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Joel's Treppaning Tomatillo Salsa (it opens the back of your head up)

This is a salsa I developed to be the opposite of most green salsas: thick and sweet instead of thin and sour. I typically only make it with homegrown tomatillos which are often riper than what you can get at supermarkets or even the hispanic markets: they get paler as they ripen, and get an almost pear-like aroma. It doesn't have to be so hot it opens a hole in your head, but it's great that way.

Recipe makes about 4 cups very thick salsa

2 lbs fresh tomatillos, paper husks removed
6-12 jalapeno peppers (depending on your tolerance for heat, and the heat of the peppers themselves), seeds removed
1 yellow or sweet onion, sliced 1/2" thick
1 head garlic (you'll use half now, and have a half-head of roasted garlic for fun)
1 tbs honey
2 tbs lime juice, cider vinegar or combination
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
vegetable oil
Salt to taste
1/4C cilantro leaves

Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-hot while preparing the peppers and onions.

Cut a small slice off the top of the garlic head, and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in foil and place in a corner of the grill (hey, you've got a round grill, it's your problem to figure out what to do).

Toss the vegetables with a bit of oil, and place on the grill. Keep an eye on the peppers -- they should not get charred like you're removing the skins, but they should get roasted and softened somewhat. Turn the onion when it gets a bit soft.

Keep turning the tomatillos until they get soft all over, show some small char marks, and turn a somewhat green/gold/olive color (depending on their ripeness and variety), losing their vibrant green. It's good if they've burst a bit, and lost some juioe. Remove to a large bowl.

Remove the onions and peppers when they've softened, probably about the same time as the last tomatillos are done (they'll vary in time according to size and ripeness) and place in a second bowl. Remove the garlic and let it cool a bit before handling.

Roughly chop the onion and peppers and remove the garlic from the skin by squeezing it. Chop finely in a food processor with the cilantro, until it's all about the consistency of pickle relish. Put back in the onion/pepper bowl.

The tomatillos have likely drained some liquid into the bowl. Move the tomatillos to the food processor reserving as much of the juice as possible. If you like your salsa thinner, you can add this to the finished product, as it's got a ton of flavor and aroma. Pulse until you get a nice pulp.

Add most of the pepper/onion/garlic mixture to the tomatillos, reserving some to adjust heat levels. Season with olive oil, honey, lime and/or cider vinegar and salt, and add the rest of the pepper mixture if desired (you probably will).

This sets up in the refrigerator almost like a jam -- there must be lots of pectin in tomatillos. Delicious on chips, by the spoonful, or on pork roast.

(C) 2004 Joel Finkle -- Creative Commons License -- Some Rights Reserved: see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

JoelF,

This recipe sounds fantastic. My kids are turned off by the green sourness of many tomatillo salsas; you've corrected that problem.

I've been eyeing the tomatillos at Aquascalientes, and now I have an excuse to get some.

Hammond

I've been making this salsa almost the exact same way. It is my favorite. I have also used it as a sofrito for cooking up shrimp. good stuff. I find that brown rice syrup balances the tartness without getting that "honey" taste, but that is nit-picking. Also putting skewers through the sides of your onion slices (2 per), keeps the rings together and helps them carmelize more evenly.

I was inspired to make a go at a roasted tomatillo salsa this past weekend. Using JoelF's and Rick Bayless' recipes as inspiration, I roasted a pound and a quarter of husked tomatillos, 4 jalapenos, a large white onion and some garlic cloves. Threw the peppers (seeds and all), onion and garlic in the food processor, dumped it in a bowl. Roughly chopped the roasted tomatillos in the same processor bowl and added to the pepper/onion/garlic mix. Chopped up some cilantro, stirred it in. Added some water to thin the mixture a bit and dug in with tortilla chips. I would have liked a touch more heat. I may try serrano peppers next time or add a couple more jalapenos. But for a first time effort, I was happy.

GP - Serranos are touchier to roast on the grill, due to being smaller and thinner-walled. I like using the jala's because I can just dump everything on the grill and not worry too much about it.

Try playing with the salt or sour levels -- it may change the heat profile.
Use lime juice or cider vinegar for top flavors.

I have to admit I cheated and used my broiler rather than the grill. The chilly winds swirling on the deck weren't conducive to this project.

I added some salt and sugar. I'll try some lime juice and cider vinegar next time. There will be a next time. With a freshly opened bag of chips from the local Mexican market, Mr. X and I enjoyed this immensely!

Thanks for the tips!