Charred Salsa Recipes

CHARRED SALSA TWO WAYS

Steps:

• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat and heat for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the tomatillos, onion, jalapeño and poblano in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, sprinkle generously with salt and toss to evenly coat the vegetables. Brush the hot grill with the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil.
• Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally, until charred and softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos and onions to the bowl of a food processor. Transfer the peppers to a cutting board to cool briefly. Trim the stems off the peppers and remove the seeds if you don't want it too spicy. Add the peppers to the food processor.
• Add the garlic and lime juice to the food processor and pulse until the vegetables form a thick paste, about 2 minutes. With the processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Turn off the machine, add the cilantro, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until smooth. Remove all but 1 cup of the salsa from the food processor. Set this green salsa aside.
• To the remaining 1 cup salsa in the food processor, add the can of tomatoes. Pulse for 1 minute more until a smooth red salsa is formed. Serve both salsas with tortilla chips.

CHARRED CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALSA

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Place corn, sliced tomato, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and olive oil in a large bowl and toss to lightly coat. Spread oiled ingredients on a baking sheet.
• Broil in the preheated oven until vegetables begin to char, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer charred ingredients to a food processor and add black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, salt, and lime juice; blend to desired consistency.

MEXICAN CHARRED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange tomatillos, chiles de arbol, and garlic in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Continue grilling tomatillos and garlic until they are evenly blackened, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Peel garlic and place in a mortar and pestle. Season with salt and pound into a thick paste. Add chiles; pound until smooth. Add as many tomatillos as you can fit in your mortar; pound until chunky. Transfer salsa to a bowl. Repeat with remaining tomatillos, mixing them into the bowl of salsa in batches.

CHARRED SALSA ROJA

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, chiles and onion and cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 3 minutes for the garlic, 4 to 5 minutes for the chiles, 6 to 8 minutes for the onion and 8 to 10 minutes for the tomatoes. Transfer to a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic.
• Add the tomatoes, garlic, chiles, onion, cilantro, lime juice and 1 tablespoon salt to a blender and puree on low speed, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom to ensure an even texture, until the salsa is almost smooth but some small pieces remain. Season with salt and more lime juice if needed.

CHARRED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Place tomatillos, onion, and jalapeño on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning halfway through, until blistered, 12-15 minutes. Let cool.
• Transfer tomatillo mixture to a blender, add 2 tablespoons lime juice, and pulse until a chunky purée forms. Season with salt and more lime juice, if desired. DO AHEAD: Salsa can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill.

CHARRED HABANERO SALSA

Steps:

• Heat a dry comal or flat iron griddle over moderately low heat until hot and pan-roast tomatoes and habaneros, turning them occasionally to ensure even roasting, until browned and soft throughout, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard tomato stems and wearing rubber gloves, stem and seed chiles.
• In a blender purée tomatoes, chiles, water, and salt until smooth. (Salsa may be made 10 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salsa to room temperature before serving.)