Sriracha Pimento Cheese

One batch yields about 1 ⅓ cups. See the main post for riffs and variations. You can take Pimento Cheese in many directions.

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese spread, sriracha

Servings: 6

8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons (1 ½ to 2 ounces) finely chopped peeled, roasted sweet red peppers
3 tablespoons regular mayonnaise or Sriracha mayonnaise/aioli
2 to 3 teaspoons Sriracha, Chili Garlic Sauce, or Sambal Oelek
½ to 1 teaspoon finely grated yellow onion
⅛ to ¼ teaspoons fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce
2 pinches sugar

Cut the cheddar cheese into small dice, or grate it on the largest hole of a box grater then roughly chopped into a coarse texture. You can do some of both, if you want a nice varied texture. Set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the red pepper, mayonnaise, sriracha, onion, fish sauce (or Worcestershire) and sugar. Dump in the cheese and stir to combine.
Let sit for 10 minutes to develop flavor, then revisit to taste. Add fish sauce (or Worcestershire) for umami depth. Sriracha for a slight edge of heat. Pimento cheese it not overly hot. It’s a thick, chunky spread, not a dip.
If you can wait, cover and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate for up to several days. Enjoy at room temperature and stir things up before using. Use a spreader or something sturdy to scoop the stuff up with. I like all kinds of crackers, potato chips, and celery sticks.

A recipe for homemade chili garlic sauce is here