Mexican Charred Tomatillo 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 TOMATILLO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler to high and adjust an oven rack to the top level.
• Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
• Dice the peppers and onion into bite-size pieces (about 1/2 inch).
• Place the tomatillos stem-side down on a sheet pan and place under the broiler. Char until the tops are blackened, about 3 minutes. Flip and broil 3 more minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet on high heat and add the peppers and onions. Spread them out in an even layer and sear in the dry skillet until lightly charred, about 4 minutes.
• Dice the tomatillos into 1/2-inch chunks. Toss all the vegetables into the bowl with the lime dressing. Stir in the diced avocado and top with the cilantro, queso fresco and toasted pepitas.

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 TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Clean the tomatillos and put them on a tray along with the garlic, serrano and onion chunks. Drizzle it all with a little bit of olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle on half the salt. Roast for 10-15 minutes to char. Remove and let the vegetables cool. Try to remove the skins of the tomatillos and some of the seeds of the serrano if you prefer a mild salsa (leaving them in will be hot).
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor along with the remaining salt, cilantro, vegetable broth and lime juice. Pulse until combined but still a little chunky. Taste for seasoning and serve.
• Can be stored covered in the fridge for a week.

CHARRED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with rack set in upper position. Place tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet and broil, turning once, until skins are blistered and charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from broiler. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool on baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, place onion, jalapeno, lime juice, cilantro, mint, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Quarter tomatillos and add them, along with any accumulated juices from the baking sheet, to the bowl of the food processor; pulse just until combined.
• Transfer salsa to refrigerator and let chill for at least one hour before serving and up to overnight.

CHARRED TOMATILLO MARGARITA SALSA

Steps:

• Place the tomatillos, poblanos and scallions on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Place under the broiler and cook until well charred, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the poblanos.
• Add the charred vegetables to a food processor along with the tequila, chili powder, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Pulse until smooth but still slightly chunky. Remove to a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.
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