Fresh Serrano Chile Salsa Food

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN SALSA ROJA

Steps:

• Heat a large cast iron skillet or a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the tomatoes and the chiles to the pan and char on all sides, rotating the vegetables occasionally until blackened. This can take about 6 minutes for the chiles and 10 to 15 minutes for the tomatoes. The tomato skins should begin to pull away from the flesh and the chiles will look blistered.
• Transfer the chiles to a cutting board and allow them to cool. Place the tomatoes, including any charred skin that has completely fallen off, in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse a couple of times for about 10 seconds or until the tomatoes are blended but with a few small chunks for texture.
• Transfer the blended tomatoes to a bowl. Cut the charred chiles in half lengthwise and remove the stems and seeds. You can remove the ribs if you don't like the salsa too spicy. Chop the chiles into small dice.
• Mix the chiles, onions and cilantro with the tomatoes until combined. Stir in the lime juice and salt. Taste and season with additional lime juice and salt, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until cooled. Serve with chips.

SALSA GUILLE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over high. Add onion, garlic, and chiles. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, chiles are blistered, and garlic is golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a blender or food processor and let cool 10 minutes.
• Add peanut butter, bouillon, and ½ tsp. salt to blender and purée. Remove small inset lid from top and, with the machine on the lowest setting, slowly pour in half the cooking oil (1 cup). Blend until salsa is velvety and emulsified. (Discard remaining oil or strain and reserve for another use, such as frying eggs or cooking the mushrooms for these tacos). Taste salsa and season with more salt if needed.
• Transfer to a small bowl and top with peanuts just before serving.
• Do ahead: Salsa (without peanut topping) can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and chill.

SERRANO SALSA

Steps:

• Add olive oil to a medium-sized sauté pan.
• Place over medium-high heat.
• When oil is hot, stir in Serrano chilies and garlic.
• Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring often so garlic does not burn.
• Add onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add yellow pepper, sauté for 1 minute.
• Stir in tomato paste, brown sugar, oregano and coriander; cook for 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes, vinegar, salt, pepper and capers.
• Turn up heat to high and bring sauce to slight boil; remove from heat immediately.
• The vegetables should retain crispness.
• Chill thoroughly before serving.

SALSA ROJA

Steps:

• Combine 1 large white onion, halved, 4 medium plum tomatoes (about 12 oz.), halved, 1-2 serrano chiles, 4 garlic cloves, and 3 oz. dried ancho, guajillo, and/or pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed, in a medium saucepan, using fresh vegetables to weigh down dried chiles. Pour in water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let sit until dried chiles are rehydrated and fresh vegetables are softened, 20-25 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a blender; reserve soaking liquid. Add ½ bunch cilantro, tough stems trimmed, coarsely chopped, juice of 1 lime, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. ground cumin, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 cup reserved soaking liquid. Blend, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Taste salsa and add more salt if needed.

TOMATILLO SALSA WITH SERRANOS

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook tomatillos 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook with tomatillos for 2 minutes more. Drain and rinse with cool water.
• Add tomatillos, garlic, chiles, lime, oil, salt, cumin, and cayenne to a blender or the bowl of a food processor and process until combined but slightly chunky. Add cilantro and onion and lightly pulse to combine. Texture should remain slightly chunky. Season with salt if necessary.
• Do Ahead
• Salsa can be made 5 days ahead. Chill in a resealable container.

ESSENTIAL CHOPPED TOMATO-SERRANO SALSA (SALSA MEXICANA CLASSICA)

Steps:

• Core the tomatoes, then cut in half widthwise and squeeze out the seeds if you wish (it will give the sauce a less rustic appearance). Finely dice the flesh by slicing it into roughly 1/4-inch thick pieces, then cutting each slice into small dice. Scoop into a bowl.
• Cut the chiles in half lengthwise (wear rubber gloves if your hands are sensitive to the piquancy of the chiles) and scrape out the seeds if you wish (not only will this make the salsa seem less rustic, but it will make it a little less picante). Chop the chiles as finely as you can, then add them to the tomatoes. Carefully bunch up the cilantro sprigs, and, with a sharp knife, slice them 1/16-inch thick, stems and all, working your way down from the leafy end until you run out of leaves. Scoop the chopped cilantro into the tomato mixture along with the optional garlic. Next, finely dice the onion with a knife (a food processor will turn it into a sour mess), scoop it into a small strainer, then rinse it under cold water. Shake to remove the excess water and add to the tomato mixture. Taste and season with lime juice and salt, and let stand if you have a little time, for the flavors to meld before using or scooping into a salsa dish and serving.

ROASTED TOMATO AND SERRANO CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• Roast the tomatoes on a griddle until they blacken on all sides.
• Remove and set aside.
• Toast the garlic cloves until they soften.
• Meanwhile, toast the chiles until they brown on the sides.
• Place the garlic, chiles and a few tomatoes into a blender; blend until smooth, then add the rest of the tomatoes.
• Turn on the blender very briefly, leaving tomatoes with a rough texture.
• Remove the salsa from the blender, add the cilantro, and season with salt.

FRESH SERRANO CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the serranos, onion, and lime juice; let marinate about 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Refrigerate; serve cold.