Salsa Ranchera, My Way!

This recipe for salsa ranchera immediately transports me back to the days when I would visit my mom in Los Angeles. There is a large discount store, Giant Market, in South Gate that mom really enjoyed. They sell a mix of everything, including Mexican groceries.

In Search of Salsa Ranchera!

On the occasion when I was shopping with mom at Giant Dollar store, she would purchase several jars of the Ranchera Salsa. Many times, wiping out the entire shelf! Lol! She would feel guilty and return one jar to the shelf, ha, ha, ha! One day, may years ago I was in my kitchen and decided to challenge myself to try and recreate the salsa ranchera, my way. I looked up the ingredients online and it seemed pretty simple. It’s a combination of dried and fresh chiles, onion, garlic, spices and tomatillos. I guessed on the measurements and quantities of the individual ingredients. I am pretty happy with the results!

What Are Your Go To Recipes??

I typically do not prefer to follow a recipe as written, lol! I am a curious cook that likes to always try to improve upon an original recipe. The salsa recipes stay pretty close to the same most of the time. I prepare variations by mixing fresh and dried chile peppers. On occasion I will use both red tomatoes and tomatillos in a salsa recipe.

What Is The Best Way To Store Dried Chiles?

An airtight container in a cool dark spot is typically how I store my chiles. During the warm summer months, I sometimes will store them in the refrigerator. Refrigerator??? Keeps any unwanted critters away!! I got tired of throwing entire bags of dried chiles away once infested. If needed, you can remove the stems and seeds from the large pods while they are soft and then store them flat in freezer bags. On occasion I prepare a chile paste(adobo) or chile powder and keep them refrigerated for many months.

Mexican Salsa Cookbook! https://salsa-pinaenlacocina.customcontent.store/

The Image Below Is from https://www.lacostena.es/salsa-ranchera/salsas/producto-mexicano/ My mom really enjoyed this salsa and it was the inspiration for my recipe. I think I could still improve upon it, but it sure is tasty!

Do You Prefer Smooth, Coarse or Chunky Salsa?

The beauty of preparing homemade salsa is that there are endless possibilities and combinations! The images that follow are from the last time I prepared my version of salsa ranchera. Instead of large tomatillos, I used tomatillo milpero, the smaller tomatillos. I also added 2 large jalapeños, along with the chile ancho and chile de arbol. Instead of just boiling all of my ingredients, I dry roasted and toasted them. When it came to blending time, I blended the salsa more for a smoother finish. I am working on the video! Lol!

VIDEO LINK. RECIPE IN THE NOTES

https://animoto.com/play/CFknLuxSPb03qThecamfMg

Salsa Ranchera, My Way!

This was one of mom's favorite store bought bottled salsas. This is my adaptation of the recipe according to the ingredients on the bottle.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salsa, Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Steeping Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 6 large tomatillos peeled and washed, ,10 oz
• 4 chile ancho 2 oz
• 12-16 chile de arbol depending on your heat level.
• 4 cloves garlic 0.7 oz
• 1/4 of a white onion 4 oz
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, optional
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil

Instructions

Directions

• Remove the stems and seeds from the chile ancho and just the stems from chile de arbol.
• Add all of the ingredients, minus the oregano, cumin and salt, to a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes.
• Drain most of the water and transfer to the blender. Add the oregano, cumin and salt to taste. For a coarse looking salsa, blend all of the dried chiles first on high until very smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to blend. For a smoother salsa, blend all of the ingredients on high until smooth. If salsa is too thick, you could add a little more water.
• Add two tablespoons of oil to a medium sauce pan and heat to medium. Preheat for a few minutes. After a few minutes, pour in the freshly blended salsa. Cook at a steady simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste for salt. Cooking the salsa will extend the life of the salsa by up to 10 days and yield a smoother texture.

Notes

In the original salsa ingredients, they added some fresh jalapeños. I have used some in the past. If using the fresh jalapeño, I would start with at least 2-4 depending on the size.

THE VIDEO VERSION

Salsa Ranchera

9-10 oz Tomatillo

2 oz chile ancho

12-16 chile de arbol

2 Large Jalapeños

4 cloves garlic (skins on)

1/4 of a white onion (4 oz)

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt to taste

Water, when needed

2 tbsps. oil

 

To a preheated, lined griddle, add the tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Dry roast for up to 20 minutes, removing the garlic after 15 minutes. The ingredients will cook at different times. Remove when ready and cover.

On a separate preheated griddle, toast the prepared dried chile pods for a few seconds per side. Transfer to a pot of simmering water. On that same griddle toast the chile de arbol until it becomes aromatic and has a few blackened spots.

Transfer to simmering water. After 10 minutes, drain water from chile pods and transfer to the blender. Remove skins from garlic and transfer all of the remaining ingredients listed to the blender. Add enough water to cover ingredients halfway. For extra smooth, blend on high for 1-2 minutes. For a more coarse, loose salsa, pulse to blend, adding water as needed. Taste for salt. Fry the blended salsa in 2 tbsps. of preheated oil for 10 minutes. Once the salsa cools, store in airtight containers refrigerated for up to two weeks.

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

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