In every Mexican household there is an unwritten rule: to have at least one type of salsa in the fridge at all times. Usually there are two or three varieties, because different salsas have their best applications, so we have to be prepared!
Usually, there is a green and a red salsa in my fridge, and a third is the popular Salsa Macha that goes with many things (including non-Mexican recipes - it is brilliant in Asian dishes!). When making tacos, if there is a variety of salsas, I will often use at least two, because I cannot decide which I like best! When eating a steak, you need salsa, and in my breakfast eggs, a spoonful of salsa is a must. So you see, salsa is a mandatory component of many Mexican meals.
There are hundreds of ways of making salsa, and I never use a recipe. I know, I have been making salsa for years, but really, it is a combination of tomatoes or tomatillos, onions and/or garlic and chiles, whether fresh or dried or a combination, adding herbs like cilantro if you like. If you play with these things, you will come out with salsa, and the beauty of the game is that every salsa is a bit different.
Salsas can be raw, cooked, roasted or oil based, as in the case of Salsa Macha. You can find lots of different salsa recipes here in the blog, but if you embrace your adventurous spirit, you can make your own and feel confident in your choices by knowing you are making your very own salsa.
If you use fresh chiles, your salsa will be bright, but if you use dried, your salsa will have a deeper more complex flavour; dried chiles also give you a different, denser texture, especially when you use the larger chiles like guajillos or anchos, that’s why when making salsas for enchiladas, for example, we always use dried chiles, so the salsa has a better coating ability.
Today’s salsa is a combination of fresh and dried chiles, but it is not too spicy. It is a cross between the fresh and dried chile salsas and I am really pleased with how it turned out. It can be used in any application, including coating tortillas for enchiladas, so it is pretty versatile. You can substitute ancho chiles for the guajillos if you like, and if you don’t have piquín, simply omit them (though that would be another different salsa!). Have fun with it and let me know how it goes!
Salsa de Tomate con Chile Guajillo
Tomato Salsa with Chile Guajillo
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 small Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
2 Jalapeños, stemmed and chopped
1 wedge of onion (about 1/4 cup), chopped
1 guajillo chile, stemmed and seeded
2 tsp dried piquín chiles
3 small cloves garlic
Salt to taste
1/3 cup water
In medium frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and add guajillos and garlic. Make sure to cook guajillo quickly, turning after a few seconds to fry on both sides - we don’t want to burn it, just toast it in the oil. This will take only a minute or two.
Add jalapeños and onion and cook 2-3 minutes, then add tomatoes and piquín chiles. Stir for a minute, then add water and salt. Cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
Transfer everything (including any leftover liquid) to the blender and process until smooth. Adjust seasoning and serve.
Makes about 2 cups.