Salsa de Molcajete (Roasted Tomato and Green Chile Salsa)

This is archetypal salsa - tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, and lime. But more than a mere mix of ingredients, salsa de molcajete uses centuries-old techniques to combine flavors, bringing out the best of each. Roasting tomatoes gives them a sweet and complex taste; rinsing onion under cold water makes it crisp; and crushing roasted garlic and chiles in a mortar releases their full flavor. Though it's typically done in a molcajete (Mexican lava rock mortar), you can also make this salsa using a marble mortar and pestle. Finely chopping the garlic and chile in a food processor then adding the tomatoes and pulsing the mixture until everything is coarsely pureed will yield great-tasting results as well.

Yields 6 servings of 1/4 cup each

Nutritional Information
Calories: 23 (12% from fat)
Fat: 0.3g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.1g)
Protein: 0.9g
Carbohydrate: 5g
Fiber: 1.2g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.5mg
Sodium: 106mg
Calcium: 10mg

6 plum tomatoes (about 1 pound)
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 jalapeño peppers
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat broiler.

Place the tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeños on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 16 minutes, turning after 8 minutes. Cool and peel tomatoes and garlic. Combine the garlic and peppers in a molcajete, mortar, or bowl; pound with a pestle or the back of a spoon to form a paste. Add tomatoes, and coarsely crush using the pestle or spoon. Combine the tomato mixture, cilantro, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Source: Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2001

Tags: salsa mexican molcajete

Submitted by samuel on 10th May 2009 03:12