I have made "salsa de molcajete" (salsa ground in a volcanic stone mortar) numerous times. However, this past week I decided to make something different. I turned to my book of salsa recipes, and choose one which I had never made before.
I picked a recipe from Oaxaca for "salsa de chile pasilla". The "chile pasilla" is a dried pepper, wrinkled and almost black in color. In its fresh form it is known as a "chilaca" pepper.
The other ingredients are garlic and "tomatillos". "Tomatillos" are a small green fruit in the tomato family. They are covered with a papery husk, and have a tart taste.
The unpeeled cloves of garlic are roasted on a "comal" (griddle) until they begin to char. After they cool, they are peeled.
The stems are removed from the peppers. Each pepper is sliced open and the seeds and veins are removed.
The peppers are then soaked in hot water.
Any husks on the "tomatillos" are removed, and they are cooked in boiling water for ten minutes.
The garlic, the "tomatillos", and the peppers, along with the water in which they soaked, are put in the blender. Add one teaspoon of salt, and blend the mixture until smooth.
The finished product was a salsa with a deep, smoky flavor with just an undercurrent of "picante". It is delicious, and I will definitely make this recipe again in the future!
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