Roasted Salsa Verde
Roasting the tomatillos gives this salsa verde a smoky, rich flavor. You can leave your salsa coarsely chopped or run it through the food processor for more of a puree consistency. This is a house favorite and we make it in large batches and store in the refrigerator.
Tomatillos are known as "tomate verde" in Mexico are a member of the nightshade family, which is a plant in the tomato family. Even though they are referred to as a green tomato, they are not the same as the unripe, green tomato. The tomatillo grows in a paper like husk that should be removed before cooking.
A staple in Mexican cooking the tomatillo is roughly the size of a large cherry tomato. Green on the outside and white on the inside they are meatier than a tomato. They range in size from about an inch in diameter to the size of a small apricot.
I add the red bell pepper to add just a 'pop' of color and also added some chipotle "Morita" chile flakes for some additional smoky flavor to this salsa verde recipe.
- 1 lb tomatillos (husks removed)
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
- 1 small onion cut in half
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped or minced
- 1 lime - add the juice and some zest (you can use dried lime zest as well)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or 3 or 4 Tablespoons Dried Cilantro
- 1 tablespoon Chipotle Flakes
- Coarse Sea Salt to taste
- Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- You can roast the veggies on the grill or under the broiler - see below how to roast peppers.
- Brush the vegetables with a little olive oil and place veggies directly on the grill or on a backing sheet.
- Roast veggies until outer skins are charred and black - remove from heat.
- Allow veggies to cool before you handle them.
- Peel away most of the charred skin from jalapenos, and red bell pepper.
- Combine garlic, lime and zest, cilantro, ancho flakes and salt / pepper in a med size bowl or food processor.
- Coarsely chop veggies and add them to the food processor or finely chop veggies and add them to the bowl.
- Pulse until desired consistency or stir to combine all chopped ingredients.
- Cover and place in refrigerator for about an hour to combine flavors
Roasting Peppers :
- On the grill: Lightly coat whole peppers with olive oil and place them directly on the hot grill.
- In the oven: Line a baking pan with foil. Place whole peppers on the foils and brush lightly with oil. Place under the broiler, set to high.
- The skin will start to blister and char after a few minutes
- Turn to char each side of the peppers
- Remove from grill and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap - you could also place the hot peppers in a gallon resealable bag.
- Allow the peppers to steam and cool
- Once they are cool enough to handle (about 5-10 minutes)
- Carefully scrape the skin with a knife, your hand or a paper towel, removing as much of the flesh as you can.
- Remove the tops, seeds and white membranes and cut into strips
