Chilean Chili Pepper Salsa: Chancho En Piedra Recipe

Chancho en piedra is a version of the traditional chilean salsa called pebre. Pebre is typically a mix of chopped onions and garlic, red chili pepper paste, green peppers, and cilantro. Chancho en piedra usually has tomatoes and a more sauce-like consistency, as it's traditionally prepared in a stone mortar and pestle called a chancho en piedra. (the word chancho means "Pig" But the verb chancar means "To grind" (and apparently comes from the quechua language). The mortar may have had a name based on the word chancar but over time it changed to chancho. Some stone mortars do have "Legs" And resemble animals). Interestingly, chancho en piedra is also the name of a chilean funk rock band. To make chancho en piedra, the garlic, spices, and chili peppers are ground to a smooth paste with the crushed tomatoes. It's almost like an uncooked italian pasta sauce. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can make this sauce in a food processor or blender instead. Feel free to adjust the amounts of chili pepper and seasonings to suit your personal taste, but the tomatoes should definitely be peeled. Serve this salsa with bread for dipping, cheese, or with plain unsweetened sopaipillas.