Need Salsa Recipe
 

I've got plenty of garden tomatoes, Walla Walla Sweet onions are in season and some friends are coming over on Sunday. I really would like to have a KILLER salsa recipe.

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I know that the Mexicans like finely chopped cabbage & cilantro in theirs. Yum!

go easy on the Cilantro Supe..
leave it out even..
it can over-power the salsa quickly..

Rika

Agreed. I don't much care for cilantro. Bitter.

You need a touch of cilantro, add a tiny bit at a time. Fresh lime juice

Here is what I have been making lately.

2-3 lbs Tomatoes...put them over the gas burner to CHAR the skins, immerse in ICE water to peel skins. You might want to allow some of the chared skin to remain as it gives int abit of a burnt taste.

1 lb of Jalpenos...place over gas stove burner to char skins and place in ice water to peel off skins.

1 large Onion optional

Cilanto..optional


Place all in a Food Processor with the blade and give it a ROUGH CHOP...


Place all in a large enugh Sauce Pot, salt to taste, couple of Tbl spoons of veggie oil and put on low heat to reduce.

Instead of Tomatoes you can use Tomatillios but you boil and do not char them here you can subsitute Serrano Chilis (no charing) instead of Jalpenos...

If you go to the Fair...pick up one of these....Amazon.com: Progressive International Manual Food Chopper and Salsa Maker: Kitchen & Dining or something like it. They make things really easy and fast.

I go with, white or yellow onions, spring onions or chives, you got the tom's, garlic, cilantro, whatever type/amount of peppers you want for heat and flavor, fresh lime juice, a little salt and believe it or not, a little sugar.

I usually make 3 heat levels at a time---0----50 and where did your eyebrows go?

I brought killer salsa to work today. The basics: go to your local international market and get a few of everything. My salsa varies a lot from batch to batch based on which peppers are in season, but the common ones are jalapenos, poblanos, serranos, thai bonnets (in several colors, if you can get 'em), long sweets, and habanjeros. Chop them in a food processor a few at a time to get the right texture and consistency.

Once you're done with peppers:
- Add a little salt -- it brings out the flavor. A dash is good for a small bowl, but you'll need a tablespoon or so for the gallon-sized batches that I do.
- Garlic, 2-4 cloves per gallon.
- Cilantro is hit-or-miss. Some people love it (me), some people hate it. For a batch I plan on sharing, I'll add just enough that I can taste it, but not so much that you really notice it without looking.
- Tomatoes, of course. I get best flavor out of cherry tomatoes, but they're expensive if you're doing a big batch, so add some roma or whatever to fill it out.
- Tomato paste, if you like it thick.
- I never use onions in salsa. Ever. But I have been known to add super-finely chopped celery. Oddly, people like the flavor, but not the texture. Weird.
- Lime, but be careful -- it'll take the edge off the heat.

- If you made it too hot: add more tomatoes, or sugar, or more lime, or a mango or two. The sweet citrus of a mango can really take the edge off an otherwise painful salsa, while retaining most of the pepper flavor that people enjoy.

Enjoy! :)

Dan

Medium diced tomato, 2 parts. As good a tomato as you can get. Cherry, roma, beefsteak, whatever. Use a sharp knife, crushed tomato is no good. Unless you have the world's best and sharpest food processor, you want to do this by hand.

Diced onion, 1 part. I like red onions.

Finely minced garlic, 1/8 part. Minced and not crushed, the texture is important.

Finely minced jalapeño pepper, 1/8 part. Not the seeds! Or similar not crazy hot pepper. If you like heat, you can use more.

Other diced stuff that strikes your fancy and/or adds color. Green bell pepper, corn, etc. But not more than 1/4 part.

Salt and pepper. Red pepper flake. Cayenne powder. To taste, you can adjust later so don't go overboard at first.

Put in a ziplock bag or other tight sealing container.

Add enough lime juice to marinate. For 1 cup of everything else, you'll want 1 lime. Some lemon juice is okay but mostly lime please.

Marinate in refrigerator for several hours, 1-2 days is better.

This is basic and good salsa fresca, that won't be too hot for most people, and that you can tart up as desired.

I often add a touch of vinegar (controversial), some cilantro or parsley if it's around, plenty of lime zest.

Need Salsa Recipe
 

Keep it simple.

Tomatoes seeded and diced.
Red onions
Jalapeños diced , seeded if you are serving little girls
Cilantro
Lime
Cumin
Salt pepper

This is technically Pico de gallo.

Four tomatoes, diced
Six green onions, sliced thinly
Cilantro, leaves only, chopped in half
half an onion, diced
Three cloves garlic finely diced
One medium jalapeno, diced - with or without seeds, depending on how much heat you like
Three cans El Pato hot Mexican tomato sauce
Two tblspns vinegar
Two tblspns olive oil
Pinch kosher salt

I've been making this for years - folks seem to not be able to get enough of it.

Need Salsa Recipe
 

I think canned tomatoes make the best salsa. Irony

Only you and tabs have suggested cooked tomatoes. He says "reduce." I kinda like those fresh tomato salsas. Thanks guys. I can see I need to start on Saturday.

yea. i grew up in el paso..ground zero for salsa

great canned tomatos (from italy without calcium citrate) makes a great salsa.

if you were closer, i would mail you a frozen bag of my Hatch New mexico green chili salsa. it is cooked. i make it by the gallon and freeze off portions.

in el paso..there was pico de gallo, which is really just delicious chopped stuff.
and salsa, which is a cooked, juicy tomato based sauce..very similar to stuff you find in a jar..like (gasp!) PACE picante sauce. but with some fresh uncooked chunks.

sometimes i miss home. (ok, i'm over it.)

-A whole bunch of tomatoes (our batch typically completely fills the grates of our decent sized gas grill) rubbed in olive oil and tossed on the grill.... remove most of skin after grilling and cooling (nasty job best left to the wife :D)

-A handful of Jalapenos (we do not use too many as we like our salsa fairly mild)

-A bunch of onion

-A few red and green bell peppers (really makes this salsa taste different than most)

-Garlic

-White vinegar (maybe a quarter to half cup for a large batch)

-A good dose of liquid smoke (gives it a distinctive flavor)

-A bunch of sugar (I love sugar in/on anything made with tomatoes)

-We blend it all up in the food processor and freeze Small containers of it for later use. I HATE even a hint of cilantro, so none goes in ours, but the original recipe we loosely follow calls for it.

We make about two gallons of this every summer when the tomatoes are in season in the garden. You can also substitute smoked canned tomatoes if you don't have enough tomatoes.

Great, just clicked this thread out of curiousity. Now I'd dying for some chips and salsa!! (Ooo, maybe some of that green sauce that most of the Tex-Mex places bring out before your meal with the chips too. I don't know what that stuff is, but it's darn tasty.

Seems like most salsa around here is cooked, not raw.

I used to work in a bar that had a full kitchen. The guys in the back were all from south of the border (several different Central and South American countries). They cooked their salsa too.

I stole...ahhhh I mean borrowed the recipe for Salsas from the fresh ones they sell at Cardena's Mexican Markets...

Interesting, I went looking for the green sauce. I'd never seen it or heard of it before I moved here. I guess this is why.

Salsa salvation: Ninfa's green sauce | Homesick Texan
I LOVE GREEN SAUCE. Every restaurant is a bit different. I actually don't like the Pappasitos green sauce at all.

forget the tomatos do it right.
two versions of what i like to call New Mexico Katsup
have them together its called "Christmas"

GREEN-CHILE SAUCE
makes about 21/2 cups

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 to 2 tablespoon flour, optional

2/3 cup roasted, peeled, chopped New Mexican green chile

11/2 cups chicken stock

Freshly ground coriander seeds, to taste

Salt, to taste

Preparation: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onion until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, if using.

Add the green chile and coriander. Slowly stir in the chicken stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season with salt.


RED CHILE SAUCE FROM PODS
makes 21/2 cups

12 New Mexican red chile pods

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic

Salt, to taste

Preparation: Rinse the pods well. Remove the stems from the chile and shake out the seeds. Place the pods in a bowl and cover with 2 to 3 cup of boiling water and let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small skillet and sauté the onion for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain the chile, reserving the liquid. Place half of the chile in a blender. Add 11/2 cups of the soaking liquid, half of the sautéed onion-garlic mixture and mix. Add more soaking liquid if the mixture seems too thick. Repeat the process with the remaining chile and 1 cup of the soaking liquid.

Pour the purée into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. Strain the sauce and discard the bits of skin.

RECIPES COURTESY SANTA FE SCHOOL OF COOKING

THIS! Keep it simple. And no cooking it down!