Salsa Lizano

Ingredients

The bottle

• 1 bottleof Salsa Lizano

To use it on

• gallo pinto
• casado plates
• grilled meat
• soups and stews

For a homemade approximation

• 2carrots, chopped
• 1onion, chopped
• 1cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbspraisins
• 100 mlwhite vinegar
• 300 mlwater
• 2 tbspbrown sugar
• 1 tbspmolasses
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1/2 tspground turmeric
• 1/2 tspmustard powder
• 1bay leaf
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce

Note

• the commercial sauce is a proprietary recipe and this is only an approximation

Directions

1. Add two or three tablespoons per portion as you fry. Stir it through so every grain takes on the colour. Chop them roughly, since everything will be blended. Peel the cucumber, since the skin adds bitterness.
2. Put the vegetables and raisins in a heavy pan. Add the vinegar, water, sugar and molasses. Add all the spices, the bay leaf and the salt.
3. Bring it to a simmer over a medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer it for twenty-five minutes.
4. Stir it occasionally as it simmers. The vegetables should be completely soft. Stand back a little, since vinegar fumes are sharp.
5. Take the pan off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Let it cool slightly before blending. Blend it until completely smooth. Straining it is what makes it thin. Press it through with the back of a ladle.
6. Discard the fibre left behind. The commercial sauce is thin and pourable. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Taste it and adjust the salt, sugar and vinegar. It should be tangy, faintly sweet and savoury.
7. Pour it into sterilised bottles while warm. It keeps for a month in the fridge. Leave it for a few days before using it.

Technique

• The commercial sauce is a proprietary recipe from 1920 and this is only an approximation.
• On gallo pinto it goes in during the frying rather than at the table.
• Strain the blended sauce, since the commercial version is thin and pourable.

Substitutions

• A bottle of Salsa Lizano, which is what most people should use.
• Worcestershire sauce as a rough stand-in in a pinch.

Variations

• Made slightly hotter, though the original is not hot.
• Made thicker, as a condiment rather than a seasoning.
• With more molasses for a darker sauce.

History

Created in 1920 by the Lizano company in Alajuela; it is the seasoning that distinguishes Costa Rican gallo pinto from the Nicaraguan version.

Frequently asked questions

What is Salsa Lizano?

Salsa Lizano is a sauce & condiment from Costa Rica: thin tangy brown sauce splashed on gallo pinto and casados. Created in 1920 by the Lizano company in Alajuela; it is the seasoning that distinguishes Costa Rican gallo pinto from the Nicaraguan version.

How long does Salsa Lizano take to make?

Salsa Lizano takes 20 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes notes on using a bottle, and an approximation. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Salsa Lizano?

Yes, within limits. A bottle of Salsa Lizano, which is what most people should use. Worcestershire sauce as a rough stand-in in a pinch.

What is the most important thing to get right in Salsa Lizano?

On gallo pinto it goes in during the frying rather than at the table.