Salsa Verde with Roasted Poblano Pepper

When indulging in Mexican food, the most difficult decision for me ends up being the decision of choosing salsa verde or salsa roja — red sauce or green sauce. If you like just a subtle kick of heat, the addition of poblano peppers will convince you that green is the way to go. On the Scoville scale of pepper heat, Poblanos are on the low end, so they are a safe choice if you don’t really love super spicy food but want some complex green pepper flavor and color. This relatively easy salsa is obviously great for dipping with tortilla chips, but it can also serve as a starter for some green enchilada sauce.

The most authentic salsa verde recipes from Mexican home cooks use Mexican oregano. I believe strongly in using the ingredients grown native to whatever region of the cuisine I’m cooking whenever possible because the soil and climate in which herbs and produce is grown affects how it tastes. Most oregano in mainstream grocery stores is Italian (sometimes Greek), but you can find Mexican oregano in smaller Mexican markets.

For years I tried making salsa verde and two important notes really transformed my recipe … the absence of garlic and presence of just a little sugar. By default many people put garlic in almost everything, but some recipes really don’t need it. Tomatillos are actually a fruit, closely related to a gooseberry and I personally don’t believe garlic goes well with these. The surprising ingredient I was initially reluctant about was adding just a little sugar, which cuts down on the extreme tartness without making the salsa taste sweet … we’re not making candy.

Ingredients for poblano salsa verde

• 6 medium tomatillos
• 1 large white onion
• 2 jalapeño peppers (1 whole, 1 diced)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crushed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbs white vinegar
• juice of half a lime

for poblano salsa verde

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Peel and quarter tomatillos and white onion, discard the stemmed top of one whole jalapeño pepper (keeping the seeds and inner ribs intact). In a medium bowl, thoroughly coat ingredients with olive oil and season with kosher salt.
3. Spread tomatillos, onion and jalapeño pepper evenly in one layer on a shallow baking sheet (preferably lined with aluminum foil for easier clean-up). Roast under broiler until cooked through and skins turn brown and slightly blistered, about 30 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, roast poblano pepper over a direct flame on the stovetop until skins are black and charred. Let cool slightly. Cut off both ends of the charred pepper and slice one vertical incision to open the pepper so it lays flat on the counter. Discard the core, seeds, inner ribs, and gently rub off the blackened skins. Slice flesh of poblano into large pieces and set aside.
   
   
5. In a food processor, combine roasted tomatillo mixture, poblano pepper, cilantro, Mexican oregano, water, sugar and lime juice.  Process until desired texture is achieved.
6. At this point the basic sauce is done and you can add diced jalapeño pepper, more salt or sugar to your liking.  Adding a the fresh jalapeño adds intensity, usually half of a pepper is good enough. Add more lime for more of a tangy edge.

Yield: 4 cups