Salsa Poblana Recipes

SMOOTH POBLANO SALSA

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional water if needed for smoothness. This salsa is a delicate green and smooth, but it is not tame! Adjust types and amounts of hot peppers, to taste.

PINEAPPLE AND ROASTED POBLANO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• On large rimmed baking sheet, broil peppers 2 inches from heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until blistered and blackened on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, char by holding with tongs over gas flame, turning until blistered on all sides.) Transfer to medium bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam 10 minutes.
• Peel, core, and seed peppers, then cut into 1/4-inch dice. In large bowl, combine peppers and remaining ingredients and toss well. (Salsa can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.)

FIRE-ROASTED POBLANO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. Rinse poblano and jalapeno peppers.
• Roast peppers and onion on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until all sides are charred and blistered, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Place peppers in a covered bowl for 5 minutes to steam and loosen skins. Scrape skins off peppers using a knife and discard. Slice peppers in half and remove seeds, if desired. Transfer to a food processor or blender.
• Add diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, chipotle powder, and salt to the peppers; pulse for 15 to 20 seconds until desired consistency. Serve immediately or refrigerate for several hours for flavors to blend.

SALSA POBLANA

Steps:

• Boil 1 ripe tomato and poblano pepper together. Remove tomato once it is cooked, leaving poblano pepper in 10 more minutes or until cooked. Do not discard water. Peel both the tomato and the poblano pepper.
• Roast garlic cloves, 1 serrano chile and the other 2 poblano peppers in pan for about 6 minutes until darkly roasted and splotchy black on one side. With pair of tongs, flip over garlic cloves and chile and roast the other side. Remove them as soon as they are done. Place the chiles in a plastic bag to steam so that they are easier to peel. When chiles are cool enough to handle (15 min) , peel off the skin (bits of charred skin are fine). Dice the chiles.
• Saute diced onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil until they are brownish and caramelized. Let all ingredients cool. When cool, refrigerate all items for 10 minutes.
• Blend 2 garlic cloves with 4 ounces of the water that was used to cook the tomato and poblano peppers. I use my immersion blender for this step.
• Mash cooked tomato and peeled tomatoes in medium-size bowl. Add tomato juice, cooked red onions, diced peppers and vinegar. Add salt and white pepper, freshly squeezed juice from the lime and the blended garlic.