Fried Salsa (Red and Green)

Fried Salsa? Why fry your salsa? Flavor! The easiest way for me to explain the difference between a plain boiled salsa and a fried salsa is this. Would you rather eat boiled onions or onions that have been fried in some oil and are beginning to caramelize? I vote for B, fried! Four salsa recipes on today’s post! That’s if you want to get technical. The video recipes of fried red and green salsa are different than the written recipes at the end of the blog post. If you have never tried frying your salsa in natural rendered pork lard, it’s definitely DELICIOUS! All in moderation, of course.

Cooking and or frying your salsa after blending is optional

Growing up, mom only prepared a few salsa recipes. Did she cook them after blending them? No. We would eat them so fast, there was rarely any leftover to store. Over the years after experimenting and testing different salsa recipes, I began to cook most of them. There was only two of us and we couldn’t eat it fast enough and most times it would spoil. Freeze it! Did that for a while too, but there were two things I didn’t like. One, the frozen salsas took up to much room in the freezer and two, they would defrost and be watery and sometimes taste different. Found myself cooking them to thicken them back up. More work. While testing salsa recipes that included vinegar and cooking of the salsa, I noticed that the texture of the salsa would become more smooth. It would not clump or separate once refrigerated and it lasted a lot longer in the refrigerator. I discovered that cooking all my blended salsas(with cooked ingredients), even with no vinegar, extended the life of the salsa. If you enjoy the flavors of fresh cilantro in your salsa, then I would suggest cooking the salsa and letting it cool before blending in some fresh cilantro. You could just blend once with cooked(roasted, toasted, grilled, fried) ingredients and enjoy the heck out of your salsa. It will last a few days refrigerated. Cooked salsa after being blended could last up to two weeks refrigerated. And if you add a splash of white vinegar, it will definitely last a couple of weeks or more!

But wait, you are cooking out all the nutritional value of the salsa!

That was one of the many comments I read when I posted about cooking my salsa recipes! But, last I checked, I eat salsa because it taste good and it’s addicting! It’s definitely a healthier option than eating French fries or cheese dip. In that case, always serve a fresh raw salsa next to your cooked salsa and everyone will benefit from it. I relay this message to my followers often. Recipes are just a guideline. Make the recipes your own and have fun cooking. It should never be stressful. The goal is to continue learning and to enjoy some tasty foods in the end.

Boil, dry roast, fry or grill?

I would never tell you which cooking method to choose when preparing your salsa. I suggest different options depending on what recipe I am sharing. To make it less intimidating for new cooks, I share easy, straight forward recipes, but also have some that require more steps and longer cooking times. Boiling the tomatillos for salsa verde doesn’t bother me one bit. I love it and that’s how mom prepared her tomatillos. Dry roasting, frying, grilling and even smoking your salsa ingredients of course will all yield different flavors in the end. That’s why it’s up to you to choose your favorite method. I have all those variations of salsa right here on my blog.

Fried Salsa (Red and Green)

Salsa fried? Salsa fried in natural rendered pork manteca? Yes! I was curious and I am so happy I tried it at least once! It is definitely a once in a while treat. Not for everyday salsa and chips, but a must try for sure! 

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salsa/Sauces

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 oz each recipe, more or less

Ingredients

Ingredients

Tomatillo Salsa

• 1 pound tomatillos, husk removed and washed
• 1/4 onion
• 1 large clove garlic
• 3-4 serranos
• 1 tablespoon knorr bouillon, optional
• 1/2 cup cooking water
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon pork lard, manteca

Tomato Salsa

• 1 pound roma tomatoes, cores removed
• 1/4 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 8 chile de arbol or japones
• 1 tablespoon knorr bouillon, optional
• 1/2 cup cooking water
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon pork lard, manteca

Instructions

Directions

• In one pot add tomatillos, 1/4 onion, garlic and serranos. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tomatillos turn color. You don’t want them to tear open. Remove from heat.
• Using a slotted spoon transfer your salsa ingredients to the blender. Add 1/2 cup of the cooking water and bouillon. Cover and blend on high until very smooth. Taste for salt.
• In a pot, preheat the 1 tablespoon of pork manteca at medium for 1-2 minutes. Carefully pour in the salsa from the blender. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• For the red salsa, you will do the same as the green. The only difference is that I removed the core from tomatoes and peeled the loose skins off after I cooked them.

Notes

The salsa prepared with the natural rendered pork lard should be enjoyed within a few days and won’t last as long refrigerated as the salsa cooked in avocado oil.

Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

Like this:

Like Loading...