A while back I posted a simple salsa verde recipe so it was about time I posted a recipe to satisfy the needs of my salsa roja lovers! Personally, when it comes to tacos or carne asada, I always reach for the salsa roja. These salsas can range from smokey to extremely spicy and everything in between. This recipe I'm sharing is great for tacos, some even refer to this salsa as salsa taquera because it's very similar to a salsa you would find at a taco truck. This salsa does have a kick to it but I offer tips to tone down the spice or turn it up!
My Mistakes:
The best way to bring out the intense and bold flavors of dry chile pods, or chiles secos, is by lightly toasting them - key word: lightly! While toasting them, you won't want to step away because the chiles can easily burn. Using burnt chiles will make your salsa extremely bitter.
Ingredients:
15-20 chiles de árbol
9 tomatillos
1 chile puya
1 garlic clove
1 serrano pepper *optional
Small chunk of white onion
Salt to taste
Step 1:
Take off stems and lightly toast your dried chiles (árbol and puya) on medium heat until their color deepens and they release an aroma. This step is usually quick and takes about 2-5 minutes. Caution: toasting chiles de árbol lets off an aroma that can cause you to have a coughing fit so make sure your kitchen is ventilated and your hood vent is on full-blast.
Step 2:
Once your chiles are nice and toasty, throw them in a small pot with about 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Once the water has reached a boil, turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to continue to rehydrate, this usually takes about 15 minutes.
Step 3:
Lightly rinse your tomatillos and place them on a non-stick pan with about a 1/4 cup of water on medium-to-high heat. The water helps to slightly cook your tomatillos but once evaporated, the tomatillos will get a little char which is what we want. Make sure to keep turning them so they cook evenly, this should take about 10 minutes. Once cooked, take them off the heat and let cool. Tip: If you love spicy (like I do) you can add a serrano pepper for an extra kick! Just make sure you cook it along with your tomatillos until the pepper changes color.
Step 4:
Blend all of your ingredients together: rehydrated chiles, tomatillos, garlic, onion, salt, serrano pepper if you are using it, and about 1/4 cup of the water you rehydrated your chiles in. If you are not a big fan of spicy salsas, I recommend adding about half of the rehydrated chiles de árbol at first and taste to determine if you want to add more. Blend until smooth, serve and enjoy with chips, tacos, or on top of a carne asada!