Let's Talk About Salsa

[Ookii]

Okay, so recently schild and I embarked upon a journey to recreate the most delicious salsas the world has seen. So far we're getting all our recipes by 'best salsa recipe' google searches, so this is where you can step in and help.  I'm sure some of you out there have kickass salsa recipes (besides VL) that you can post, because I'd rather make recipes that people can vouch for, than whatever I find in the first 20 results on google.

The first salsa we made was delish (maybe we'll post pictures):

Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons diced onion
Salt

Place tomatillos in a saucepan and barely cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until soft—about 10 minutes.

Place half of the tomatillos in a blender jar. Add the cilantro, garlic, and onion. Blend until smooth. Add the remaining tomatillos, and pulse a few times, just enough to break up any larger pieces. Return sauce to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt.

We used two serranos because this was our first recipe and we weren't sure what kind of damage they were going to do.  Turns out it has the right amount of heat, but another could easily be thrown in and still be very delectable.

Next we shall embark upon this salsa:

Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe Ingredients

      2 large, red ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
      1 garlic clove peeled
      1 Anaheim green chili, seeded and cut into thirds
      3 green onions, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
      4 oz canned chopped green chilies
      1 to 3 whole jalapeños, deveined and seeded (Optional to taste)
      1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
      1 teaspoon olive oil
      1 Tablespoon lime juice
      salt and pepper to taste
 
Directions for classical home made salsa recipe follow...

Salsa Recipes

This authentic Mexican tomato salsa recipe is very easy to make. It sure is easier and a heck of a lot quicker to reach for a blender, but we love the chunky, rustic texture of salsas made in a molcajete, or traditional Mexican mortar. And spices ground against the rough black basalt give off truly potent aromas - which make our meals all the more flavorful.

Authentic Mexican kitchen items

Are you getting hungry, yet?

Char the tomatoes over a gas grill or under the flame of a hot broiler for a few seconds, turning them until the peel blisters. Slip off the peel, and the flesh will still be firm. Remove the green stem core and cut the tomatoes in half vertically. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds.

In the food processor, turn the motor on chop first and drop in the garlic, cilantro, green onions and jalapeños into the bowl of the food processor to chop for just a few seconds.

Turn off the motor and scrap down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula.

Add all the remaining ingredients from the tomato salsa recipe, tomatoes, Anaheim chili, the chopped green chilies, olive oil and lime juice . Process with brief pulses to reach the desired texture, somewhere between a chow-chow relish and a textured puree.

You want to see bits of all the vegetables through out the salsa.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into a serving bowl and allow to season for approximately one hour.

As an added bonus, as long as there aren't too many recipes, we'll make and document any that are posted here.  Be warned though: they better be good.

[Sky]

I don't use recipes, I change it every time I make it. The only thing is to have good ingredients, fresh if possible. It's tough to go wrong, but I'm not real picky.

[Evildrider]

You can improve most salsas by fire-roasting the vegetables.  I usually do that with my onions, tomatos, and jalapenos/habaneros.

[Nonentity]

I loves me some fire-roasted salsa. It's the only salsa I'll thoroughly enjoy.

Raw salsas hit my gag reflex, for some reason.

It's the same reason raw onions and tomatoes hit my gag reflex.

[CmdrSlack]

Thirded on the roasting.

Poblano peppers are great that way and add some nice flavor.

[Ookii]

I'm glad everyone likes salsas with things roasted in them, it really fills my heart with glee.

How about some recipes! 

[schild]

fire-roasted
fire-roasted
fire-roasted
fire-roasted
fire-roasted

[voodoolily]

Mango-habanero salsa

1 large, very ripe mango (and when I say ripe I mean it literally is turning to booze inside its skin), diced
1 walnut-sized habanero, seeded and minced
1 ripe Hass avocado (its creaminess cuts the heat), diced
3 tbsp minced shallot
1/2 c minced cilantro
coupla tablespoons rice vinegar
juice from half a ripe lime, plus zest
coupla scrapes of fresh nutmeg
S&P and a pinch of sugar

Mix that shit up. It was invented for salmon.

[Yegolev]

This is because HAMMER FRENZY will not share his recipes?

[schild]

We made another salsa last night. And by we, I mean, Ookii made one and I read 4c^h^h CNN.

It's good. We'll get there. Oh yes, we'll get there.

[WayAbvPar]

My wife makes a pineapple-mango salsa (more pico de gallo style, in truth) that fucking rules the earth. Sweet, spicy and savory all mixed...just AMAZING.

[schild]

RECIPE.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Haha, what is really funny is that Veronica's salsa was a "quick make salsa I have to go to Schild's in 15 minutes!" salsa. She has a couple other recipes and junk, plus she can rock the shit out of the Guacamole....mmmmmmmmmmMMM! I have to make my black bean green chili salsa for you fools. It brings the yum.

[Sky]

RECIPE.

Good, fresh ingredients. Chop, mix in bowl.

Experiment and learn how to build dishes and you won't need recipes except for ideas (and baking, but that's a voodoo unto itself).

[WayAbvPar]

RECIPE.

Good, fresh ingredients. Chop, mix in bowl.

Experiment and learn how to build dishes and you won't need recipes except for ideas (and baking, but that's a voodoo unto itself).

Yeah, that is pretty much it. Portions I don't know, but I can list the ingredients-

Pineapple
Mango
Papaya
Red Onion
Green Onion
Lime juice
fresh jalepenos
cilantro
olive oil
salt

[Ookii]

RECIPE.

Good, fresh ingredients. Chop, mix in bowl.

Experiment and learn how to build dishes and you won't need recipes except for ideas (and baking, but that's a voodoo unto itself).

Um yeah, thanks for the advice....

Anyone got any recipes?

[schild]

See. We're taking the scientific approach of using recipes that already taste good and then taking the best parts of each that complement eachother and creating a better, more powerful salsa.

By the way, Jorge, we need MOAR.

[UD_Delt]

Your search is complete...

My wife and I have been making homemade salsa for years and its pretty much the best we've tried. We really don't alter the ingredients very much at all although last time I made two batches one tomato based and one corn based. The corn was good but the traditional was better. The other thing to keep in mind is that hand chopping everything is preferable to using a food processor. I hand chop but my wife uses a food processor and hers comes out too liquidy for my taste.

Here's the ingredients:

8-10 Vine tomatoes
2-3 Beefsteak tomatoes
2 ears of corn
1/2 large white onion
1/2 sweet red onion
one bunch of cilantro (finely chopped - no stems)
1-2 limes - just squeeze in the lime juice, you don't want too much of the actual pulp.
1 jar of jalepenos (http://www.mybrandsinc.com/ShopOnline/Catalog.asp?t=6&s=P&ss=POLA&p=494) - these are absolutely the best. I've tried hand chopped but it's not as good. The little bit of vinegar really adds something.

salt & black pepper to taste.


Edit: Oh and go to a farm or at least a farmer's market to get fresh veggies. Typical grocery store veggies just don't cut it and we don't even bother trying to make this in the winter. Strictly a summer dish when I can raid the gardens of friends and families or hit the West Side Market for fresh ohio grown veggies.

[Sky]

Yeah, I usually throw in the pickled jalapenos, too. They just fit better than the fresh ones. I usually skip the cilantro, I don't care for the flavor it adds, it always seems to overpower.

[WayAbvPar]

Yeah, I usually throw in the pickled jalapenos, too. They just fit better than the fresh ones. I usually skip the cilantro, I don't care for the flavor it adds, it always seems to overpower.

Philistine. Fresh jalepenos + cilantro ftw!  :-D

[CmdrSlack]

Yeah, I just usually get the hint of vinegar taste from....vinegar.

ETA --

I am just now trying to convert my recipes from lists of ingredients to lists w/ measurements, but here's a salsa we used to make a lot last summer that was quite nice.

8-12 roma or plum tomatoes, diced
fresh parsley, chopped
sage, the kind from the jar or fresh, chopped
cilantro, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 can black beans (I guess you could use dry ones and cook 'em, but yeah, summer recipe)
1 can sweet corn (once again, I guess you could cook it on the cob and then cut it off the cob)
apple cider vinegar, a few splashes, but not a ton
fresh ground black pepper
kosher salt
lemon or lime juice from one or two lemons or limes
[add your xtreme hot peppers of choice here]
2 roasted poblanos, chopped (I usually cut off the top, clean out the center junk, then brush on some oil and toss them under the broiler for about 7 mins, then flip and go 7 more mins. Take 'em out of the oven and put 'em in a paper bag for about 15 mins, then the skins should come right off)

I've done variations on this that also use stuff like mustard powder or cumin or cayanne pepper, but for the most part, you don't NEED those in there.

I also have a killer carrot slaw recipe, but that's not salsa.

[UD_Delt]

Yeah, I just usually get the hint of vinegar taste from....vinegar.

Where do you get Jalapeno flavored vinegar?

The point of the pickled jalapenos is because they diffuse evenly through the entire batch of salsa. Fresh chopped Jalapenos, even those I spent tons of time diceing and rediceing until they are as fine as sand just don't seem to blend as well. You end up getting bites of salsa that have no heat and then others have some heat. For me I've never managed to create a nice even experience using fresh jalapenos.

That may also have to do with the fact I make salsa for immediate consumption. If I allowed it time to blend over night I'm sure the jalapenos would diffuse but then the rest of the stuff just wouldn't seem as fresh.

Like I said we've been doing this for years and it's down to a pretty sweet science.

[CmdrSlack]

Yeah, I just usually get the hint of vinegar taste from....vinegar.

Where do you get Jalapeno flavored vinegar?

The point of the pickled jalapenos is because they diffuse evenly through the entire batch of salsa. Fresh chopped Jalapenos, even those I spent tons of time diceing and rediceing until they are as fine as sand just don't seem to blend as well. You end up getting bites of salsa that have no heat and then others have some heat. For me I've never managed to create a nice even experience using fresh jalapenos.

That may also have to do with the fact I make salsa for immediate consumption. If I allowed it time to blend over night I'm sure the jalapenos would diffuse but then the rest of the stuff just wouldn't seem as fresh.

Like I said we've been doing this for years and it's down to a pretty sweet science.

If you let it all sit together in a covered container in the fridge overnight, I find that the flavors mix pretty well. We used to have a great mixing bowl with a lid until the kid destroyed it -- I'd just give it a few good shakes every time I hit the fridge for a beer to make sure things were mixing well. The liquid from the tomatoes and the vinegar and the juices go a long way towards allowing things to marinate pretty evenly.

ETA -- I also am a big fan of the roasted poblano and then another, hotter pepper so maybe that's part of it.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

DO NOT PUT VINEGAR IN YOUR SALSA!

[CmdrSlack]

DO NOT PUT VINEGAR IN YOUR SALSA!

I've also used brown sugar before.  I like the sweet, hot, salty, bitter combo.

[schild]

DO NOT PUT VINEGAR IN YOUR SALSA!

Yea, our boy Josh put a tiny bit in one of them. I thought it was absolutely horrendous tasting.

I mean, like, BLECH BLECH I CAN STILL TASTE IT 5 MINUTES LATER.

I don't want my salsa to taste pickled, I believe was my response.

[UD_Delt]

I wouldn't recommend vinegar either since it sounds kind of strange.

But try the jarred jalepenos. I don't think you'll notice any kind of vinegar taste.

The recipe I linked will taste similar to Chipolte's tomatoe salsa but a bit spicier and better in every other way.

[CmdrSlack]

I dunno, when I mean a splash, I mean literally like barely any. You could measure it with a fraction of a teaspoon.

Either way, our salsa turns out great.

People asking for recipes probably shouldn't be critiquing them without trying, however. 

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Uh...Mexican to the Rescue.

First. Do not. I repeat DO NOT USE VINEGAR IN YOUR SALSA. Salsa should not use vinegar it is not authentic, adding an outside ingredient to an already perfected recipe set is only going to churn out crappy salsa. Trust me on this, I even did the research then I called my mommy, Then I called my girlfriends mommy. They are both Mexicans. From Mexico. Don't use vinegar in your salsa.

Second. ONLY USE FRESH INGREDIENTS! No canned nothing. Least of all canned chilis of any sort. Stay away form that crap. They all have preservatives and all those preservatives compound. It really is the difference between good restaurant salsa and great home made salsa. Again, keep it authentic.

I don't want to come off like I know a lot about this cause I don't. But I have eaten salsa every day just about for about 26 years. I am from Mexico. I have tasted no shit, hundreds of salsas and the one thing they all had in common was that they used ONLY fresh ingredients.

[voodoolily]

DO NOT PUT VINEGAR IN YOUR SALSA!

Have you ever tasted rice vinegar? It has less acid than lime juice and a mild sweet taste. Besides, mine is stupid fruity bullshit salsa for fish. IIRC, salsa just means SAUCE, rite?

[Yegolev]

The capsaicin is concentrated in the seeds, so that could be what is causing the uneven heat from chopped peppers.  Putting peppers in some fluid (vinegar) will distribute the capsaicin.

[HAMMER FRENZY]

Yeg: No vinegar is put into salsa to retard spoilage. Look at my post on hot sauce vs. salsa. If you know any Mexican restaurant owners, ( I know many, again, Mexican)
They will tell you which salsa has vinegar. It will usually only be the ones that will have to be stored. there are natural low acids found in almost all the ingredients used in a salsa, onions, chilis, Etc. acids are used to retard spoilage, (lime), when you are looking to store or prolong the life of a salsa, you add vinegar. (look at the ingredients of every hot sauce in your house) This is not the authentic way of preparing salsa and you can bet your ass that you can taste the difference.

[Sky]

Oh, ffs. Now we are using race as authority for good salsa? As VL points out, there are many good vinegars out there, most people don't have them in their house. I've pointed out the Buffalo wings are only properly made with Frank's Red Hot and butter. But I'm not about to argue that making them any other way is wrong.

Hey, there are NO RULES. Make what you enjoy.

Rather than just stating how you like yours made, you're claiming some fucking authority on the subject you admit you don't know alot about. Good show. At least it gave me a chuckle this morning.

[schild]

Oh, ffs. Now we are using race as authority for good salsa?

Well, to be fair, some cultures make certain foods much better than others.

[UD_Delt]

Oh, ffs. Now we are using race as authority for good salsa?

Well, to be fair, some cultures make certain foods much better than others.

I'm Italian but a coworker who is Mexican did at one point ask for our salsa recipe. Maybe she was just being polite...