Centex’s Salsa Vault (post yours here too if ya want)

The Cen-Tex Smoker

We’ve been making salsa for 25 years or so and always have a few good ones lying around. I like having things posted here So I can always go back and find them with pics and comments. And if anyone learns something or enjoys one of them, all the better. 

Going to start with the gold standard Tex Mex table salsa that every TexMex joint brings to your table when you sit down here in central Texas. This is very “Austin/San Antonio” style. Every restaurant has their own take on this but they all start with the same basic ingredients. 

28-oz Canned Tomatoes (San Marzano if you can find them), 

Medium white Onion
3-5 jalapeños (taste for spiciness and use what you think will give you the kick you want).
juice of one juicy lime

cilantro (about a half cup or a fist full)
 2-3 cloves of garlic (minced or microplaned)
roughly a tablespoon of kosher salt (some use garlic salt instead of fresh garlic and kosher. I go back and forth. They are both good) 

About the tomatoes: they all use canned tomatoes for this one so it tastes the same every time you go in. Winter tomatoes suck and produce mealy, watery salsa. You can certainly use fresh but it changes every time you make it. If you are going to have a “signature” salsa like all the restaurants here try to do, then it’s going to have to taste  the same every time you go. The only way to do that is by using canned tomatoes. If you are going to make fresh, do it when tomatoes are in season. It’s a real treat for a few months to make fresh salsa with good ingredients. This is a great salsa for fresh tomatoes too. The tomatoes are the star in this one. 

The Prep:

I cut the onion in to 1/8ths (just manageable chunks that can easily blend in), cut the jalapeños in half and cut those halves In to 3-4 pieces grab a fist full of washed cilantro (I measured this time, I had a cup ready to go and used about half that. If you don’t like cilantro, leave it out) 

After you prep, Place all the veggies in a food processor. Note- I like a Processor over a blender for this one. It’s supposed to have some texture to it and a blender can really pulverize it quickly if you aren't  careful. If you do use a blender go low speed and pulse until it gets to the texture you want. 

(As you can see in the pics, I used roughly 3/4 of the onion, and half of the cilantro I prepped. I usually hold back a little on these and the lime and add more if needed). 

Add a large pinch of salt and give it a spin for 20-30 seconds. Give it a taste and see if it needs anything. This one was really balanced in the veg but needed more salt and the other half of the lime  I added and gave it another spin to mix. Perfect. 

I will note that is is very common down here to double the amount of lime I put in this one. You almost can’t put too much in for many people’s tastes but I like it really balanced. I like the acid/limey bite but I don’t want it to be the overarching flavor. This is a tomato salsa and should taste like it. 

Other options: use fresh tomatoes when in season, use fire roasted canned tomatoes or roast fresh tomatoes, peppers and onions for a darker roasty salsa (that is often served warm down here). Same ingredients, totally different salsa in the end so play around with it. We tend to go more fresh in the summer and more roasty in the winter but it’s good either way any time. 

Hope you enjoy, more to come. 

Whole ingredients:

Prepped before the food processor:

Below is what I held back just going by experience. I would add anything that it needed after the first taste. I’ve gotten pretty good at knowing what looks right in the processor and I was pretty much on target this time. I did add that half lime and more salt though. Better to add a little more than add too much up front. Really hard to balance when you get too much salt, onion, or lime in there. 

After a spin in the processor (30 seconds and test, then 20-30 more if you need it. 

This whole thing took 10 min start to finish. Way better than anything you can buy in a jar.  

dmchicago

Looks amazing.

I made a stupid simple salsa verde yesterday for some Chilaquiles I made for breakfast.


Tomatillos. jalapenos, onion and cilantro.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/02/basic-salsa-verde-mexican-tomatillo-recipe.html

PigBeanUs

Great idea for a thread!

lousubcap

Nothing original here but you can scale the below with great effect:
From Rick Bayless:  This is quite tasty. 
INGREDIENTS

8ounces (3 to 4 medium)tomatillos, husked and rinsed Fresh hot green chiles to taste (1 or 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed 2large garlic cloves, peeled 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off), roughly chopped 1small white onion, finely chopped Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Roast the tomatillos, chile(s) and garlic.  I go with a cast iron skillet in the BGE raised direct around 350-400*F until blotchy black and softening (they’ll be turning from lime green to olive), about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side. Cool, then transfer everything to a blender, including all the delicious juice the tomatillos have exuded during roasting. Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, then blend to a coarse puree. Scoop into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon.

And the current addictive high heat winner:

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/05/extra-hot-yucatan-style-salsa-recipe.html  

Related thread here:

OT: Habanero and Roasted Garlic Salsa  

Great thread topic.  Looking forward to new recipes.  

saluki2007

Been looking forward to this thread.  Thank you for starting it and I look forward to making my own more often.

ColtsFan

This was a staple growing up. Used it as salsa, in chili, heck everything. We would make dozens of pints every summer when the tomatoes came on. Add any hot pepper or  jalapeño to spice it up 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Very spicy tomatillo Chile De Arbol salsa:

This is like the hot red salsa you get at chipotle. This will light you up! You can halve the peppers or up the tomatillos if you don’t like really spicy stuff. 

ingredients:

1lb  of husked tomatillos
1 oz dried arbol chili pods
2 cloves garlic 
tsp ground cumin 

Large pinch of Salt

stem the arbol chilis and dump out as many seeds as you can. Toast them Very quickly in a medium hot skillet until they become “fragrant” (it’s more like tear gas lol). Don’t let them get too dark as they get bitter when they over toast. Bring a sauce pan of water to a boil and place the arbol chilis in. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 20-30’min until they are soft. 

While doing this, husk and rinse the tomatillos and place under a broiler on a foil lined pan until very black and blistered. Turn tomatillos and blistered the other side you can also cut the tomatillos in half and roast both sides at the same time. Just don’t lose and of the awesome juices that come out. Put the garlic cloves in there (still in paper) and pull them when they get soft (about 5 min). 

Peel the paper off the garlic, place the garlic, tomatillos (with all the drippings), peppers, cumin, salt, and a tablespoon of the pepper water in a blender and give it a spin on low until very well blended (no chunks in this one). 

Squeeze of lime is always good but this one is pretty zippy from the tomatillos already. Taste for salt, add if needed and refrigerate for a few hours before eating if you can. 

Chile de Arbol:

The salsa (this is a stick photo as somehow I don’t have a good pic of mine. It looks
exactly like this though:

Here it is in a taco

caliking

Don't know how we made it this far without a repository for salsa recipes. Farkin' brilliant idea!!

But I'm somewhat pained by the homeopathic doses of garlic...

@lousubcap there's a Bayless  roasted tomatillo salsa recipe out there somewhere, that calls for some OJ in the mix. I recall it being a nice touch. 

dmourati

I will add two for posterity. Not my own creation but ones I have made many times and shared here before.

Ancho/Guajillo Salsa

Ingredients

• 3 whole dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed (see note)
• 3 whole dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed (see note)
• 2 whole chipotle peppers, canned in adobo
• 3/4 cup fresh juice from 2 to 3 oranges, preferably sour oranges
• 2 tablespoons fresh juice from 2 to 3 limes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, such as Red Boat
• 6 medium cloves garlic
• 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems only, divided
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seed, toasted and ground
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Place dried ancho and guajillo chilies on a microwave-safe plate and microwave until pliable and toasty-smelling, 10 to 20 seconds. Transfer to the jar of a blender and add chipotle peppers, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro, cumin seed, coriander seed, and brown sugar. Blend until a smooth sauce has formed, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/09/carne-asada-food-lab-recipe-kenji.html

Extra-Hot Yucatán-Style Roasted-Habanero Salsa (Chile Tamulado) Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole head garlic, split into cloves, cloves left unpeeled
• 24 whole habanero chilies (about 6 ounces; 170g) (see note)
• 2 tablespoons juice from 1 grapefruit (1 ounce; 30ml) (see note)
• 2 tablespoons juice from 1 orange (1 ounce; 30ml) (see note)
• 2 tablespoons juice from 2 limes (1 ounce; 30ml) (see note)
• Salt

Directions

1. Thread garlic cloves on a metal skewer and roast directly over a gas flame until well charred on all surfaces, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, roast in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, tossing, until charred on most surfaces, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl until cool enough to handle, then peel blackened skins and discard.
2. Roast habaneros in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, tossing, until charred on most surfaces, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, pick out stems and discard. (See note; you may want to use gloves for this task.)
3. Combine peeled garlic, habaneros, and grapefruit, orange, and lime juice in a blender or molcajete. Blend or pound until a smooth but still pulpy consistency is reached. Be very careful when opening blender or pounding in molcajete to avoid getting liquid or vapors near your eyes and nose. (It will burn your eyes and make you cough/sneeze.
4. Transfer salsa to a bowl, let rest for 15 minutes, then season to taste with salt. Salsa can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
   

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/05/extra-hot-yucatan-style-salsa-recipe.html

The Cen-Tex Smoker

love it. Thanks for adding those. I have several
more but I want to make them and document the process. I’ll be doing 1-2 a week just to get them on here. 

Legume

You recipe people are making me feel inadequate with my toss it in the blender, taste it and never write it down approach.

my quick comments:

• most of the time I’ll quarter tomatillos and char them in a dry, screaming hot pan on the stove.  Wok works well on the outside burner too when you’re blistering fresh chiles
• adding avocado to the blender for the verde salsas above makes a fantastic creamy version, but it has reduced storage life in the fridge.  Add a little more lime when you add avocado, maybe salt too as the avocado tends to mute other flavors
• chile de Arbol salsa is the shjt, sometimes I add other dried chiles like guajillo for a slightly different flavor

I’m going to have to think more about other riffs.

Foghorn

"You recipe people are making me feel inadequate like @caliking with my toss it in the blender, taste it and never write it down approach."

FTFY

(Sorry I beat you to that @20stone)

Legume

Foghorn said:

"You recipe people are making me feel inadequate like @caliking with my toss it in the blender, taste it and never write it down approach."

FTFY

(Sorry I beat you to that @20stone)

I refrained from commenting that I probably lean more garlic as well.

paqman

caliking said:

Don't know how we made it this far without a repository for salsa recipes. Farkin' brilliant idea!!

Good salsa is not a thing here in the Great White North.  Costco used to sell a great (but not spicy) fresh salsa but I haven’t seen it in ages.

Fresh tomatoes are around the corner, a local greenhouse just offered their first crop for sale but canned tomatoes work too.  I’ll try one of those recipes tomorrow (not sure which one yet), thanks everyone for sharing.

NDG

love this thread, can NOT WAIT to try some that you all posted. 
Here is my go to . . BGE roasted veg = very good.

• 4 large or 6 small tomatillos, husked (about 8 ounces)
• 4 plum tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/2 white onion, halved
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and onions with some oil and grill over direct heat until char marks appear. Remove from the grill and let cool. To control the spice in your salsa, stem and remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno for a milder flavor. Combine the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and onions in a food processor and pulse until mostly pureed, but slightly chunky. Add the cilantro and sugar and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Continue to pulse until pureed. Taste and add more salt and black pepper if desired. Set half of the salsa aside in a serving dish. Add the chipotles to the food processor and pulse with the remaining salsa until combined

Botch

Bookmarked!  Great thread, @The Cen-Tex Smoker and contributors.  
 
I may get poked with sharp sticks for posting this, but this is my winter go-to:
1.  Pour a quarter-jar of Pace Mild into a blender (New York City?!?!?)
2.  Drop in one or two chipotle chiles from a can, plus some adobo.
3.  Blend on high speed for 15 seconds or so.
4.  Pour the rest of the jar into the blender, hit "Stir" for just a few seconds.
5.  I return this to the Pace jar using a plastic funnel that I've cut the stem off.
 
One trick I learned from Cooks Illustrated: grate the onion on a box grater, to get it real fine (I do this during tomato season).
 
And a question: I've always used yellow onions in my salsa, are white onions a better choice?  Will have to try that this summer.  

fishlessman

i like this one from serious eats, a bit off the wall but really good with steak. cilantro is all i need to put on the shopping list as im usually well stocked with everything else

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/09/carne-asada-food-lab-recipe-kenji.html

Thatgrimguy

I bookmarked this one before I even read it.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Botch said:

Bookmarked!  Great thread, @The Cen-Tex Smoker and contributors.  
 
I may get poked with sharp sticks for posting this, but this is my winter go-to:
1.  Pour a quarter-jar of Pace Mild into a blender (New York City?!?!?)
2.  Drop in one or two chipotle chiles from a can, plus some adobo.
3.  Blend on high speed for 15 seconds or so.
4.  Pour the rest of the jar into the blender, hit "Stir" for just a few seconds.
5.  I return this to the Pace jar using a plastic funnel that I've cut the stem off.
 
One trick I learned from Cooks Illustrated: grate the onion on a box grater, to get it real fine (I do this during tomato season).
 
And a question: I've always used yellow onions in my salsa, are white onions a better choice?  Will have to try that this summer.  

Yellow are fine and add more sweetness to it. White is just traditional around here. Can’t go wrong if you like it so use what you like! 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Legume said:

You recipe people are making me feel inadequate with my toss it in the blender, taste it and never write it down approach.

my quick comments:

• most of the time I’ll quarter tomatillos and char them in a dry, screaming hot pan on the stove.  Wok works well on the outside burner too when you’re blistering fresh chiles
• adding avocado to the blender for the verde salsas above makes a fantastic creamy version, but it has reduced storage life in the fridge.  Add a little more lime when you add avocado, maybe salt too as the avocado tends to mute other flavors
• chile de Arbol salsa is the shjt, sometimes I add other dried chiles like guajillo for a slightly different flavor

I’m going to have to think more about other riffs.

I never measure either but this forces me to write it all down where I can go find it later if I need too. Almost everything I post on here I measure and write it down in a post so I’ll have the standard later if I need it. It makes it easy to share too. For anyone not on here I can just copy and paste to a text or email. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

dmchicago said:

Looks amazing.

I made a stupid simple salsa verde yesterday for some Chilaquiles I made for breakfast.


Tomatillos. jalapenos, onion and cilantro.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/02/basic-salsa-verde-mexican-tomatillo-recipe.html

I think the best salsas are the simple ones. If it gets over 4-5 fresh ingredients or a few dried chilis I get skeptical real fast. I can make any salsa I want with some combo of: tomato, tomatillo, lime, dried chilis, jalapeno/serrano, garlic, onion, cilantro, and salt. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

NDG said:

love this thread, can NOT WAIT to try some that you all posted. 
Here is my go to . . BGE roasted veg = very good.

• 4 large or 6 small tomatillos, husked (about 8 ounces)
• 4 plum tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/2 white onion, halved
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and onions with some oil and grill over direct heat until char marks appear. Remove from the grill and let cool. To control the spice in your salsa, stem and remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno for a milder flavor. Combine the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and onions in a food processor and pulse until mostly pureed, but slightly chunky. Add the cilantro and sugar and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Continue to pulse until pureed. Taste and add more salt and black pepper if desired. Set half of the salsa aside in a serving dish. Add the chipotles to the food processor and pulse with the remaining salsa until combined

This looks great. I do not have a tomatillo/tomato combo in the vault and I need one. This one is first on the list! 

caliking

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

dmchicago said:

Looks amazing.

I made a stupid simple salsa verde yesterday for some Chilaquiles I made for breakfast.

I think the best salsas are the simple ones. If it gets over 4-5 fresh ingredients or a few dried chilis I get skeptical real fast. I can make any salsa I want with some combo of: tomato, tomatillo, lime, dried chilis, jalapeno/serrano, garlic, onion, cilantro, and salt. 

This begs the existential question...

What IS salsa??

caliking

Legume said:

Foghorn said:

"You recipe people are making me feel inadequate like @caliking with my toss it in the blender, taste it and never write it down approach."

FTFY

(Sorry I beat you to that @20stone)

I refrained from commenting that I probably lean more garlic as well.

And this is why we get along well. 

JohnInCarolina

The wife makes a mango black bean salsa that is killer with chips or tacos.  I'll see if I can't track the recipe down to post here.

JohnInCarolina

caliking said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

dmchicago said:

Looks amazing.

I made a stupid simple salsa verde yesterday for some Chilaquiles I made for breakfast.

I think the best salsas are the simple ones. If it gets over 4-5 fresh ingredients or a few dried chilis I get skeptical real fast. I can make any salsa I want with some combo of: tomato, tomatillo, lime, dried chilis, jalapeno/serrano, garlic, onion, cilantro, and salt. 

This begs the existential question...

What IS salsa??

Is a hotdog salsa?

caliking

 Posting Cen-Tex's salsa recipe from his Breakfast Taco Project thread, because I'm a lazy sumbitch, and want one salsa thread for reference later.

"Roasted Tomatillo Habanero Salsa:
2lbs tomatillos

2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1-1.5 lime (to your liking)
Tsp cumin 
1.5 habanero peppers 
Big pinch 50/50 salt and pepper

In this batch I used jalapeno Because I had them. If you use jalapeno roast 3-5 of them (depending on how hot you like it) with everything else. 

Directions:
Husk Tomatillos and remove stems from tomatillos and peppers. 

Place tomatillos, garlic and peppers on a foil lined sheet pan under broiler on high. After 5 min or so (when getting very blistered and dark, turn peppers and tomatillos to blister the other side. If garlic has started to soften, remove at this time. 

Once peppers and tomatillos have blistered and softened, put all ingredients in blender (make sure you get any liquid that has run out onto the foil

blend on low 30-60 seconds until there are no chunks. 

This recipe Makes exactly 2 pint jars full. Scale up or down to your liking. "

fishlessman

hotdog salsa, this ones a sweet habanero

Grind 1-2 peck green tomatoes, 10 red pimiento peppers, 6 green bell peppers, 5 tiny hot peppers, 10 onions. Drain. Pour boiling water (I didn’t use boiling water) over above and let stand 15 minutes. Drain again. Put vegetables in large kettle, add 1 pint vinegar (5 cups) (barely cover), 3 1-2 cups granulated sugar, 1-4 cup salt, 1-4 cup mustard seed, 3 tablespoons celery seed, *1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon ground cloves* (*omitted*). Bring to a full rolling boil. Pour into sterile jars and seal at once

The Cen-Tex Smoker

caliking said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

dmchicago said:

Looks amazing.

I made a stupid simple salsa verde yesterday for some Chilaquiles I made for breakfast.

I think the best salsas are the simple ones. If it gets over 4-5 fresh ingredients or a few dried chilis I get skeptical real fast. I can make any salsa I want with some combo of: tomato, tomatillo, lime, dried chilis, jalapeno/serrano, garlic, onion, cilantro, and salt. 

This begs the existential question...

What IS salsa??

Like masalawurst, it is merely a concept. Or a spicy gespacho. It’s whatever you want it to be. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

fishlessman said:

hotdog salsa, this ones a sweet habanero

Grind 1-2 peck green tomatoes, 10 red pimiento peppers, 6 green bell peppers, 5 tiny hot peppers, 10 onions. Drain. Pour boiling water (I didn’t use boiling water) over above and let stand 15 minutes. Drain again. Put vegetables in large kettle, add 1 pint vinegar (5 cups) (barely cover), 3 1-2 cups granulated sugar, 1-4 cup salt, 1-4 cup mustard seed, 3 tablespoons celery seed, *1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon ground cloves* (*omitted*). Bring to a full rolling boil. Pour into sterile jars and seal at once

Love it. That is not something you would find down here. Interested to try it. 

fishlessman

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

fishlessman said:

hotdog salsa, this ones a sweet habanero

Grind 1-2 peck green tomatoes, 10 red pimiento peppers, 6 green bell peppers, 5 tiny hot peppers, 10 onions. Drain. Pour boiling water (I didn’t use boiling water) over above and let stand 15 minutes. Drain again. Put vegetables in large kettle, add 1 pint vinegar (5 cups) (barely cover), 3 1-2 cups granulated sugar, 1-4 cup salt, 1-4 cup mustard seed, 3 tablespoons celery seed, *1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon ground cloves* (*omitted*). Bring to a full rolling boil. Pour into sterile jars and seal at once

Love it. That is not something you would find down here. Interested to try it. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

fishlessman said:

hotdog salsa, this ones a sweet habanero

Grind 1-2 peck green tomatoes, 10 red pimiento peppers, 6 green bell peppers, 5 tiny hot peppers, 10 onions. Drain. Pour boiling water (I didn’t use boiling water) over above and let stand 15 minutes. Drain again. Put vegetables in large kettle, add 1 pint vinegar (5 cups) (barely cover), 3 1-2 cups granulated sugar, 1-4 cup salt, 1-4 cup mustard seed, 3 tablespoons celery seed, *1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon ground cloves* (*omitted*). Bring to a full rolling boil. Pour into sterile jars and seal at once

Love it. That is not something you would find down here. Interested to try it. 

i make 8 to 10 quarts a year and usually run out, it really is used just on hotdogs with mustard and chopped onion. this recipe tastes like the piccililli that was made by the howards plant near me years ago, all you could smell in the area was that piccillilli during the fall. last batch i used ghost peppers