Name: Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa
Ingredients: 10 ounces tomatillos (husked, rinsed and patted dry); 1 medium onion (sliced as ¼-inch rings); 4 cloves garlic (unpeeled); 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 2 teaspoons honey (or agave nectar to make it vegan); 3-4 canned chipotle chiles (heat level varies greatly between brands, start with fewer chiles initially and add more to your liking.)

Alex Stupak’s cookbook, Tacos, is consistently more about the salsas than the meat in the tacos themselves. He is quick to point out the ingredients in tomatillo salsas may begin to sound redundant, it’s all about varying the ingredients’ amounts and the addition of seasonings that change the overall flavor considerably. Here, it is roasting the main ingredients, the addition of smokey jalapeño in adobo sauce, and a touch of sweetness that makes this salsa tangy and deeply flavorful. This will keep 3–4 days in the fridge. It also freezes well.

A small bowl of tomatillo chipotle salsa on a wooden table.

Ingredients

10 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and patted dry
1 medium onion, sliced as ¼-inch rings
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons honey, or agave nectar to make it vegan
3-4 canned chipotle chiles, heat level varies greatly between brands, start with fewer chiles initially and add more to your liking.

Instructions

Preheat a broiler. Place the tomatillos on a baking pan and broil for about 14 minutes, until blackened in spots, turning once halfway through. Remove from the broiler and set aside to cool. They will release some juices, which you can also use in the salsa.
Meanwhile, set a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onion slices and unpeeled garlic cloves to the pan and dry roast, turning them once or twice, until softened and blackened in spots. Set aside to cool; once they are cool enough to handle, peel the cloves, discarding the skin.

To Make in a Molcajete

Add half of the salt, honey and chiles to the molcajete and crush into a rough paste, then add 1⁄2 of the onions and tomatillos until you have a coarse, chunky sauce. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients.

To Make in a Food Processor

Place the roasted tomatillos, roasted onions and garlic, the chiles, salt and honey in a food processor or blender and pulse or blend on low until it is a coarse, chunky sauce.

Nutrition

Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa