Something red and something green... makes a rich amber-colored salsa.
A friend said they had a delicious "Brown Salsa" at a Mexican restaurant that they absolutely loved, and they asked what it could be made from. It was likely Tomatillos (or even purple tomatillos) and red chile de arbol, or some variation of it. See a recipe below. This combination of green and red ingredients creates a rich, thick, smoky brown or amber-toned salsa with a complex flavor profile.
A Thicker Salsa: Tomatillos have pectin, and when roasted, they thicken salsa which doesn't drip as easily from chips – a perfect attribute along with their exceptional depths of sweet-tart flavors.
Many dried or roasted chiles can be used for this recipe, including Chile de Arbol, Guajillo, or other dried or smoke-dried red chiles such as the delicious Aleppo, Cayenne peppers, Thai chiles, or Tabasco or even red New Mexico Chile varieties. Any of these chiles will create a rich, smoky brown or amber-toned salsa with a complex flavor profile. Learn more about flavorful dried peppers »
Tomatillo & Chile de Arbol Salsa (Amber-colored Salsa)
Ingredients:
6+ medium size vine ripened tomatillos
2 ripe red jalapeno peppers (or other hot red chile) (Optional)
10+ Dried Chile de Arbol pods, stems removed
1 cup onion, diced
1 lime juice
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp salt, to taste
Instructions
Heat a large heavy skillet to medium high heat. Place tomatillo and jalapeno peppers in the skillet. Continue to sauté, rotating them to make sure several sides begin to blister for around 10-15 minutes, then add onions and chile de arbol, and carmelize until fragrant. Let cool.
Once the sautéed vegetables are cool, chop off the stems of the peppers, and remove the seeds from the optional jalapeños or other red chile. Cut the vegetables into large pieces. Put tomatillos, peppers, garlic, and lime into a blender and pulse quickly until just mixed. Add diced onions, cilantro and salt to taste. Pulse for another 5-10 seconds until well blended but chunky. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate before serving. Tastes even better the next day!
Variations:
Chile de Molcajete:
Use a molcajete to grind the ingredients for a traditionally prepared salsa if you have one!
Tomatoes:
You can also add or use red tomatoes to this recipe, and use any variety of dried or fresh red chiles for the heat. Get creative with it!
Bouillon:
Many people like to add bouillon (tomato, chicken or vegetable bouillon) to this salsa instead of salt, which is also very delicious!
