I need to contribute some seriously kick-ass salsa for a día de los muertos celebration next month, and I don’t have any decent recipes.
Does anybody have any they would be willing to share?
Husk 6-8 medium tomatillos, cut in half and remove the stem and woody part underneath (like a tomato). Slice in half 2-4 jalapenos. Place tomatillos and jalapenos cut-side down under the broiler in a suitable pan (I use a disposable aluminum baking tray from the dollar store). Cook until the skins are blackened. Transfer veggies and any juice in the pan to a blender with the leaves of about 20 sprigs of cilantro. Squeeze in the juice of one lime and blend till smooth. Add salt and, perhaps, sugar and more cilantro to taste. Allow to cool a bit before serving, it will thicken up.
Only recently, I have come across Salsa Macha which has some mediterranean overtones and essentially makes use of the relatively little known and underrated mexican olive oil from Baja. Don’t the let the name “she-man” salsa fool you, as it can be mild to very hot depending on the dried chiles one uses, the oil involved also acts as a perfect carrier for the capsaicin, although it is mellowed and evened out by the nuts.
It is at base a very simple salsa using in most preparations only five things: Dried roasted chiles, Roasted nuts (peanuts are very common but others can be used), Oil, Garlic, and salt. (vineagar is sometimes also used for a bit of bite and seasoning)
Rick Bayless’ recipe for salsa macha looks very good, if not gourmet, and well, not much you couldn’t learn from the master.
Here is a very simple and illustrated version of salsa macha, my only complaint is that she doesn’t use any roasted garlic.
Also, just a general tip for any salsa you might make, I would reccomend making it up at least a day or two ahead of time, before the party, to let everything come together flavor wise and meld. It will be that much better.
I have also noted that at most Mexican Restaurants in Florida, in addition and supplement to the usual, very mild, and tomatoey, table salsa that they typically serve with the complimentary tortilla chips, that if one asks for “hot salsa”, generally they will bring you some version of salsa macha. Which was kind of different for me coming from Ohio with a history of a Tex Mex salsa tradition that usually involves a red tomato salsa (mild), and a green, fresh or pickled, jalapeno salsa (hot) already on the table. I attribute these differences to most Florida Mexican immigrants coming from a lower or more western Mexican state than our typically Upper Mexican State migrant population.