Roasted Tomato Salsa & Salsa Verde

Love me some fresh salsa. Unless you have a great Mexican market nearby, I am always disappointed with the "fresh" options from the grocery store. After one or two times of making it, it becomes a cinch.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

This is a perfect base for any number of salsa variations. Want more heat? Add toasted arbol chiles. The tomato and tomatillo ratio can also be adjusted, if you prefer a tarter or a sweeter salsa. I love it drizzled on chopped beef tacos...

6 Tomatoes - early girl, cluster or roma

8-10 Tomatillos - husked and rinsed

Dried Chiles - I like 6 Guajillo and 4 Ancho. Remove seeds and stem.

2 cloves Garlic

1 TB whole Cumin Seed

1/2 bunch Cilantro - chopped, stems and leaves

1-2 TB Salt

1. Put dried chiles into a small saucepan. Cover with water. Set over high heat until completely softened, 15-20 minutes. Pull out of water and set aside to cool, reserving liquid.

2. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomatillos. Cook until blackened on all sides, turning very regularly, about 20 minutes.

3. Set aside to cool 10 minutes. 

4. Add tomatoes and tomatillos to blender with rehydrated chiles, cumin seed, garlic and salt. Blend until well combined. Taste for salt, add more if necessary. If it's too thick to blend, use some of the reserved chile liquid.

5. Add cilantro and pulse to combine. Taste and serve! If you fancy a little onion in your salsa (I usually do), finely chop 1/2 yellow onion and stir in once salsa is finished.

Salsa Verde

What to do with this glorious sauce? Toss with chips and top with fried eggs for a green take on chilaquiles. Pour over crispy polenta and poached eggs. Mix with braised pork and eat with tortillas. My mouth just watered.

12-15 Tomatillos - husked and rinsed

1 Jalapeño - seeded and roughly chopped

1 small Yellow Onion - roughly chopped

1 bunch Cilantro - chopped, leaves and stems

1 TB Cumin Seed

2 cloves Garlic

1-3 TB Salt (start with less and add more if necessary!)

1/2 - 1 TB Sugar (same!)

1. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatillos. Cook until blackened on all sides, turning very regularly, about 20 minutes.

2. Put the jalapeno and onion into a pot along with 1 cup water. Start heating slowly. When tomatillos are done roasting, add to pot along with salt and sugar. Cook until jalapeño turns from bright to dull green, about 5 minutes.

3. Working in batches if necessary, puree tomatillos and liquid, cumin, garlic and cilantro until most of the tomatillo seeds are broken down. May take a full minute or two. 

4. Adjust seasoning and make adjustments. Too tart? Add more sugar. Not punchy enough? Add more cilantro.