SALSA TATEMADA/ CHARRED SALSA

SALSA TATEMADA/
CHARRED SALSA
”THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS SAUCE IS TO
GET THE FLAVOR OF THE CHARRING

INGREDIENTS
Makes about 760g
8g chile morita, destemmed
20g garlic, roughly chopped
150g white onion, roughly chopped
12g chile serrano, sliced in half lengthwise
and deseeded
200g tomatillo, husks discarded
530g plum tomatoes, halved,
stems removed
Salt to taste
14g cilantro
METHOD
Place a comal or a cast iron skillet over high heat. Place the dried
chiles and garlic cloves on the comal or in the skillet to char. Cook
the peppers until the skin softens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes, then
remove the chiles and place in a bowl or small pot of warm water to
rehydrate. Set aside for at least 10 to 15 minutes—the chiles should
be soft enough that their skin will disintegrate when ground. Leave
the garlic on the comal or in the skillet to continue blistering, and
add the onion.
After about 3 to 4 minutes, remove the garlic and place it in the
molcajete or blender. Continue roasting the onions and add the
fresh serrano, cut side down (do not remove the seeds). Add the
whole tomatillos and the sliced tomatoes, flesh side down. Flip the
serranos so that both sides get charred and blistered. Continue
roasting the onions, serrano, tomatillos, and tomatoes, flipping
occasionally, until all ingredients are cooked through and charred,
about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat off the comal or skillet, but
leave the charred vegetables where they are.
If using a blender to combine, place all of the roasted ingredients
into the jar, add salt to taste, add the cilantro, and blend. Use the
“pulse” button until the desired consistency—chunky or smooth—is
reached.
If using a molcajete to combine, place the onions and 1 of the tomatillos into the molcajete with the garlic. Grind the garlic, onions, and
tomatillo together into a rough paste. Once the onions and garlic
are smooth and pasty, add the remaining tomatillos and tomatoes
to the molcajete, along with the salt. Continue to grind until the
sauce is mostly smooth, with some chunks (remove any large chunks
of tomato skin with your fingers).
Add the softened chiles to the molcajete and continue grinding the
salsa, taking care to break down the chile skins. Add more salt
and continue grinding or blending until the desired consistency
is reached. Add the fresh cilantro to the sauce and stir without
mashing to incorporate.
Serve immediately. Salsa Tatemada keeps covered in the refrigera tor for up to 4 days.