Thursday, August 19, 2010

Molcajete style salsa, sans molcajete

I know, I just got a new molcajete, so could use it to make just about any molcajete salsa I like. But for anyone without a molcajete, a blender (arguably the most important device in the modern Mexican kitchen) works just fine.

By "molcajete style" salsa I mean that chunky, fresh, hot-off-the-stove flavor. It's the kind of salsa that's perfect for tacos or grilled meats.

The ingredients are very basic:
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 to 2 green chiles (I used 3, but wouldn't recommend it. The salsa was so spicy I couldn't see straight.)
  • 1/2 a white onion or a 1 very small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste, finely chopped
  • salt to taste

STEP 1. Place tomatoes and chiles on a comal or small flying pan on medium to medium-high heat. Turn them over frequently to char the sides.
(The idea isn't to completely burn them -- we're leaving the skin on for flavor.)







STEP 2. Put charred veggies in the blender along with salt. Pulse until smooth(ish).









STEP 3. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the blender. Pulse a few more times. At this point if you feel the salsa is too thick, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Have a taste and season with more salt if needed.





THE RESULT: 

*I'd like to add that there are probably a million variations to a molcajete style salsa, and this is a very simple one. Any other suggestions are welcomed!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

hey meredith, this is rachel. the salsa looks delicious. i'm definitely up for coffee, send me an email at existentialmigrant[at]gmail[dot]com. have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

Add some cilantro and lemon juice, makes it taste richer. I like to boil the tomatoes as this also seems to enhance the flavor. You could also use dried oregano instead of cilantro, or even both. Try it out!