ROASTED TOMATO & TOMATILLO SALSA

By RoketJSquerl

Pan-roasting is a traditional method of bringing out
flavor. This quick and infinitely useful salsa, a favorite
of mine, is smoky, mellow and delicious — excellent
on everything, especially on tacos, as a table
salsa and with tostadas. For a milder salsa, remove
the seeds from the cooked chiles, or use fewer
chiles or none at all. The salsa still will taste great.
Just be sure to season the salsa very well.
Yield: Makes about 3 cups (710 ml)

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 medium tomatillos, husked
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 2 medium jalapeño or serrano chiles
• 2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1/4 white onion, diced
• 1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Lay a sheet of aluminum foil in a large, heavy frying pan or griddle (preferably cast iron, never nonstick). Set the pan over high heat and turn on the fan. (If the kitchen becomes too smoky, you can reduce
the heat slightly, but it has to be kept pretty hot to roast the vegetables properly.)

Wash and dry the tomatillos, tomatoes, and chiles. (Do not cut up or core anything, or they will not roast properly.) Roast the vegetables, along with the garlic cloves, until blackened on all sides, turning
several times. Remove from the pan; I usually lift the foil right out, with everything in it, and set it on a plate for the vegetables to cool and exude their lovely, smoky juice. Stem the chiles and peel the
garlic.

Place the vegetables and their juices in a blender or food processor, along with the onion, salt and cilantro. Pulse to make a smooth sauce with some texture. Taste again for seasoning, and add more salt, if desired. The salsa should be highly seasoned.

Variation: Blend 1 or 2 chipotles in adobo with the salsa.