Poblano Chile Salsa Recipes

SMOOTH AND SPICY POBLANO SALSA

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a blender(or food processor) and blend until smooth. Add additional water or lime juice if needed for smoothness.
• This salsa is a delicate green and smooth, but it is Hot! Adjust types and amounts of hot peppers, to taste.

FIRE-ROASTED POBLANO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. Rinse poblano and jalapeno peppers.
• Roast peppers and onion on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until all sides are charred and blistered, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Place peppers in a covered bowl for 5 minutes to steam and loosen skins. Scrape skins off peppers using a knife and discard. Slice peppers in half and remove seeds, if desired. Transfer to a food processor or blender.
• Add diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, chipotle powder, and salt to the peppers; pulse for 15 to 20 seconds until desired consistency. Serve immediately or refrigerate for several hours for flavors to blend.

POBLANO CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the chiles. Remove the stems and seeds. Cut the chiles lengthwise into thin strips, 1/4-inch wide then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch dice. Reserve. 2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and cook the onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the reserved diced chiles, vinegar, and salt. Heat through and serve. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SALSA POBLANA

Steps:

• Boil 1 ripe tomato and poblano pepper together. Remove tomato once it is cooked, leaving poblano pepper in 10 more minutes or until cooked. Do not discard water. Peel both the tomato and the poblano pepper.
• Roast garlic cloves, 1 serrano chile and the other 2 poblano peppers in pan for about 6 minutes until darkly roasted and splotchy black on one side. With pair of tongs, flip over garlic cloves and chile and roast the other side. Remove them as soon as they are done. Place the chiles in a plastic bag to steam so that they are easier to peel. When chiles are cool enough to handle (15 min) , peel off the skin (bits of charred skin are fine). Dice the chiles.
• Saute diced onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil until they are brownish and caramelized. Let all ingredients cool. When cool, refrigerate all items for 10 minutes.
• Blend 2 garlic cloves with 4 ounces of the water that was used to cook the tomato and poblano peppers. I use my immersion blender for this step.
• Mash cooked tomato and peeled tomatoes in medium-size bowl. Add tomato juice, cooked red onions, diced peppers and vinegar. Add salt and white pepper, freshly squeezed juice from the lime and the blended garlic.

POBLANO CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Lay whole peppers (chiles or bell peppers) on their sides on racks of gas stove burners (preferably 1 to a burner) and turn flame on high. Roast peppers, turning them, until skins are blistered and have brown patches, 3 to 6 minutes. Do not overchar bell peppers; they will lose their bright color. (Alternatively, peppers may be roasted in same manner on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat.) Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Peel peppers (wear rubber gloves when handling chiles). Cut off tops and discard seeds and ribs. Chop peppers. Peppers may be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Chop garlic and chop enough onion to measure 1 cup. In a nonstick skillet cook garlic and onion in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Skim fat from broth. Stir in broth and peppers and simmer 1 minute. In a blender puree mixture until completely smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and season with salt.

ROASTED POBLANO AND CAPER SALSA

Steps:

• Heat broiler. Broil 1 poblano chile on a broiler-proof baking sheet, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots and blistered all over, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop chile; place in a small bowl.
• Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a small skillet over medium and cook 1 tablespoon capers and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, stirring, until mixture is fragrant and capers are crisp, about 30 seconds.
• Remove peel and white pith from 1 lemon; slice into thin rounds and remove seeds. Add to bowl with chile along with 1/4 small onion, finely chopped, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, and caper mixture; season with salt and pepper.