Inspired by my trip to La Loma Supermarket
I've mentioned that you should buy your dried peppers in bulk from mexican grocery stores. They're much cheaper per pound that way. Of course, this leads to the question: Why would I buy dried peppers in bulk? What do I use them for?
I use them to make salsa. If you want to make your weekly Taco night a little more authentic, dried pepper salsa is an easy place to start. Dried pepper salsas are very different from the tomato-based salsas we're all used to. They have a smooth, saucy consistency, going back to "salsa" in the original Spanish meaning of "sauce". They also have a sweet, earthy taste that goes great with grilled meat. They have some heat, but they're more about the flavor than the heat.
*Also, I toss a dried pepper or two in my crock pot when I'm making black beans for a Mexican dinner. I like to add a little of their earthy, sweet taste to the beans. I discard the peppers before serving.
**Another dried pepper trick (from Alton Brown) is to mince one and add it to your regular salsa recipe . This adds a subtle layer of heat and flavor to your salsa, without much extra effort.
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📖 Recipe Card
Toasted Ancho Salsa
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
A smooth, earthy Mexican salsa made from toasted ancho chiles and seared tomatillos and garlic, blended with water and salt.
Ingredients
- 2 ancho chiles
- 4 large tomatillos (at least the size of a ping pong ball)
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Prep the chiles and tomatillos: Pull the stems from the ancho chiles, split them in half, and remove the seeds and membranes. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos, rinse them under cold water to remove the sticky coating, and cut them in half.
- Toast the chiles: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chiles and toast, flipping once, until they puff slightly and lighten in color, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Move the chiles to a blender with a slotted spoon.
- Sear the tomatillos and garlic: Pour the oil out of the pan and wipe it clean with a paper towel. Return the pan to medium heat for a minute, then add the tomatillos and garlic. Sear until browned, about 3 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, about 3 minutes more. Add them to the blender.
- Blend the salsa: Add the water and salt to the blender. Pulse a few times to chop everything up, then blend on low for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until smooth. Taste, and add more salt if needed.
Notes
Equipment: A blender or food processor.
Don't breathe in deeply while you're seeding the chiles, unless you want a mild version of pepper spray.
Toasting the chiles in oil only takes a minute and adds a lot of depth. If you really want to skip it, soak the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes instead.
Anchos are dried poblano chiles. They're medium hot, a little milder than a jalapeno.
Store the salsa in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze it for up to 3 months. I double the recipe and freeze the extra in 1 cup containers.
Easy chipotle salsa: Use 3 canned chipotles in adobo, with their sauce, instead of the anchos. Skip the chile prep and toasting, and put the chipotles straight into the blender. It's hotter and smokier, and very good.
Guajillo salsa: Rick Bayless's original uses guajillo chiles, which are as hot as anchos but less sweet. Use guajillos instead of the anchos, or one of each.
Adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Everyday.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Quick Red Salsa
Tomatillo Salsa
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
Adapted from:
Rick Bayless Mexican Everyday
(Recipe: Toasty Guajillo Salsa)
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MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Anonymous:
Thank you! I learned most of my salsas from Rick Bayless's cookbooks, so I'm not surprised my recipes are close to his.
Anonymous says
This is almost like Rick Bayless' recipe http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=195 I started making it and never return to jar salsa. The smell of the roasted garlic and fresh jalapeño chiles wonderful. I enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work.
Debbie Fox says
Thanks, Mike. I can't wait to try the tortillas.
Debbie
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@AYOTG: Good tip. Thank you!
@Debbie Fox: Welcome! I have to confess- while Dad Cooks Dinner, Mom makes tortillas. So, this recipe is more my lovely wife's than mine. 🙂 I keep meaning to take pictures of her doing it for a blog post...but I haven't been that organized yet.
She follows the instructions on the side of the Maseca brand masa harina bag to make the masa dough. (Maseca is the brand I seek out.)
The trick I learned is, when cooking the tortilla on the griddle, it needs to puff up; otherwise it winds up tough and chewy. To make this happen, do the following:
1. Put on the griddle, cook for about 30 seconds, until the bottom is just set.
2. Flip, and cook for about 1 minute, to set the second side.
3. Flip again, and press down on the tortilla with a wadded up paper towel. It should puff up like a balloon after about a second where you pressed it; if it doesn't, try again. I work around the tortilla until it's puffed up like a blimp. Cook this side for another minute.
(I don't know how to describe this better than "puffed up like a blimp". You want your tortilla to act like a piece of pita bread - it should have a "pocket" in the middle after it puffs up.)
I keep the cooked tortillas wrapped in a cloth kitchen towel so they stay warm and steam themselves a little more after they're done on the griddle.
(More detailed recipe from Rick Bayless is here. I learned the "press with a paper towel until it puffs up" trick from Meredith Deeds.)
Debbie Fox says
Hi, I have been enjoying your blog. I definitely will be making a trip to the Mexican grocery store! Thanks to Tami (dine in diva) for mentioning you in her blog. Do you have a recipe for corn tortillas?
A Year on the Grill says
They are great to grind up and use as spices... use a coffee grinder (dedicated to just spices, or your coffee will taste AWFUL!)
Sprinkle as you would regular pepper