Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce small hot dried chiles, stemmed
- 6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 pound (10 to 12 medium-size) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- Salt
- Sugar, about 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Directions
Note on chiles: This is one of the most versatile formulas to know, since you can go to practically any grocery store and find at least one variety of small hot dried chile. In a Mexican market (on either side of the border), the possibilities multiply quickly ? from the nuttiness of cascabel to the punch of arbol chiles, the peanutiness of piquin, and the smoky sweetness of red chipotles (morita). As a rough guide, 1/2 ounce dried chiles corresponds to 6 red chipotles (mortas), 4 tan chipotles, 16 arbols, 3 cascabels or 1/4 cup piquin.
Toasting and roasting. Preheat a broiler.
In an ungreased skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles, stirring for 1 minute, until they are very aromatic (some will have slightly darkened spots on them). Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water and rehydrate for 30 minutes.
In the same skillet, roast the garlic, turning regularly, until soft and blotchy-dark in places, about 15 minutes. Cool and slip off the papery skin.
Roast the tomatillos on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until soft, even blackened in spots, about 5 minutes on each side. Cool, then transfer the contents of the baking sheet (including any juices) to a blender or a food processor.
Finishing the salsa: Drain the chiles and add to the tomatillos along with the garlic. Puree, then scrape into a serving dish. Stir in enough water to give a spoonable consistency, usually about 1/4 cup. Season with salt, usually 1 teaspoon, and the optional sugar. Refrigerated, the salsa keeps for several days.
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By mark.rizzo_9743541
Spring, TX
on October 25, 2009
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Really good. Really complex. Really simple. I used the dried chipotles.
Definiate keeper.
By ggallimore_1090502
Kelso, WA
on April 05, 2005
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I made this recipe first using arbols (8 to what I thought was a half-pound of tomatillos and 3 cloves of garlic. However, after checking my receipt I noticed the grocer's scale was way off and I really had a pound. So it wasn't as spicy and not nearly as red as it should have been. However, it was still great and a big hit.
So the next time I made it I used dried tan chipotles - stemmed and seeded, toasted and soaked. The full 6 cloves of garlic, and better tomatillos from a local ranch market. Wow. An incredible taste that's clearly salsa but nothing like 'regular' tomato mush in a jar.
Please note, this recipe calls for dried chiles, not the chipotles in adobo from a can that Rick uses so often on his show. That would indeed make the recipe way too hot and the flavor of the tomatillos would probably be hidden.
Also, it doesn't take much sugar to sweeten if the tomatillos are fresh and ripe. Again, a great recipe.
By bjsaylor
knoxville, TN
on July 14, 2004
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I cooked this with the original recipe first and lost an entire batch because it was far too hot to eat. It was as if the entire dish was coated in habanero sauce. I generally like spicy food but this gave me a headache, etc. I had enough of the ingredients left to make a second batch and modified it as follows:
Use 2-5 peppers from the can of peppers, plus ALL of the adobo sauce.
The adobo sauce carries nearly all the flavor, without the heat. Also,add a teaspoon of brown sugar to the sauce.
With these modifications the recipe was much better.
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