My favorite salsa

Salsa is one of my passions. I could eat it every day on anything. At a Mexican restaurant, I use salsa as my dressing. I like it on eggs or just with chips. So, I’ve made a lot of salsa in my life, and I mean a lot of salsa. Dried chiles, fresh chiles, single chiles, multiple chiles. I was inspired by Rick Bayless’s Frontera Grill in Chicago and his cookbook Fiesta at Rick’s. Rick is an outstanding cook, author, and inspiration. This is my favorite salsa; it is one of my comfort foods.

  
    Recipe makes
    Active time
    Total time
  

    1 3/4 cups
    20m
    20m
  

  
    Special equipment needed
  
    Heavy skillet
  
    Blender

Ingredients
3 small dried morita chiles, wiped clean and stemmed
4 cascabel chiles, wiped clean and stemmed
2 guajillo chiles, wiped clean and stemmed
3 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
10 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and dried
salt, pepper

Variations
• Experiment with the chiles or even add different chiles - ancho, árbol, pasilla, etc. The possibilities are endless.

  
    Storage
  
    • Refrigerate for 4 - 5 days, stir before serving.

  
    Instructions
  
    • Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Turn off the heat.
  
    • Put the unpeeled garlic in a skillet over medium heat, turning the garlic occasionally so that it will blacken on all sides. This will will take about 10 minutes. Push them to the side of the pan as you cook the chiles.
  
    • Add  the moritas and cascabels to the same pan, turning once or twice, and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Remove to a bowl large enough for all the chiles.
  
    • Add the guajillos to the pan and press down with a spatula, turning once or twice, until fragrant. Remove to a bowl. Add the hot water to the bowl, covering the chiles completely. Let stand 30 minutes, pushing the chiles down as necessary.
  
    • The garlic should still be in the pan at this point.
  
    • Add a piece of aluminum foil to your pan, folding it to avoid the garlic. Add the tomatillos and cook until softened and blackened in spots on all sides, about 10 - 15 minutes. Turning as necessary. Remove the garlic when it is finished. Peel.
  
    • Add the tomatillos, garlic, and drained chiles to the blender. Purée until fairly smooth. It will never be completely smooth. Season to taste. If the salsa is slightly bitter, add a little sugar.

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