Fire – Roasted Salsa Recipe

Roasted Salsa

1. 1

   Prepare dried chiles

   Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho/pasilla chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl, cover with 1/2 cup hot water, and let soak 10–15 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.

2. 2

   Preheat and prepare produce

   Preheat broiler or set a heavy cast-iron skillet over high heat. Halve the Roma tomatoes and trim any stems from tomatillos. Peel and halve the white onion. Leave garlic cloves unpeeled (this helps roast them without burning the flesh).

3. 3

   Roast tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chiles

   Place tomato halves cut-side down, tomatillos (seed side down if halved), onion halves cut-side down, whole jalapeños, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a rimmed baking sheet or directly on a hot skillet. If broiling, position 4–6 inches from heat. Roast until tomatoes and tomatillos have blackened blistered skins, onion edges are charred, jalapeños blister and collapse, and garlic skins darken — about 6–10 minutes under a broiler or 8–12 minutes in a skillet, turning peppers and garlic once to char evenly. Remove from heat and let cool until safe to handle.

4. 4

   Peel and de-seed as needed

   Peel the roasted garlic cloves. If desired for milder salsa, remove stems and seeds from the blistered jalapeños (leave some seeds for extra heat). Peel charred skins from tomatillos and tomatoes if large blackened pieces remain — a little char adds flavor, so don't over-peel.

5. 5

   Blend the salsa

   In a food processor or blender, combine the roasted tomatoes, roasted tomatillos, roasted onion (use about half if you prefer chunkier salsa), peeled garlic cloves, softened rehydrated chiles (drain but reserve 1–2 tbs of soaking liquid), and jalapeños (start with one, add more to taste). Add the toasted chile soaking liquid incrementally to achieve desired heat and depth. Pulse to your preferred texture: several quick pulses for a chunky salsa or 30–45 seconds for a smooth puree. If too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons water or reserved chile liquid to loosen.

6. 6

   Season and finish

   Transfer blended salsa to a bowl. Stir in fresh cilantro, lime juice, vegetable oil (this smooths and carries heat), ground cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and sugar if using. Taste and adjust salt, lime, or chiles. Let rest 15–30 minutes at room temperature to allow flavors to meld; if making ahead, refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled with tortilla chips, grilled meats, tacos, or eggs. Stir before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.