If you have not guessed it by now, I love preparing salsa! Today I am featuring a roasted salsa verde. The ingredients are simple, fresh and delicious for all your favorite Mexican foods!
What’s Keeping You From Homemade Salsa?
It can be a little intimidating when it comes to preparing homemade salsa. I confess that when it comes to preparing a mild salsa, I fail! Lol! If I don’t feel the heat within the first bite, I feel like it’s missing something! That’s just me though. You want to add your chile peppers a little at a time when you are blending your salsa. I actually roasted five serranos this day, but only used three because they were extra spicy. This is why you want to add a little at a time.
Make a habit of storing your homemade salsa recipes in glass jars.
Dry Roasting Ingredients
Dry roasting salsa ingredients is a traditional Mexican cooking method. This method of roasting is what I prefer to add more flavor to my salsa recipes. I do boil my salsa ingredients on most days, but this roasted flavor is delicious and worth the effort. Could you broil? Of course you can, it’s just not my favorite way because I feel the tomatillos overcook most times.
And if you do have to store the salsa in plastic, please don’t heat the salsa in the plastic container. Take the time to pour it in a glass microwave safe bowl or heat it on the stove top.
Tomatillos are Naturally Very Tart!
My followers ask me how come their tomatillo salsa is sour all the time! That’s why, tomatillos are sour. They are part of the gooseberry family. You have to season well when it comes to tomatillo salsa recipes. Years ago, I read that tomatillos can impart a bitter flavor if they tear open while cooking. I always make sure they don’t overcook and tear open for this reason. Plus, I don’t want to lose that tasty pulp inside.
Below is an empalme(corn tortilla stacked quesadilla) garnished with roasted salsa verde and chile puya tomatillo salsa.
Roasted Salsa Verde
Equipment
- cast iron griddle
Ingredients
- 10 Medium Tomatillos
- 3-5 Serrano peppers
- 1/3 Section White Onion
- 3-4 Cloves of Garlic
- Big handful fresh Cilantro
- 1 cup Water
- Salt To Taste
Instructions
- Peel and wash tomatillos. Transfer them to your cast iron griddle. Add washed serrano peppers. Also add sliced onion and garlic(with skins on). Heat to medium.
- You will flip and turn the ingredients as they begin to blister and blacken in some spots. I typically remove the garlic after 15 minutes so it doesn't burn. Total time is about 25 minutes of cooking time. Move the whole griddle off of the heat and let the ingredients cool there for 15 minutes.
- Peel the garlic and remove the stems from the serrano peppers. Transfer garlic, peppers, onion and tomatillos to the blender. Add cilantro, water and salt to taste. Blend on high until smooth. Taste for salt.
- Normally I would instruct you to cook your blended salsa for 10 minutes at a steady simmer. Today, I purposely am leaving the salsa as is to enjoy the fresh flavors of the cilantro and partially cooked tomatillos. But for a smoother salsa that will last a few more days refrigerated, I would suggest cooking the salsa for 7-10 minutes at a steady simmer. Store in glass jars refrigerated.
Robert J Fox
Great salsas as usual, but where did you get that wide mouth funnel? I need one. Never saw one of those before.
Sonia
I found it at an antique store for a few dollars. They sell plastic ones in the canning supplies at most markets.