on drying, salting, and smoking. In Chiapas, these jars carry the logic of the highlands: preserve the chile when it is available, then use it through the year as a sharp, smoky condiment.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
dried chile simojovel
Quantity
2 ounces
stems trimmed, chiles left whole
white vinegar
Quantity
1 cup
apple cider vinegar
Quantity
1 cup
water
Quantity
1/2 cup
carrot
Quantity
1 medium
peeled and sliced into thin coins
white onion
Quantity
1/2 small
sliced into thin half-moons
garlic cloves
Quantity
6
lightly crushed
bay leaves
Quantity
2
dried Mexican oregano
Quantity
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
black peppercorns
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
sugar or grated piloncillo
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
vegetable oil
Quantity
1 tablespoon
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| dried chile simojovelstems trimmed, chiles left whole | 2 ounces |
| white vinegar | 1 cup |
| apple cider vinegar | 1 cup |
| water | 1/2 cup |
| carrotpeeled and sliced into thin coins | 1 medium |
| white onionsliced into thin half-moons | 1/2 small |
| garlic cloveslightly crushed | 6 |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| dried Mexican oregano | 1 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1 teaspoon |
| black peppercorns | 1/2 teaspoon |
| sugar or grated piloncillo | 1/2 teaspoon |
| vegetable oil | 1 tablespoon |
Equipment Needed
- •Small clay cazuela or stainless steel saucepan
- •Two clean pint jars with tight lids
- •Wooden spoon
- •Tongs for packing the hot chiles
Instructions
- 1
Clean the chiles
Look through the chile simojovel and remove any broken stems or dusty pieces. Wipe the chiles with a dry cloth. Do not rinse them unless they are truly dirty, because water dulls the smoked aroma. Leave them whole so the vinegar pulls heat slowly from the seeds.
- 2
Soften the aromatics
Heat the oil in a small clay cazuela or stainless saucepan over medium. Add the carrot, white onion, and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the onion loses its raw edge and the garlic smells sweet. You are not browning anything. This is a pickle, not a sofrito.
- 3
Build the vinegar
Add the white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, water, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, salt, peppercorns, and sugar or piloncillo. Bring it just to a simmer and stir until the salt dissolves. Taste the liquid. It should be sharp, salty, and lightly aromatic. If it tastes flat now, it will taste flat in the jar.
- 4
Wake the simojovel
Add the chile simojovel and press them under the hot vinegar with a spoon. Simmer for 2 minutes only. The skins will darken and soften, and the smoked smell will rise from the pan. Do not boil them hard. You want the chile to open, not collapse.
- 5
Pack the jars
Divide the chiles, carrot, onion, garlic, and bay leaves between two clean pint jars. Pour the hot vinegar over them, making sure the chiles are fully covered. Tap the jars gently on the counter to release trapped air. If a chile sits above the liquid, push it down. Anything exposed will spoil faster.
- 6
Rest before eating
Let the jars cool, then cover and refrigerate. Wait at least 24 hours before eating. After three days, the vinegar will taste smoky and the carrots will carry the chile heat. That is when the jar starts doing its work. Serve a few chiles and vegetables beside black beans, eggs, caldo de pollo, or a plate of rice. Así se hace y punto.
Chef Tips
- •Buy chile simojovel from a Chiapas vendor if you can, especially in markets around San Cristobal de las Casas, Tuxtla Gutierrez, or from sellers who bring product from Simojovel. It should smell smoky and fruity, not dusty or moldy.
- •Chile simojovel is not chile pasilla. Pasilla is longer, darker, and raisiny. Simojovel is smaller, hotter, and smoke-dried. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
- •Use white vinegar for sharpness and apple cider vinegar for roundness. All white vinegar works, but the jar tastes harder. All apple cider vinegar works, but it can cover the chile. Half and half behaves better.
- •This is refrigerator pickle unless you process the jars with tested canning times for your altitude. Chiapas women knew their jars and their kitchens. You need to know food safety too.
Advance Preparation
- •Make the chiles at least 24 hours before serving. Three days is better.
- •The jars keep refrigerated for 1 month as long as the chiles stay submerged under vinegar and you use a clean spoon every time.
- •The vinegar left in the jar is valuable. Spoon it into beans, caldo, or a quick salsa when the chiles are gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 50g)
Calories
30 calories
Total Fat
1 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
1 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
150 mg
Total Carbohydrates
4 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
1 g
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