Salsa Roja
Charred tomato, chilli and garlic salsa
Dry-charring the vegetables in a hot pan before blending is what separates this from a tomato purée — it is the smoke and the blackened skins that carry the flavour.
Let them get properly black in patches. Timid charring gives a thin salsa.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes
- 2 dried guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed
- 1/2 white onion, in thick slices
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat a dry heavy pan or comal over medium-high heat. Toast the dried chillies for 30 seconds a side, until fragrant and slightly darkened — do not let them blacken or they turn bitter. Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.
- In the same pan, char the tomatoes, onion slices and unpeeled garlic, turning, until blistered and blackened in patches: about 10 minutes for the tomatoes, 5 for the onion, 8 for the garlic.
- Peel the garlic. Toast the cumin seeds for 30 seconds and grind.
- Blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic, drained chillies and cumin to a coarse purée — it should keep some texture.
- Season with lime juice and salt. Thin with a little of the chilli soaking water if needed.
Notes
- Keep the charred tomato skins in; they are most of the flavour.
- Swap the tomatoes for tomatillos and leave out the dried chillies for a salsa verde.
- Keeps 5 days refrigerated.