As usual Ike is the only one who is close to the mark. When I get done here, I’m going to have to cross post this tutorial to my recipe thread.
Salsa 101
[li]All salsas are cooked, a raw “salsa” is called a pico de gallo.[/li]
[li]Bell peppers are never used in real salsa.[/li]
[li]Always use white onions unless you are intentionally seeking a different (and less authentic) flavor. Green onions are commonly used in a pico de gallo and not in salsas. Look for “spring onions” with a larger bulb at the base.[/li]
[li]It is extremely important to “sweat” your onions before using them in your salsa.[/li]
[li]Every Mexican person I know has always eschewed plum or Roma tomatoes in favor of salad tomatoes.[/li]
[li]With very few exceptions you must roast fresh chiles before using them. (Instructions to follow.)[/li]
[li]White vinegar is preferred to cider or any sort of wine vinegar.[/li]
[li]Not all salsas use cilantro, but it is important to the flavor of many of them. Sadly, most restaurants and producers use far too much of it and give their salsas a bitter aftertaste.[/li]
[li]When limes are specified for a recipe, try and find the smaller Mexican limes for a more authentic flavor. Ordinary limes have a different character but can be used in a pinch. Certain recipes benefit from the use of lemon.[/li]
[li]Most salsas are defecient in the amount of salt that they contain. Almost all of them benefit from the use of some salt.[/li]
[li]The use of herbs is not common in salsas. The most frequently used ones are cilantro, oregano and cumin powder. Extreme care should be used when adding cumin powder to a salsa. Cumin has a very strong flavor that can dominate everything rather quickly. Always add it in small increments and taste for balance.[/li]
[li]All salsas benefit from “marrying” up. A few hours will make a vast difference in the complexity and balance of flavors. Many salsas require it. You will know a restaurant is not authentic when they make the salsa (or guacamole) for you at your table.[/li]
[li]Although sugar may help to “round out” the flavor of a salsa, I have never seen it added to any I’ve had.[/li]
[li]The heat of any salsa can be controlled by keeping or removing the seeds and internal ribs from the chile pods that you are using. This is where the oils are most concentrated.[/li]
[li]Tomato paste is never used as it is far too sweet and adds a soupy consistency. Tinned tomato products can be used in a pinch but are generally frowned upon.[/li]
[li]It is not critical to roast or peel tomatoes before using them. This is solely a matter of preference. There are times where the removal of any tomato seeds is desireable.[/li]
[li]Using more than one type of chile is generally frowned upon. The clarity of flavor is muddled by such admixture.[/li]
[li]Learn to haunt a local Mercado Mexican supermarket for your ingredients. Try to find one that makes fresh tortillas to be sure that they are dedicated to real Mexican food.[/li]Now that we have all that out of the way, let’s make a generic salsa.
[sup]INSERT STANDARD WARNING ABOUT USING CAUTION WHEN HANDLING CHILES AND ANY OTHER BODY PARTS <HERE>[/SUP]
Preheat your oven to Broil. If you do not have a broiler, you may also roast chiles in a dry pan on the stove top. You want to blacken the skins of the chile almost completely. Leaving the stem on the intact chile gives you a convenient handle for turning them. The roasting process mellows the flavor of the pepper much like when garlic is roasted. The high temperatures partially convert sugars and help to break down the plant fibers. At the same time you will also want to warm up a pot or skillet for sweating the onions.
Monitor the roasting process carefully and turn the chiles to char them on all sides. If allowed to go on too long you will dry out your peppers and lose the critical flesh of the pods.
Once the peppers are roasted, transfer them to a paper or plastic bag and close it tightly. Plastic bags work best because they do not absorb any liquid that is released. Beware of the hot chiles melting through the plastic.
You must leave the roasted peppers in the bag for at least ten minutes, so that they steam themselves. This will make it possible to remove the skins with ease. For smaller peppers such as the Habanero and Serrano peeling them is not always possible.
While the peppers are roasting, chop an onion into a fine dice. “Sweat” the onions in the pan until they become translucent. Do not brown them or the flavor of your salsa will suffer. You may use a tiny (~1 TSP) amount of oil in this process.
Garlic will “round out” the flavor of many salsas. It is not used in every type made, but many of them will benefit from it. The garlic should be sweated as well. Be sure to add it to the onions right at the very end. It is better to scrape the onions aside and sweat the garlic by itself so that you can monitor it carefully. Again, browning the garlic will ruin the salsa. If the garlic does become brown, throw it out and start again. Typically the garlic flavor should not be noticible. Instead, it should compliment the peppers and broaden their flavor notes.
By now, your chiles have finished steaming in their bag. Remove them from the bag and peel them. You may wish to wear gloves when doing this. Another precaution is to coat your hands with vegetable oil ahead of time if you are not going to wear gloves. The oil acts as a barrier for your skin which may be washed off later. Be sure to rinse out any juice that may have accumulated in the bag. Use the juice in your salsa.
For smooth salsas a hand blender is your best friend. For the more rustic Salsa Cruda the vegetables merely need to be chopped finely. The following recipe is for a green Jalapeño smooth salsa.
Jalapeño Salsa
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 4-8 People
Ingredients:
6-8 Green Jalapeño chiles*
1-2 White onions
1-2 Tbs White vinegar
1-2 Tbs Chopped cilanro (optional)
1-2 Cloves Garlic (optional)
3-6 Tomatillos (optional)
1/2-1 Tsp Salt (to taste)
1/2-1 Tsp Lemon juice (optional)
Dash of cumin powder
Dash of oregano (optional)
- The very hottest Jalapeños will be the viejos. These are the older and more ripe pods that show light brown striations on their skins. Solid green Jalapeños will be less hot and have a more vegetable like flavor.
Preparation:
Roast the chiles and sweat the onions and garlic. Peel the chiles and place them with all the other ingredients into a bowl. Blend with a hand blender or place in a conventional blender and purree. If you are using fresh tomatillos, you must first boil them in a small amount of water until they are completely soft.
Strain off the seeds and any pieces of skin from the salsa. If you are pressed for time you may skip the peeling step and blend the entire roasted peppers (with stem and seed core removed from larger pods). You will need to use a fine strainer to remove the skin and seeds.
Stir and scrape the bottom of the strainer with a spoon to help the salsa move through the wire mesh. Return the strained salsa to a pot on the stove and heat through, tasting for flavor. Add more salt or spice to taste and do not boil your salsa.
This recipe will work for almost any type of chile. Red Jalapeño, Serrano, Poblano and many others may all be used in a similar fashion. For other peppers, the optional ingredients will vary, but the general principle remains the same.
Note: Please use yellow corn tortilla chips. They have the best flavor to accompany your fresh salsa. Even better is to fry up your own, but that is optional.
In a final note to you Tim. If you want to do this quick and dirty I suggest that you try a tin of Rotel hot tomatoes. You will want to add some roasted red or green Jalapeños and onions (plus any of the other ingredients in the recipe above) to the canned ingredients. Purree all of this and strain it off for a faster but less tasty version.
I implore you to purchase a small tin of Herdez brand Salsa Casera and taste it. It is the first salsa I ever attempted to copy and outshines all others by a country mile. A recipe for duplicating it is posted at my recipe thread. Please look for the small can as the bottled salsa varies in quality for some reason.
Once you have done the whole procedure a few times, it becomes much easier and less time consuming. Nothing beats having a salsa with the exact flavor you like.
