Vietnamese-Style Sate Chile Sauce

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   1) Food process the garlic, shallots and lemon grass separately. (An electric mini-chopper works very well for this task.) Get the garlic and shallots to a fine mince, and the lemon grass well processed, but not to powder.

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   2) Put 14 tablespoons (that's 1 cup less 2 tablespoons) oil in a small saucepan and add garlic. Heat over medium low and after the mixture starts bubbling and making sizzling sounds, lower the heat to the low. Let fry on low, low heat for 5 minutes.

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   3) Add the shallot and keep frying on low heat for 10 minutes more. It should gently sizzle without browning.

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   4) Add the lemongrass and let fry on low for another 10-15 minutes, until the lemongrass is fragrant, toasty, and has sunken into the oil.

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   5) Add the minced fresh chiles and fry for 5 minutes to release their oil and turn the mixture pale orange.

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   6) Add the crushed red pepper and fry for 5-10 minutes, until there's a nutty, spicy smelling heat.

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   7) Stir in the Sriracha to achieve the desired color -- orange red. About 3 to 4 tablespoons should do it. Then stir in the fish sauce, sugar, salt, and MSG. Adjust the heat to lightly bubble and let cook 1 or 2 minutes longer.

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   8) Turn off the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust with a little more sugar to tame the heat, fish sauce or salt for savoriness, or a bit more Sriracha for extra heat. If you add sugar, warm up the mixture and stir it to dissolve the sugar. There should be a layer of oil floating on top to cover. If not, add more oil as needed to barely cover the top.

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   For a smoother texture, use a stick blender or food processor to grind the mixture finely. Allow to cool completely before transferring to a jar. Store at room temperature for daily use or in the refrigerator for infrequent use and longer keeping.

No additional tips available.