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Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Salsa~Salsa » Salsa Recipes » Molcajete Tomato Chile de Arbol Salsa

Molcajete Tomato Chile de Arbol Salsa

April 19, 20222 Comments

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Molcajete! Tomato and chile de arbol are the perfect simple combination for many salsa recipes! Throw in a little garlic, some toasting and roasting on the comal, delicious! This molcajete tomato chile de arbol salsa is a variation of the blended version. That version you can find here on my blog and in my new cookbook, Mexican Salsa!

close up of molcajete salsa on a wooden spoon

Basic Ingredients! Delicious Results!

Salsa can be delicious with minimal ingredients! I enjoy a flavorful salsa and also enjoy trying new combinations. I am still trying to figure out why many popular restaurants are adding canned tomatoes and cumin to their table salsa. Only because I know how easy it is to prepare a fresh, uncomplicated salsa. Don’t get me wrong, I have a super tasty , award winning restaurant style prepared with canned tomatoes, here on my blog. The key is knowing how to season it and adding the right combination of ingredients. Not every place knows how to do this though. The results are a salsa that taste bland and out of a can.

three roma tomatoes on cutting board

Look For Red Ripe Tomatoes!

Red ripe tomatoes are ideal for preparing this variety of salsa and delicious in Mexican rice!

dried chile de arbol on comal

What Can I Substitute For A More Mild Version?

First of all, I fail every time at preparing a mild salsa, lol! You could simply add less chile de arbol, but that may also take away that delicious red chile flavor. Chile cascabel or in some cases, chile japones is a bit more mild than the arbol. I would even suggest tearing the larger, chile California, into pieces and toasting it on the comal to replace some of the chile de arbol.

dry roasted cloves of garlic

To Cook, Or Not To Cook The Garlic?!

That’s a good question! It really depends on you! If you love the flavors of fresh garlic, then simply use it fresh. If you want a more mild flavored garlic in your salsa recipes, then you can dry roast the garlic, even poach it or saute it for a few minutes before adding it to your salsa. Chef’s Choice!

Beef tongue tacos with the blended version of tomato chile de arbol salsa!
molcajete salsa close up

Molcajete Tomato Chile de Arbol Salsa!

Simple ingredients, delicious results! This is a basic recipe for a traditional spicy salsa prepared in a Mexican molcajete.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salsa
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 ounces

Equipment

  • Molcajete
  • metal comal or skillet

Ingredients

  • 3 large Roma tomatoes
  • Water to cook tomatoes
  • 14 gr dried chile de arbol stems removed
  • 3 cloves of garlic leave skins on
  • a coarse salt

Instructions

  • Score an X at the base of tomatoes, Carefully cut out and discard the cores.
  • Drop tomatoes into a pot of simmering water. Cook for 10 minutes at a steady gentle boil or until skins start to peel away. Remove tomatoes from water and let cool.
  • On a preheated comal or skillet at heat below medium, toast the dried chile de arbol for a few minutes. Turn and toss often. Once they become aromatic and start to blacken in some spots, remove them from the heat.
  • To that same hot comal, add the cloves of garlic. Dry roast the garlic for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Transfer chiles to the molcajete. Add 1/3 tsp of coarse salt. Grind until you have a coarse looking powder. Add the peeled garlic cloves and grind into a paste.
  • Peel cooled tomatoes. One at a time, grind the tomatoes in the molcajete to combine with ground chiles and garlic. Gently pound on tomatoes and work up onto the sides of the molcajete as you go. Once done, use a wooden spoon to mix the salsa ingredients well. Taste for salt. If the salsa is too thick, you can mix in a splash of water. This salsa is perfect for beef! Carne asada, barbacoa or any of your favorite tacos!

Notes

You can find the blended variation of this salsa on my blog and in my new cookbook, Mexican Salsa!
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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Filed Under: Dried Chiles, Salsa Recipes, Salsa~Salsa Tagged With: Chile de Arbol, Molcajete, Salsa Recipes

Previous Post: « Salsa Brava! Chile Piquin!
Next Post: Lengua en Salsa Verde(Beef Tongue in Salsa) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gail

    April 19, 2022 at 4:31 pm

    Hi, Sonia! I plan to prepare this soon! We have a small chile de arbol, and it’s produced lots of chiles. Looking forward to trying this! This afternoon I cooked nopales folliwing your directions (no water); I was dubious but it worked!
    I read every post, and have saved quite a few of them. Your recipes taste just right to me and my husband. We live in Guanajuato, not far from León. Thank you again!
    Gail
    I

    Reply
    • Sonia

      April 19, 2022 at 7:23 pm

      Hi Gail! Yummy, fresh chile de arbol is so tasty too! I felt that way about the nopales too the first time I heard of it, lol! It’s so easy and pretty quick for the most part. Wow, Guanajuato, wonderful! I have a good friend here in Chico, California that is from Guanajuato! Thank you for taking the time to write and give me some feedback, I appreciate it! Saludos!

      Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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