Charred Tomato Salsa
This salsa relies on the aggressive heat of the broiler to concentrate the sugars in the tomatoes. By charring the skin until it splits and blackens, you introduce a layer of depth that raw salsas cannot match.
Watch the broiler, not the clock.
Sugar-rich vegetables transition from charred to burnt in seconds; stay close to the oven and pull them as soon as the skins look like crumpled, blackened paper.
- rimmed baking sheet
- mortar and pestle or food processor
- tongs
What goes in.
- 1 lbRoma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1/2white onion, cut into thick wedges
- 2serrano peppers, stems removed
- 2 clovesgarlic, unpeeled
- 1/4 cupfresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 tspsea salt
- 1 tspfresh lime juice
The Broiler Char
High, direct heat is required to rupture the skin and evaporate surface moisture without turning the tomatoes into mush. Position the rack at the highest level possible.
The method.
Char the vegetables
Place tomatoes cut-side down, onions, serranos, and garlic on a baking sheet. Broil on high for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the garlic once soft, around 4 minutes, and continue until the tomatoes and peppers have distinct black blisters.
Peel the garlic
Once the garlic is cool enough to touch, squeeze the cloves out of their charred skins into your mortar or processor.
Build the texture
Add the charred peppers, onions, and salt to the garlic. Pulse or grind until you have a coarse paste. Add the tomatoes and pulse just three or four times; you want chunks, not a thin liquid.
Finish and serve
Transfer to a bowl and fold in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Serve at room temperature.
Other turns to take.
Tomatillo Twist
Replace tomatoes with husked tomatillos for a brighter, more acidic base.
Sweet Heat
Swap serranos for habaneros and add a pinch of cumin to the mortar.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep the skins on the tomatoes; the black bits provide the primary smokiness.
If the salsa looks too thick, add a tablespoon of water or lime juice, but never oil.
Let the salsa rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the salt to draw moisture from the tomatoes.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I do this on a grill?
Yes. Place the vegetables directly on the grates over medium-high heat until they show grill marks and soften.
Why use unpeeled garlic?
The skin protects the garlic from burning into a bitter carbon, allowing it to steam into a sweet, creamy paste inside the husk.
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