Charred Tomatillo Salsa
The heat of summer living is made easy with Charred Tomatillo Salsa
I like to make this type of salsa on a cast iron pan over my backyard BBQ grill in the summer. The secret to the flavor of this type of salsa comes from the technique of charring the vegetables which can also be done on the stovetop in a cast iron pan (make sure to turn on the hood fan). Charring or slightly burning food is the hallmark of the Argentinian Gauchos and it is mostly done over an open fire. This simple tomatillo salsa is made with the green Mexican tomatillos, poblano, and jalapeno peppers. It is great as a snack with tortilla chips or as a side condiment for Quesadillas, Tacos or Enchiladas.
As always, prep all of the ingredients before the cooking process begins. Start by removing the papery like husk surrounding the tomatillos. Then wash all of the vegetables. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.
My recipe for Charred Tomatillo Salsa
Yield 3 Cups
7 Each Tomatilloes
1 Each Poblano Pepper
1 Each Jalapeno Pepper
2 Each Tomatoes, medium size slicers
2 Slices Red Onions, 1/2 thick
3 Each Garlic Cloves, peeled
1 Each Lime, small
¼ cup Chopped Cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Olive oil For Charring the vegetables
Salt To taste
- Remove the outer husks encasing the tomatillos
- Wash all of the vegetables
- Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds
- In a very hot cast iron pan char, all of the vegetables until soft with a small amount of olive oil (this can be done over a charcoal grill on cast iron as well to get a smoky finish)
- Puree half of the tomatillos
- Rough chop the rest of the vegetables and add to the puree
- With the aid of fork squeeze out the juice and add to the salsa by inserting it into the cut halves and twisting while squeezing
- Add the chopped cilantro and olive oil and season with salt
- Serve with tortilla chips or as a condiment for quesadillas, tacos or enchiladas.
Enjoyed with a cold beer, margarita or chilled beverage of choice.
