An authentic Mexican salsa recipe with toasted tomatoes, tomatillos, and dried arbol chilies. The smokey flavor added by lightly charring them makes this recipe stand out. Tomatillos add a layer of sweetness to the flavor of the salsa. This restaurant quality Mexican salsa will impress your friends. I won a salsa contest with it. If you’re careful with the salt this is a very healthy condiment or addition to a dish.

It’s really important if you cook in a tiny kitchen to narrow down your appliances to those that can perform many functions. If you have a bigger kitchen and have the countertop space and the money to spend, by all means get a food processor or a Molcajete. If you already have a food processor, use that.

Another trick is charring the tomatoes, tomatillos, and arbol chilies. The tiny kitchen way to do it is to quickly pan sear the tomatoes and tomatillos in a cast iron skillet on very high heat or broil them in the oven with a bit of oil so they don’t stick. The skins should lightly char and will start to crack. You will get a very aromatic smokiness. You want to take care and not cook them. It’s important that the salsa has a fresh, raw taste and good texture. If you happen to have an outdoor gas grill then you can char them on that and skip the pan or broiler. This may take some practice. Don’t worry, you can still eat your mistakes. Use a butane torch on the dried arbol chilies until you can smell the aroma but do not burn them.

I always keep more than one type of refillable butane torches around. They are not only good for cooking inside, but for starting a BBQ or fire pit outside in the wind.

EQUIPMENT: Ninja blender, butane torch, cast iron skillet, wooden cutting board, chef’s knife

Authentic Mexican Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa

Recipe by Anna Stockel Cuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

An authentic Mexican salsa recipe with toasted tomatoes, tomatillos, and dried arbol chilies. The smokey flavor added by charring them makes this recipe stand out. Tomatillos add a layer of sweetness to the flavor of the salsa.

Ingredients

• 2 red, meaty, tomatoes such as plum or heirloom

• 2 tomatillos

• 2 dried arbol chilies

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1/2 white onion, cut into 4 wedges

• 4 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

• Briefly soak the tomatillos in room temperature water until the skins peel away easily. Remove all the skins and discard.
• Pan toast, broil, or grill the tomatoes and tomatillos. Place in a bowl to cool.
• Use a butane torch to lightly toast the arbol chilies. Stop as soon as you smell the smokiness. Remove the stems and cut them into 1/4″ pieces with a very sharp knife. Save the seeds. If you are sensitive to capsician use only one chili.
• Add the salt, garlic, chilies with seeds, and 1/4 cup of liquid from the tomatoes and tomatillos to the Ninja blender smoothie cup. Pulse until a fine texture is achieved. Add more liquid if needed.
• Add onion and pulse until a small dice is achieved. Add more liquid if needed. Use a spatula to transfer contents to the blender attachment.
• Drain the juice from the tomatoes and tomatillos and set aside. Add the tomatoes and tomatillos to the blender attachment and pulse until desired chunkiness. Add more liquid if needed.
• Taste and correct the salt. If more heat is desired add your favorite hot sauce.
• Serve in a decorative bowl topped with the cilantro. Accompany with chips or vegetables, such as endive lettuce scoops. Or add to your favorite dish. Freshly made salsa amps the flavor of any protein, whether it be cooked Mexican or American style.