Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

A couple of weekends ago, Josh and I went to San Antonio to pay a long-in-coming visit to our friends Nick & Kristina. We did things like see their house (very cute), meet their cats (even cuter), and then go to Kristina's family's ranch, where I became a proper Texan.

Hide your kids, hide your wife.

We also ate Texas-style while we were there, which, amongst other things, included Kristina's homemade tomatillo salsa. A tomatillo salsa so magnificent it made me simultaneously:

A. realize I liked tomatillo salsa, and 

B. demand the recipe.

I have since made the tomatillo salsa upon returning home, and blown other people's minds with its deliciousness. It is really ridiculously tasty, easy to make, and you can vary the degree of spicy heat to your own liking. So good, even, that I tupperwared it up lest any bit go wasted.

And now, I bequeath it unto you. Everyone say a great big thanks to Kristina for introducing us to this fabulousness. She deserves all that and then some.

 Green and gorgeous.

The Spirit of San Antonio: Kristina's Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

(which may be adapted from a recipe by Sara Moulton, but I don't know who that is, so who cares about her? All hail Kristina!)

1 1/2 lbs fresh tomatillos or 2 (11-oz) cans tomatillos

5 fresh serrano chiles

3 garlic cloves (unpeeled)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1 lg onion (coarsely chopped)*

2 tsp coarse salt (Kosher!)

Preheat broiler. If using fresh tomatillos, remove husks and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness. If using canned tomatillos, drain and measure out 2 cups.

Wait, rewind. Do you even know what a tomatillo is? I'd certainly heard the word thrown around before, but I really had no idea what it meant other than Tex-Mex something. They are tiny green tomato-looking things with leaves that like to grow loosely around them and fall off easily. Here is a visual aid pilfered from the Internets:

Tomatillos. Knowing is half the battle.

Moving on: broil chiles, garlic, and fresh tomatillos (do not broil canned) on the rack of a broiler pan 1-2"s from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred--about 7 minutes. 

Peel garlic and pull tops off chiles. Puree all ingredients in a blender. 

Yield: 3 cups.

Kristina's notes: I have never used canned tomatillos (for God's sake, I live in San Antonio!). I also only use 4 serranos, which I think is spicy enough. Peppers vary so it will really change from batch to batch (dark green serranos tend to have more heat than lighter green ones). I usually add three first, taste, and add more if necessary. Also, I use about 1/2 to 3/4s onion. The Vitamix is a godsend, but I am sure that a blender will work well, too. Be sure to let some of the liquid from the roasted tomatillos fill the base so you don't get pureed onions.

Heather's notes: I would second that 'don't use canned tomatillos if you can avoid it' suggestion from Kristina, but for a slightly different reason - when I had Kristina's salsa it was actually still warm from just being roasted. That made it even more delicious, so I suggest serving immediately if at all possible.

I also found that three serranos were more than enough to make me hiss and yell after several mouthfuls due to the heat. Of course, I don't live in Texas. I tend to be a medium-heat sort of person. Her 'start with three, then taste test' is a good rule of thumb.

Wait, do you know what a serrano chile looks like? It's this one: 

I am so damn educational today.

Also: I don't know what a Vitamix is. I used a blender like normal people.

Also: I used the whole onion. Shocker.

Nick also has a note and that is: If you want to grill instead of broil, pre-heat the grill to 425-475 degrees, and then turn off the center burner(s) and leave the outside burners on and adjust as required. Place a cookie sheet with all the stuff in the center of the grill and let it roast with the cover closed until they start to brown.

*Onion chopping: Mike Milch + squeakykitty.