Authentic Mexican salsa bears little resemblance to the commercially produced jars of salsa sold in American grocery stores. Mexican salsa may be raw or cooked in a skillet and never includes vinegar as an ingredient. There are dozens of different Mexican salsas, but almost all fall into one of three categories: raw salsa, cooked salsa made with fresh ingredients and dried pepper salsa. An example of each style is included below.
Instructions
Pico de Gallo
1. Seed the jalapeno peppers and tomatoes. Chop the onions, peppers and tomatoes into 1/4-inch dice. Combine in a bowl.
2. Juice the limes and strain out any seeds. Add the lime juice, cilantro and salt to the mixture and stir thoroughly.
3. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Pico de gallo is served cold and may be used as dip for tortilla chips or a topping for tacos.
Salsa Ranchera
4. Seed and dice the tomatoes and peppers. Mince the onions and garlic and set aside for later.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes and peppers and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers and tomatoes begin to char.
6. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and salt. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the garlic and cook for two more minutes.
7. Remove from heat and serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use. Salsa ranchera is served hot, typically as a sauce for steak or eggs. You can also use it as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos.
Ancho Pepper Salsa
8. Open the ancho chiles and discard the seeds and stems. Tear the rest of the peppers into small pieces.
9. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add the ancho chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are slightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat and put the peppers into a glass bowl.
10. Heat 1 cup of water to boiling, and pour it over the peppers. It may be easier to heat more water than you need, then measure out 1 cup when it is boiling.
11. Cover the bowl of peppers with a plate or saucer and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mince the tomatoes and onions.
12. Return the peppers to the skillet with the steeping water. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft and the salsa has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
13. Use a stick blender or food processor to puree. If you don't have one, you can use a fork or potato masher to mash up the cooked ancho chiles.
14. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use. Ancho pepper salsa is served hot as a topping for meat or tacos, but it may also be used as a dip for tortilla chips.
Tags: ancho chiles, from heat, medium heat, over medium, over medium heat, peppers tomatoes, Remove from