Salsa Taquera

Charred Tomato Salsa with Árbol, Morita & Guajillo
3-4 cups

Salsa Taquera: Charred Tomato Salsa with Árbol, Morita & Guajillo

A deeply smoky, blended salsa made from blistered Roma tomatoes and toasted dried chiles. Bold heat from árbol, depth from morita, and a subtle sweetness from guajillo. This is the kind of salsa that makes everything else on the table taste better.

Preparation

Ingredients

  • 10 Roma tomatoes, cored
  • ¼ medium white onion
  • 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 4 dried chile de árbol, stemmed
  • 1 dried morita chile, stemmed
  • 1 dried guajillo chile, stemmed
  • 2 teaspoons Matriarca Onion Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Matriarca Celery Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Matriarca Carrot Powder
  • Matriarca Sal de Colima, to taste

Instructions

  1. Toast the chiles. Heat a dry pan over very high heat. Add the stemmed dried chiles and dry sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, turning constantly, until fragrant and lightly toasted. Be careful not to burn them. Transfer immediately to a blender.
  2. Char the vegetables. In the same very hot pan, add the Roma tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves. Let everything blister and char deeply on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. You want dark spots and serious color.
  3. Prep for blending. Transfer the tomatoes and onion directly to the blender with the chiles. Peel the garlic and add the cloves to the blender. Lightly crush the tomatoes in the blender jar with a spoon or masher to release their juices. Let the toasted chiles soak in the hot tomato juices for about 10 minutes. This softens and rehydrates them while everything cools slightly.
  4. Blend. Once the mixture has cooled for about 10 to 15 minutes, add the onion powder, celery powder, and carrot powder. Blend until completely smooth.
  5. Season. Taste and season with salt as needed.
  6. Notes: The morita gives smokiness. The guajillo adds body and subtle sweetness. The árbol brings the heat. For a thinner salsa, add a splash of water while blending. For extra smokiness, char the onion cut-side down and let it get almost black.