eG Cook-Off #85: Mexican Salsa

[David Ross]

It doesn't ever seem to taste as good as "out of the bottle" or made by hand when it comes to salsa, but there are some very good Mexican sauces that are bottled.  For the good ones around my area I cook to the Mexican market.

[heidih]

12 minutes ago, David Ross said:

That reminds me of a question.  Every year our local Mexican grocery store and cafe has a Hatch chile roast in the parking lot.  It's an annual event and people can't wait to get their chiles.  Some friends think I'm crazy because I leave all that char on the chile before putting it my salsa.  They seem to think it's best scraped off, but I say that's scraping off flavor.  What do you think?

 

Personal taste I think.  If a person is "bitter sensitive" (which I am not) a scrape is good. Also in my experience the roaster guys in parking lot can be distracted by customer chit chat - so...scrape might be needed

Edited June 23, 2020 by heidih (log)

[David Ross]

This is a link to my video of the Hatch Chile Roast last August.  I use them in one of my Salsa Verde recipes.  These guys are too  busy and to hot for idle chat.  I'm always just amazed after box and box go in the roaster for two days in a row.  And the scads of people that buy box after box--for one family!  I'm always the sheepish fellow who quietly says, "I'll have the mild please."  And even those are hot for me, but delicious in the Salsa Verde.

 

https://youtu.be/3ZhsfKocNws

[robirdstx]

I do not make my own red salsa. I found one I can not compete with and love at the market in the Old Mesilla, NM plaza several years ago. I order a dozen jars at a time and have them shipped to me. https://www.jpms-salsa.com/

Edited August 24, 2020 by robirdstx (log)

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, David Ross said:

That reminds me of a question.  Every year our local Mexican grocery store and cafe has a Hatch chile roast in the parking lot.  It's an annual event and people can't wait to get their chiles.  Some friends think I'm crazy because I leave all that char on the chile before putting it my salsa.  They seem to think it's best scraped off, but I say that's scraping off flavor.  What do you think?

A little char is good, but I personally toss most of the burnt skin. Same goes when i make babaganoush. If I roast the eggplants on the grill I definitely like keep a bit of charred flakes in the final product.

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, robirdstx said:

I do not make my own red salsa. I found one I can not compete with and love at the market in the Old Mesilla, NM plaza several years ago. I order a dozen jars at time and have them shipped to me. https://www.jpms-salsa.com/

 

That's a strong recommendation. Tell me about the heat levels. Which do you order?

[robirdstx]

23 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

That's a strong recommendation. Tell me about the heat levels. Which do you order?

I order the medium, which is still quite hot. YMMV. But I have found their product to remain predictable.

Edited June 23, 2020 by robirdstx (log)

[MokaPot]

2 hours ago, David Ross said:

That reminds me of a question.  Every year our local Mexican grocery store and cafe has a Hatch chile roast in the parking lot.  It's an annual event and people can't wait to get their chiles.  Some friends think I'm crazy because I leave all that char on the chile before putting it my salsa.  They seem to think it's best scraped off, but I say that's scraping off flavor.  What do you think?

 

As long as the char flavor is not overpowering your final product, I don't see anything wrong with keeping on the charred parts of your chiles. I guess it's just personal taste re: what you consider "overpowering." I, personally, like a charred flavor.

 

[David Ross]

13 hours ago, MokaPot said:

 

As long as the char flavor is not overpowering your final product, I don't see anything wrong with keeping on the charred parts of your chiles. I guess it's just personal taste re: what you consider "overpowering." I, personally, like a charred flavor.

 

I also love the char taste but I've never gotten used to much heat in the chiles so I order the mild which is still hot to my taste buds.  The store sells them mild, medium, hot and extra hot and most of the people I see on the chile roast days are ordering hot and extra hot.  They also freeze well and so I use them throughout the year.

[lemniscate]

16 hours ago, David Ross said:

That reminds me of a question.  Every year our local Mexican grocery store and cafe has a Hatch chile roast in the parking lot.  It's an annual event and people can't wait to get their chiles.  Some friends think I'm crazy because I leave all that char on the chile before putting it my salsa.  They seem to think it's best scraped off, but I say that's scraping off flavor.  What do you think?

 

I like to leave a good portion of char on roasted chiles because it adds a smoky earthy flavor to green chile cheeseburgers, which are food of the Gods.   I don't use roasted green chiles for salsa though.

[David Ross]

1 hour ago, lemniscate said:

 

I like to leave a good portion of char on roasted chiles because it adds a smoky earthy flavor to green chile cheeseburgers, which are food of the Gods.   I don't use roasted green chiles for salsa though.

Oh thank you for reminding me of a green chile cheeseburger. I love them.  The best ones I've had here in the state of WA is over in the central part of the state in Yakima.  Delicious and far better than I make at home.

[scubadoo97]

Salsa verde with tomatillos, green chilies and cilantro and a fresh squeeze of lime is a fav.  No cooking  needed

Edited June 24, 2020 by scubadoo97 (log)

[Smithy]

Some years ago we arrived at my husband's daughter's house for the Labor Day weekend to find boxes of tomatoes, various peppers, and onions, accompanied by premeasured spices. "Nancy," said my DIL, "I know you love to cook. Our cousin has a bumper crop in his garden, and he brought over stuff to make salsa, according to his recipe. Want to help?" We had to go buy a few supplies: large roasting pans to cook the stuff; canning supplies; cheap white vinegar; tomato paste; gloves to handle the hot peppers. We had a lot of washing and chopping and conversation as the work went along, and we had help as friends dropped by and got involved. The results were so good that the next year, when no free bumper crop materialized, we went to the local farmer's market and got the necessary supplies. It's become an annual tradition. We can quarts of the stuff, in various jar sizes, for our families and friends. There are more pictures of the event in the What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? topic.

 

This is a very forgiving recipe as far as proportions go. Over the years we've experimented with adding more or different hot peppers, or more onions (or both). We're careful to label the "extra hot" jars. We have learned that the style of cooking it down matters. This salsa is cooked down in a large shallow roasting pan, in the oven. When we tried it over the stove top in a stockpot, the surface area was too small for the salsa to cook down efficiently; it took a long time and a lot of stirring to get more or less the consistency that came without effort in the oven. Last year I learned that if you cook it down too long you can end up with a rather sweet "tomato jam"...still good, but thicker and sweeter than we usually like.

 

Oh, one final note: this is one of the very few times I use the dreaded green bell pepper. Can I taste it in the final result? Not that I can tell. Does it help with the texture and color? Yes.

 

Lauri's Cousin's Garden Salsa See note below!

 

1 c chopped green pepper

1/2 c chopped jalapeno pepper

2 c white vinegar

12 oz can tomato paste

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp black pepper

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c canning salt

 

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350F for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. May add cornstarch to thicken after baking for 2 hours, if necessary.

 

Load in clean canning jars, observing the usual requirements for sanitation and head space. Process in water bath for 20 minutes. 

 

Makes about 10 pints.

 

The salsa in the roasting pan, before mixing, then after roasting:

 

 

Some of the bounty:

 

 

This sight makes us feel very good about our work!

 

 

Note: the recipe as originally posted omits 16 c tomatoes (cubed) and 4 c chopped onions. The recipe is forgiving, but not THAT forgiving. I've corrected it in a follow-up post.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Smithy
Added crucial correction (log)

[chromedome]

Family traditions are the best thing to grow organically.

[David Ross]

33 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Some years ago we arrived at my husband's daughter's house for the Labor Day weekend to find boxes of tomatoes, various peppers, and onions, accompanied by premeasured spices. "Nancy," said my DIL, "I know you love to cook. Our cousin has a bumper crop in his garden, and he brought over stuff to make salsa, according to his recipe. Want to help?" We had to go buy a few supplies: large roasting pans to cook the stuff; canning supplies; cheap white vinegar; tomato paste; gloves to handle the hot peppers. We had a lot of washing and chopping and conversation as the work went along, and we had help as friends dropped by and got involved. The results were so good that the next year, when no free bumper crop materialized, we went to the local farmer's market and got the necessary supplies. It's become an annual tradition. We can quarts of the stuff, in various jar sizes, for our families and friends. There are more pictures of the event in the What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? topic.

 

This is a very forgiving recipe as far as proportions go. Over the years we've experimented with adding more or different hot peppers, or more onions (or both). We're careful to label the "extra hot" jars. We have learned that the style of cooking it down matters. This salsa is cooked down in a large shallow roasting pan, in the oven. When we tried it over the stove top in a stockpot, the surface area was too small for the salsa to cook down efficiently; it took a long time and a lot of stirring to get more or less the consistency that came without effort in the oven. Last year I learned that if you cook it down too long you can end up with a rather sweet "tomato jam"...still good, but thicker and sweeter than we usually like.

 

Oh, one final note: this is one of the very few times I use the dreaded green bell pepper. Can I taste it in the final result? Not that I can tell. Does it help with the texture and color? Yes.

 

Lauri's Cousin's Garden Salsa

 

1 c chopped green pepper

1/2 c chopped jalapeno pepper

2 c white vinegar

12 oz can tomato paste

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp black pepper

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c canning salt

 

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350F for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. May add cornstarch to thicken after baking for 2 hours, if necessary.

 

Load in clean canning jars, observing the usual requirements for sanitation and head space. Process in water bath for 20 minutes. 

 

Makes about 10 pints.

 

The salsa in the roasting pan, before mixing, then after roasting:

 

 

Some of the bounty:

 

 

This sight makes us feel very good about our work!

 

 

Oh thank you that looks delicious and something I can certainly see being "put-up" in the pantry to use throughout the year.

[rotuts]

@Smithy 

 

wont comment on the GBP ..........

 

""  Makes about 10 pints ""

 

am I missing something ?

 

the Rx above has 1 1/2 cup chopped veg.   2 cups liquid , and 12 0z tomato paste , various powders , no chopped onions 

 

no chopped tomatoes 

 

so , how do you get 10 pints ?

[ElsieD]

32 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Smithy 

 

wont comment on the GBP ..........

 

""  Makes about 10 pints ""

 

am I missing something ?

 

the Rx above has 1 1/2 cup chopped veg.   2 cups liquid , and 12 0z tomato paste , various powders , no chopped onions 

 

no chopped tomatoes 

 

so , how do you get 10 pints ?

 

I'm sitting here wondering the same thing.

[David Ross]

A few months back I created a new version of my Chipotle-Pepita Salsa to use in a contest I entered using a company that makes salt-free spice blends. They make a blend for swordfish which I've used with this salsa before.  I like the texture and meatier flavor of swordfish that can stand next to the salsa.  It's is good with salmon and halibut, but I think best with swordfish and grilled tuna would be a good choice.  The change I made this time was to add orange juice and chopped orange segments to the salsa.  I wanted to go with mandarins, but they didn't look as good in the market. I garnished with some whole toasted pepitas which adds crunch and flavor, and the chips are homemade.  

 

I buy the thinnest corn tortillas I can find, cut them in quarters, then deep-fry a few minutes.  I usually season with salt and chile powder. I prefer to make them at home as they are not only fresher, but I like those little bubbles that make the chips more crisp. This will go into our Pico de Gallo style salsa files. 

For the Salsa-

4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced, (1 ½ cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 ½ tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno

½ cup chopped cilantro

¾ cup chopped orange segments

1 ½ tsp. Healthy Solutions Spice Blends-Authentic Chile/Tacos seasoning

½ tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. fresh orange juice

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. olive oil

 

For the Swordfish-

4, 6oz. swordfish steaks

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ tbsp. Healthy Solutions Spice Blends-Grilled Swordfish seasoning

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup pepitas for garnish, (green pumpkin seeds)

4 orange slices for garnish

4 fresh lime wedges for garnish

Tortilla chips dusted with Healthy Solutions Spice Blends-Authentic Chile/Tacos seasoning

 

Prepare the Salsa-

In a large bowl, add the diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and chopped orange and gently toss together. Add the Healthy Solutions Spice Blends-Authentic Chile/Tacos seasoning, black pepper, orange juice, lime juice and olive oil and gently toss together. Spoon the salsa in a container and cover and refrigerate until ready to grill the swordfish.

 

Grill the Swordfish and Serve-

Heat a grill plan on the stove-top over medium-high heat. (You can also grill the swordfish on an outdoor grill over a hot fire or high temperature setting on a gas grill).

 

Brush both sides of the swordfish steaks with olive oil.  Season both sides of the swordfish steaks with the Healthy Solutions Spice Blends-Grilled Swordfish seasoning and black pepper. Grill the swordfish for 5-6 minutes on one side, then turn over and grill another 5-6 minutes until the swordfish is opaque on the side and firm to the touch.  Remove the swordfish steaks from the grill and season again with the Healthy Solutions Spice Blends-Grilled Swordfish seasoning.

 

Serve the Grilled Swordfish with the Orange Pico de Gallo, and garnish with the pepitas, orange slices, lime wedges and corn tortilla chips.

[Smithy]

3 hours ago, Smithy said:

Some years ago we arrived at my husband's daughter's house for the Labor Day weekend to find boxes of tomatoes, various peppers, and onions, accompanied by premeasured spices. "Nancy," said my DIL, "I know you love to cook. Our cousin has a bumper crop in his garden, and he brought over stuff to make salsa, according to his recipe. Want to help?" We had to go buy a few supplies: large roasting pans to cook the stuff; canning supplies; cheap white vinegar; tomato paste; gloves to handle the hot peppers. We had a lot of washing and chopping and conversation as the work went along, and we had help as friends dropped by and got involved. The results were so good that the next year, when no free bumper crop materialized, we went to the local farmer's market and got the necessary supplies. It's become an annual tradition. We can quarts of the stuff, in various jar sizes, for our families and friends. There are more pictures of the event in the What Are You Preserving, and How Are You Doing It? topic.

 

This is a very forgiving recipe as far as proportions go. Over the years we've experimented with adding more or different hot peppers, or more onions (or both). We're careful to label the "extra hot" jars. We have learned that the style of cooking it down matters. This salsa is cooked down in a large shallow roasting pan, in the oven. When we tried it over the stove top in a stockpot, the surface area was too small for the salsa to cook down efficiently; it took a long time and a lot of stirring to get more or less the consistency that came without effort in the oven. Last year I learned that if you cook it down too long you can end up with a rather sweet "tomato jam"...still good, but thicker and sweeter than we usually like.

 

Oh, one final note: this is one of the very few times I use the dreaded green bell pepper. Can I taste it in the final result? Not that I can tell. Does it help with the texture and color? Yes.

 

Lauri's Cousin's Garden Salsa

 

1 c chopped green pepper

1/2 c chopped jalapeno pepper

2 c white vinegar

12 oz can tomato paste

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp black pepper

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c canning salt

 

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350F for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. May add cornstarch to thicken after baking for 2 hours, if necessary.

 

Load in clean canning jars, observing the usual requirements for sanitation and head space. Process in water bath for 20 minutes. 

 

Makes about 10 pints.

 

The salsa in the roasting pan, before mixing, then after roasting:

 

 

Some of the bounty:

 

 

This sight makes us feel very good about our work!

 

 

 

2 hours ago, rotuts said:

@Smithy 

 

wont comment on the GBP ..........

 

""  Makes about 10 pints ""

 

am I missing something ?

 

the Rx above has 1 1/2 cup chopped veg.   2 cups liquid , and 12 0z tomato paste , various powders , no chopped onions 

 

no chopped tomatoes 

 

so , how do you get 10 pints ?

 

2 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

I'm sitting here wondering the same thing.

 

Welllll......that's what happens when I try to post before my 2nd cup of coffee. I missed out on the 2 largest ingredients: 

16 c tomatoes (cubed)

4 c chopped onions.

 

So sorry!  Here is the entire correct recipe, complete with photo of the original family-venerated sheet of paper.

 

Lauri's Cousin's Garden Salsa

 

16 c tomatoes (cubed)

4 c chopped onions

1 c chopped green pepper

1/2 c chopped jalapeno pepper

2 c white vinegar

12 oz can tomato paste

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp black pepper

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c canning salt

 

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350F for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. May add cornstarch to thicken after baking for 2 hours, if necessary.

 

Load in clean canning jars, observing the usual requirements for sanitation and head space. Process in water bath for 20 minutes. 

 

Makes about 10 pints.

 

Thanks (seriously!) to everyone who questioned the original, both publicly and privately.

 

[David Ross]

25 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

 

 

Welllll......that's what happens when I try to post before my 2nd cup of coffee. I missed out on the 2 largest ingredients: 

16 c tomatoes (cubed)

4 c chopped onions.

 

So sorry!  Here is the entire correct recipe, complete with photo of the original family-venerated sheet of paper.

 

Lauri's Cousin's Garden Salsa

 

16 c tomatoes (cubed)

4 c chopped onions

1 c chopped green pepper

1/2 c chopped jalapeno pepper

2 c white vinegar

12 oz can tomato paste

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp black pepper

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c canning salt

 

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350F for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. May add cornstarch to thicken after baking for 2 hours, if necessary.

 

Load in clean canning jars, observing the usual requirements for sanitation and head space. Process in water bath for 20 minutes. 

 

Makes about 10 pints.

 

Thanks (seriously!) to everyone who questioned the original, both publicly and privately.

 

Aside from a wonderful recipe that both my Mother and Grandmother would have made, the typed out onto a sheet of white paper is wonderful.  That's a lot of vinegar, but I see it tempered with the sugar and how delicious it would be.  In my region, we don't have good garden tomatoes toward the end of summer just when canning season gets going.

[MokaPot]

@David Ross, I've experimented with different fruits (aside from tomatoes) in my salsas. Orange was the one fruit where I ended up not liking my salsa. An honest friend even commented: "What were you thinking?" I'll have to trust that your recipe creates a good-tasting salsa.

[heidih]

Interesting on the orange. My lemon has been on the DL for sometime, my Meyer lemon connection moved, and I no longer have a lime tree (it was a phenomenal provider), So when improvising I jump to sour oranges as a default acid. Not sour by genetics, just age or conditions, Have bazillions of those. They seem to work when I can let go of my cumin prejudice and add just a minute amount. 

[scamhi]

this is a very easy very authentic tasting salsa 

in a blender

1- 28oz can of san marzano tomatoes- (tomatoes only no juice)

1/2 of a medium size red onion cut into chucks

1 large clove garlic peeled

2-3 or 4 canned chipolte peppers in adobo- depending on how spicy you want it.

Blend all above ingredients

Add juice from 1 juicy lime and salt to taste

and 1/2 bunch of cilantro

Blend again

 

 

[David Ross]

2 hours ago, MokaPot said:

@David Ross, I've experimented with different fruits (aside from tomatoes) in my salsas. Orange was the one fruit where I ended up not liking my salsa. An honest friend even commented: "What were you thinking?" I'll have to trust that your recipe creates a good-tasting salsa.

yes it was the oranges had just the right sweetness

[Owtahear]

On ‎6‎/‎22‎/‎2020 at 11:59 AM, robirdstx said:

FRESH PINEAPPLE SALSA

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh pineapple, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped fine

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pork Carnitas Tacos with Fresh Pineapple Salsa and Salsa Verde

 

 

I make a very close variation of this salsa and love it with grilled salmon.