My Restaurant Style Salsa Large Batch Recipes

RESTAURANT-STYLE SALSA

Steps:

• Combine the diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, cilantro, onions, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, salt, sugar and lime juice in a blender or food processor. (This is a very large batch. I recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.)
• Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like. I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
• Refrigerate the salsa for at least an hour before serving.

FRESH RESTAURANT-STYLE SALSA

Steps:

• Combine canned and fresh tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a food processor; pulse 5 times to chop. Add cilantro, serrano and jalapeno peppers, lime juice, salt, and cumin and process for 10 seconds. Pulse further to desired consistency. Check and adjust seasoning as desired.

THE BEST RESTAURANT-STYLE SALSA

Steps:

• Heat a grill over medium-high heat.
• In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes in a drizzle of any high smoke point oil. Grab your peppers and onion, and walk them out to the grill. (You can also use an indoor grill pan or a cast iron skillet for this step. I've also had good results just charring the onion and jalapeno straight over a gas burner.)
• Toss the oiled tomatoes, peppers and onion onto the grill. The goal is for the skin of the peppers and the edges of the onion to get some char, for the tomato skin to get blistered enough that you can peel it off, and for the raw edge to get taken off of most of the tomato. Don't let it get overcooked and mushy, though.
• Remove the tomato, peppers, and onion from the grill. Put the tomatoes back in the same bowl you used to toss them in. Cover the bowl with a plate to let the tomatoes steam. This will help remove the skin. Use the blade of a knife to scrape the skins off of the peppers, and remove seeds as desired (we do not remove them).
• Transfer the peppers to the bowl of a food processor along with the onion, garlic, and cilantro. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
• Using your fingers, peel the tomatoes. The skin should come off easily. If you can't get every last bit of skin, don't worry. Add the tomatoes to the food processor, along with the white vinegar, salt, and liquid smoke. Pulse until you reach your desired consistency (from chunky to runny).
• Pour the salsa into a resealable container and transfer to the refrigerator. The salsa is best served chilled, so let it sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, or ideally overnight, before serving.

BIG BATCH SALSA (FOR CANNING)

Steps:

• Fill roaster with tomatoes, crushing with hands or with an emersion blender as you add them to the pan.
• Add onions, jalapenos, garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt, and tomato paste. (Note: Sometimes I need to let the tomatoes cook down before adding the sugar, vinegar, and tomato paste so that it will fit in the roaster.
• Simmer 2 to 5 hours to desired thickness. Stir occasionally, scraping sides of roaster so that it does not burn. Adjust salt, sugar, and peppers to taste. You can add tomato juice if it becomes too thick.
• Ladle hot salsa into jars, leaving ¼-inch head space.
• Clean rim with damp cloth. Adjust two-piece caps.
• Place jars in a hot water bath. Process 15 minutes (pints) or 20 minutes (quarts), after water comes to a boil.
• Remove jars from hot water bath. After 12 hours, check seal, remove bands, and label.

MY RESTAURANT-STYLE SALSA-SMALL BATCH

Steps:

• Pour the tomatoes, Rotel, green onions and cilantro into an 7-cup food processor (or make in half batches and combine when done). Pulse the mixture about 15 times.
• Add garlic, jalapeno (if using), sugar, salt and cumin.Pulse until the consistency that you like. I pulse about 10 mores times.
• Pour into a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to let the flavors meld (If I am in a rush, I will stick in the freezer for about 30 minutes).
• It will keep for at least a week, and if we haven't used it all by then, which rarely happens, I add it into soup or chili.