After our intense encounter with the serrano pepper, I decided to do some research on the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) to better understand what we were getting ourselves into. I discovered that while jalapeños range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, serranos can pack a punch between 10,000 and 23,000 SHU. No wonder we had felt the heat so intensely when we tried the serrano on its own!
Armed with this knowledge, I realized that we had set ourselves up for failure by attempting to eat the serrano pepper by itself. It was time for a new approach, and I knew just the thing: my signature eggs.
A couple of days later, I whipped up a batch of my special breakfast concoction. I chopped up a serrano pepper and threw it in with sautéed onions, crispy potatoes, and gooey, melted cheese. The aroma of the spices and the sizzling vegetables filled the kitchen, making our mouths water.
As we sat down to dig in, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Would the serrano still be too hot to handle, or would the other ingredients help to balance out the heat?
To our delight, the eggs were much more appetizing than our previous serrano experience. The savory flavors of the onions, potatoes, and cheese complemented the spiciness of the pepper, making it far more enjoyable to eat. We were able to devour our breakfast without reaching for the milk as desperately as before.
Feeling emboldened by our success, I decided to take things up a notch. I reached for the bottle of El Yucateco Green Chili Sauce, ready to put my taste buds to the test once again. I had learned that this sauce clocked in at around 9,000 SHU, which put it right between the jalapeño and serrano in terms of heat.
I drizzled a generous amount of the green sauce onto my eggs and took a hesitant bite. The heat was definitely there, and it was very spicy for me, but to my surprise, it wasn't as overwhelming as I had expected. The tangy, slightly smoky flavor of the sauce added a new dimension to the dish, and I found myself going back for more.
My grandson, never one to be left out of a spicy adventure, also tried the El Yucateco Green Chili Sauce. He took a big bite, chewed thoughtfully for a moment, and then announced, "It's good!" with a triumphant thumbs up.
I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was clear that our spicy journey had expanded our palates and our appreciation for the wide world of peppers.
As we finished our breakfast, my grandson turned to me with a glint in his eye. "Grandpa," he said, "I still really want to try a habanero."
I chuckled.
"All right, kiddo," I replied, "but let's take it one step at a time. We'll work our way up to the habanero, just like we did with the serrano."
**
Just a quick note for those of you following my grandson’s and my substack adventures, Coastal Fury 45 came out yesterday.
It would be cool if you checked it out.
When a multi-billionaire's daughter vanishes and his wife disappears with her, Marston and Holm are called in to investigate. But as they peel back the layers of this seemingly straightforward case, they uncover a sinister plot that threatens to put their lives on the line.
With a powerful billionaire who has the law in his pocket hot on their heels, Marston and Holm must race against time to find the missing women and bring them to safety. But in a world where money talks and secrets kill, every step they take could be their last.
Can they outsmart their cunning adversary and expose the shocking truth, or will they become the next victims in this deadly game of cat and mouse?