Traditional Mexican Salsa Ranchera

Ingredients

• 600 g ripe field-grown tomatoes
• 120 g white onion
• 2 pieces fresh serrano chilies
• 2 cloves fresh garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp corn oil or neutral vegetable oil
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 0.25 bunches fresh cilantro

Method

1. Remove the stem ends from the tomatoes. Peel the onion and garlic. Cut the onion into large wedges so it can char without burning too quickly. Leave the chilies whole so they roast cleanly and release their flavor without losing their juices.
2. Heat a heavy skillet, cast-iron griddle, or comal over high heat, without any fat. When the surface is very hot and a drop of water dances on it immediately, place the tomatoes, chilies, onion, and garlic in a single layer.
3. Dry-roast the vegetables, turning them regularly. The tomatoes should develop black blisters in places, soften, and release a little juice; the chilies should become spotted, more pliable, and smell smoky and vegetal; the onion should brown on the cut sides; and the garlic should be golden, never blackened.
4. Remove the garlic as soon as it is tender and golden, since it turns bitter if it burns. Continue cooking the tomatoes, chilies, and onion until the skins are marked and the flesh is hot all the way through.
5. Let the roasted vegetables cool briefly. Remove the stems from the chilies. For a moderately hot salsa, remove some of the seeds; for a livelier, more traditional version, leave them in.
6. Put the roasted tomatoes with their juices, chilies, onion, garlic, and salt in a blender or mortar. Blend in short pulses, or crush with the mortar, until you have a thick, irregular sauce; it should not become smooth like a coulis.
7. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When it becomes fluid and glossy, pour in the salsa. It should sizzle decisively as it hits the oil; this is what gives cooked salsa its characteristic flavor.
8. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the color darkens slightly, the raw tomato smell disappears, and the sauce coats the spoon without becoming dry. If it starts to stick, lower the heat rather than adding too much water.
9. Taste and adjust the salt. The salsa should be assertively seasoned, with the acidity of roasted tomatoes, clean chili heat, and a soft finish of grilled onion.
10. Off the heat, add the finely chopped cilantro if using. Serve warm or at room temperature, as in Mexico, with huevos rancheros, tacos, grilled meats, beans, or corn tortillas.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

85.9 kcal

Protein

2.12 g

Carbohydrate

10.19 g

Fat

4.11 g

Fibre

3.05 g

Calcium

8.63 mg

Iron

0.06 mg

Magnesium

3.99 mg