The Unexpected Relish Swap For Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce can be a great way to add an umami kick to things like cocktail sauce and red meat dishes, but it also contains some ingredients that unfortunately make it unavailable to people with certain dietary restrictions. Recipes vary between brands, but traditionally Worcestershire contains both anchovies and barley malt vinegar, which means it's off the table for vegetarians and those with gluten intolerances. Thankfully, there are plenty of substitutions for this savory sauce. If you can't eat Worcestershire or simply want to try something new, get ready to whip up some chow chow.

Chow chow is a relish made of pickled vegetables with roots in the southern United States. There are different versions of chow chow depending on what region of the country you're in, but green tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions are a few staple ingredients. Chow chow can be spicy or mild, though a bit of spice may make it more similar to Worcestershire sauce. It can be added to dishes like chili, barbecue, or anything else you would typically add relish to.

This relish is incredibly customizable, but for a standard southern version you'll need green tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, green chili peppers, cloves, allspice, salt, cinnamon, sugar, horseradish, and white vinegar. Chop up the tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers, and combine them in a bowl with a few pinches of salt. Leave the mixture alone for around 12 hours. The salt will extract liquid from the vegetables, which you should separate before you mix in chopped chili peppers, vinegar, sugar, and horseradish. Then, grab a cheesecloth and fill it with spices like cinnamon and allspice, and a few shakes of ground cloves. Put the wrapped spices into the vegetable mix and boil everything for 15 minutes.

Once everything is soft, portion your chow chow into airtight jars and stow them away for a couple of weeks before you open one up, at which point you should store it in the refrigerator. If you keep the jar closed, your homemade relish should last a year. Along with being a delicious vegetarian replacement for Worcestershire sauce, chow chow is a wonderful condiment in its own right. Whether you add it to hot dogs or enjoy it as a spread, this relish will have you ready to chow down on more.