Charred Tomato Mint Salsa Recipes

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 TOMATO MINT SALSA

Steps:

• Heat a dry "comal" or flat iron griddle over moderately low heat until hot and pan-roast tomatoes, onion, and garlic, turning them occasionally to ensure even roasting, until brown and soft throughout, about 15 minutes. Discard tomato stems and garlic skin.
• Chop tomatoes, onion and garlic coarse and in a bowl stir together with remaining ingredients. (Salsa should be chunky.) Salsa may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.