Salsa is what brings a dish together, a burst of flavour in your mouth and, as I’ve said before, a staple in any Mexican home. In my mother’s house there was always a salsa roja, red salsa, tomato based, and it could be spicy or mild depending on the chilies used. The day the beans were cooked we had to have Pico de gallo or Salsa Bandera, a chopped salsa that is a great for tacos or snacking. That is the easiest to make, all you need is a couple of tomatoes, onion, hot chilies, coriander, salt and pepper and lime juice.
One of my favourites is Salsa Molcajeteada, that means made in the molcajete, the Mexican version of mortar and pestle made from volcanic rock, a utensil that lives in every kitchen all over the country. For this salsa ingredients are roasted over charcoal or on a hot griddle. All the char brings smokiness to the layers of flavour.
Salsa Verde, a bit different from what I’ve found chefs in Australia call salsa verde that to me looks more like Chimichurri. Salsa verde in Mexico is made with tomatillos, a green tomato wrapped in a papery husk. They date to pre-Columbian era but are widely used in our traditional cuisine. Their flavour is very tangy, and they can be used raw or cooked. I enjoy Salsa Verde with my tacos, quesadillas, scrambled eggs, enchiladas, tamales, chicken, pork… You name it.
Salsas are so important that sometimes you choose where to eat tacos depending on the salsas available. Every taqueria must have a few salsas to choose from otherwise it won’t become a sought-out place.
What’s your favourite one?
Salsa Pico de Gallo:
Also known as salsa fresca, salsa bandera (bandera means flag and this salsa has green, white and red as the Mexican flag) or salsa cruda (raw). It’s made from chopped tomato, onion, and serrano peppers, with salt, lime juice and coriander leaves. Other chilies can substitute the serrano peppers that are hard to find in Australia, use Jalapeños instead or Thai green chilies.
Ingredients:
4 ripe tomatoes
½ white onion
The juice of 1 lime
1 or 2 Jalapeño peppers seeded and diced, adjust to your taste
Coriander leaves chopped
Salt and pepper.
Instructions:
Dice the tomatoes (you can deseed the tomatoes but it’s optional) and onion, deseed the chilies and finely chop, add to a bowl and add the lime juice, coriander, salt and pepper, mix well. Let it rest for about 15 minutes to develop better flavour. Enjoy with your meal or corn chips.
Salsa Roja
Red salsa was a staple growing up, there was always a jar in the fridge ready to top any dish or transform into enchiladas or be the base for any soup. This is one is easy to make.
Ingredients:
1 kg of ripe tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves of garlic
1 chipotle in adobo, jalapeños or green chilies
Salt and pepper
Cut the tomatoes in quarters and add to a saucepan with a splash of water, add the rest of the ingredients. Cook over medium heat until boiling then simmer until tomatoes are soft. Using a stick blender puree until smooth. If using a blender wait until mixture is cool to avoid risk of burns.
Use the salsa to add a bit of spice to your dishes or as a base for soups or Mexican rice.
Salsa Verde
This tangy salsa can be used as a topping, snack or base for different dishes.
Ingredients:
500 grs tin of tomatillos, drained
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
¼ brown onion
3 Jalapeños or green thai chilies, adjust to your taste
Handful of coriander
1 tsp salt
Instructions:
In a small saucepan add some water and your chilies, onion and 1 ½ cloves or garlic, reserve the remaining ½ clove. Once this is cooked, transfer chilies, garlic including the ½ reserved, salt, and onion to a food processor. Process until a smooth paste is achieved, then add the tomatillos and coriander and pulse to achieve a chunky salsa texture. Adjust the salt and enjoy.