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| Ingredients
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For 2-1/2 C |
For 5 C |
For 7-1/2 C |
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| Ripe tomatoes
(preferably plum) |
1-1/2 lb (about 6
medium plum) |
3 lb (about 12 medium
plum) |
4-1/2 lb (about 18
medium plum) |
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| Fresh jalapeņo
chiles, stemmed |
2 to 3 (1 to
1-1/2 oz) |
4 to 6 (2 to
3 oz) |
6 to 9 (3 to
4-1/2 oz) |
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| White onion, sliced
1/4-inch thick |
1/2 small (2 oz) |
1 small (4 oz) |
1 medium
(6 oz) |
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| Garlic cloves, peeled |
4 |
8 |
12 |
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| Water |
About 1/4 C |
About 1/2 C |
About 3/4 C |
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| Chopped fresh
cilantro, loosely packed |
1/3 C |
2/3 C |
1 C |
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| Salt |
1 generous tsp |
2 generous tsp |
1 generous tbs |
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| Cider vinegar |
1-1/2 tsp |
1 tbs |
1-1/2 tbs |
Directions
- Other
chiles you can use: Habanero (orange or green), serrano, Santa Fe, Fresno, fresh
pequin (go light; they're hot!), Hungarian wax, fresh arbol, cayenne, Tabasco, as well as
most small hot fresh chiles.
- Heat the
broiler. Lay the whole tomatoes and jalapeņos out on a broiler pan or baking sheet. (Many
cooks like to line the pan or baking sheet with heavy-duty foil to easily capture the
juices and make clean up a snap.) Set the pan 4 inches below the broiler and broil for
about 6 minutes, until darkly roasted—even rather blackened—on one side (the
tomato skins will split and curl in places). With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatoes
and chiles and roast the other side for another 6 minutes or so. The goal is not simply to
char the tomatoes and chiles, but to cook them through while developing nice roasty
flavors. Set aside to cool.
- Turn the
oven down to 425 degrees. On a similar pan or baking sheet, combine the onion and garlic
(you'll want to separate the onion into rings) and set in the oven. Stir carefully every
couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully roasted (they'll be wilted, even have
a touch of char on some of the edges) and the garlic
is soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. (For a smokier-flavored salsa, the
onion and garlic can all be done on a perforated grilling pan over a moderately low
charcoal fire.) Cool to room temperature.
- For a
little less rustic salsa (or if you're canning the salsa), pull off the peels from the
cooled tomatoes and cut out the "cores" where the stems were attached (be sure
to work over your baking sheet so you don't waste any juices). In a food processor, pulse
the jalapeņos (no need to peel or seed them) with the onion/garlic mixture until
moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to keep it
all moving around. Scoop into a big bowl. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree
the tomatoes—and all the juice that has accumulated around them—and add them to
the bowl. (If you're making the largest quantity, you'll have to do the tomatoes in two
batches.) Stir in enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. (Salsas
in Mexico are usually a little smoother and saucier than they are here—not very
chunky or thick.) Stir in the cilantro.
- Taste and
season with salt and vinegar, remembering that this condiment should be a little feisty in
its seasoning. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into a bowl
and it's ready, or refrigerate it and use within 5 days.
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