House-made Salsas Recipe

Roast vegetables

Preheat broiler or grill to high. Toss Roma tomatoes (halved if large), jalapeños, and garlic cloves with 1 tbs vegetable oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange onion quarters alongside. Place under the broiler or on the grill and roast, turning occasionally, until charred and blistered on all sides — about 8–12 minutes total.

Blend and finish

Let roasted vegetables cool 5 minutes. Remove stems from jalapeños (leave seeds for more heat) and peel garlic if desired. Transfer tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, and onion to a blender or food processor. Add 1/2 cup cilantro, 2 tbs lime juice, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pulse to desired texture — smooth for a classic salsa roja or slightly chunky. Taste and adjust salt, lime, or heat. Chill 30 minutes for flavors to meld before serving.

Combine 2 cups diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup finely diced white onion, 1 minced jalapeño (seeds removed for milder), 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tbs lime juice, 3/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper in a bowl. Stir gently to combine. Let sit 10–15 minutes at room temperature to allow flavors to marry. Taste and adjust salt or lime. Keep chilled and use within 24 hours for peak freshness.

Char tomatillos and peppers

Preheat grill or broiler to high. Toss tomatillo halves and serrano peppers with 1 tsp olive oil. Place tomatillos, serranos, 2 cloves garlic and quartered onion on a sheet or grill and char until blackened in spots and softened — about 6–10 minutes under broiler or 8–12 minutes on a hot grill, turning as needed.

Process to salsa

Allow charred produce to cool slightly. Place tomatillos, serranos (stemmed; remove seeds for less heat), garlic, and onion into a blender or food processor. Add 1/2 cup cilantro, 2 tbs lime juice and 1 tsp kosher salt. Pulse until mostly smooth with some texture. Adjust salt and lime to taste. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes before serving to let flavors balance.

Roast pineapple and pepper

Preheat broiler or hot grill. Toss 1 cup pineapple pieces and 1/2 cup red bell pepper with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Spread on a baking sheet and roast under broiler or over direct grill heat until edges caramelize and fruit softens, about 6–8 minutes, turning once.

Combine and balance

Let roasted fruit cool 5 minutes. In a medium bowl combine roasted pineapple and pepper, 1 tsp minced chipotle in adobo (start with less if you prefer milder), 1/4 cup finely diced red onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tbs lime juice, 1/2 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Stir to combine and taste — add more chipotle for smokiness or more honey for sweetness. Chill 20–30 minutes to let flavors marry before serving.