Salsa Roja

Written by on in Mexican food

Once the snows and cold leave, and Spring warms towards May, I start thinking about fresh tacos. Tacos with pollo asado, thin slices of chicken marinated for hours and grilled, are a regular feature, along with barbacoa, which is pulled beef simmered for hours, and even ground beef sauteed with tomato paste and spices. Summer is officially taco season at our house, and one thing that makes for a great taco is the salsa. It may be the most important thing. A great salsa makes a great taco amazing, but it will also make a “pretty good” taco far better.

The recipe below is what I prepared today and isn’t a “set” recipe at all. There are essential ingredients, and then there’s what’s lying around. My essential ingredients are Roma tomatoes, dried chilis, onion, garlic, salt, and lime. To that, I often add what leftovers need to be used. For example, today I had a red pepper which was getting wrinkly, along with a green and red jalapeno, which were heading towards the bin in a few days if I didn’t use them. I had a cooked ear of corn since we steam several cobs for my grandson and stick them in the refrigerator for quick sides to his limited diet. I decided to roast all the fresh peppers and add some corn kernels for a bit of crunch.

So the “actual” recipe doesn’t really matter, ingredient quantities vary, and you can just have fun with it. Here’s what I did tonight, and the outcome did not disappoint.

Salsa Roja

Brian Gardner
Delicious spicy red salsa
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Course Anytime
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 1 quart

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs roma tomatoes (about 8) peeled and seeded
  • 2 dried guajillo peppers blanched
  • 1 dried pasilla pepper blanched
  • 2 dried ancho peppers blanched
  • 1 red pepper roasted and peeled
  • 1 green jalapeno pepper roasted and peeled
  • 1 red jalapeno pepper roasted and peeled
  • 3 large cloves garlic smashed and peeled
  • 1 yellow, white, or red onion peeled and quartered
  • 1 lime reamed for juice
  • 1 tsp salt more to taste
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar more to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cut in half and roast the fresh peppers in the oven on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper at 425 degrees F with the skins down for 10-15 minutes or until the tops have begun to brown.
  • Start some water boiling in a small saucepan. Cut open the dried peppers with scissors and remove the seeds, then add them to the boiling water turning off the heat. Let them steep while you wait for the roasted peppers to finish.
  • Once the peppers are done, throw them all in a paper bag to steam.
  • Slice each Roma tomato with a cross along the bottom, and place them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Prepare cold water or an ice bath while they're boiling, and once they're ready, throw them into the chill to make the skins loosen.
  • Remove the skins from the tomatos, cut them into 3rds to remove the seeds from each lobe, and add the meat of the tomatoes to the blender.
  • Drain the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla peppers and add them to the blender.
  • Quarter an onion, smash and peel 3 large garlic cloves and add them to the blender.
  • Remove the skins from the fresh peppers in the paper bag and add them to the blender.
  • (optional) Cut the kernels off the cooked corn.
  • Now blend the tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and onion until smooth.
  • Taste the mixture. It should be very fresh with a mildly acidic bite. Add the lime juice and vinegar. Blend and taste again. It should be at the top of its acid game.
  • Add fine salt, blending to make sure it's integrated, tasting until you get the bite rounded off to a perfect umami. You should be able to taste it all along your palate from front to back.
  • If you're adding corn, toss it in the blender and give it just enough of a spin to mix them in.
  • You can also add a little cheese, like manchego or cotillo. This will smooth out the flavor if you want to make it taste less spicy.

Notes

  1. If you have a Mexican market near you, you can easily find dried ancho, guajillo, and pasilla peppers in large bags for very cheap. They last a long time. 
  2. This recipe makes about 1 1/4 quarts. 
  3. For hotter salsa, add a couple of chile de arbol to the dried ingredients. To cool it down, remove the jalapenos. 
Keyword gluten free, salsa, spicy

Keep experimenting with salsa. It’s healthy and delicious. Once you get the hang of it, the stuff in the jar just won’t do it for you. Buen Provecho!