The peppers are the key to heat and spiciness of this recipe. I stemmed and seeded the two peppers I used in hopes that a kid would eat this salsa. I failed, but the adult pallets all agreed that there was next to zero heat in this recipe. You can never trust a temperamental kid pallet. In hindsight I would have skipped the kid appeal and appealed to all the adults who actual ate this and added some of the peppers’ seeds/membrane to bring up the heat. I liked the flavor both kinds of peppers had, but really either will work. It’s a very flexible recipe.
This recipe gets its sweetness from tomatillos, its spice from peppers (if you actually add some seeds) and flavor from the roasting process and cilantro. On that note, do you love or hate cilantro? It’s one or the other I’ve found. Surprisingly I fall on the hating side. I pick it out of salads, sandwiches, etc. It’s literally the only thing that my palate is picky on. However, over the years I’ve forced myself to appreciate it. I figured if so many good recipes use it, I should like it too. I started by just making sure I only used it in cooked food. Now I can appreciate it in recipes like this one that use a whole bunch of cilantro.
Garlic burns easily, especially in the broiler. By keeping the peels on you slow that process down.
While this recipe is great with chips, it’s even better as a salsa on your favorite tacos or burritos. I have an upcoming post that will incorporate this recipe and pickled onions on slow-cooked carnitas tacos. yum! So stay tuned.
1 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked
6-8 garlic cloves, in peels
1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded (optional)
1 Serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded (optional)
1 bunch of cilantro
Salt and pepper
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Lay tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeños on the pan. Broil for 15 minutes flipping halfway through. Let it cool.
In a blender, purée all roasted ingredients, including an juices left in the pan. Add cilantro and 1/2 cup water. Salt and pepper to taste.
- 1½ pound tomatillos, husked
- 6-8 garlic cloves, in peels
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded (optional)
- 1 Serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded (optional)
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Lay tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeños on the pan. Broil for 15 minutes flipping halfway through. Let it cool.
- In a blender, purée all roasted ingredients, including an juices left in the pan. Add cilantro and ½ cup water. Salt and pepper to taste.