Salsa de Molcajete (Roasted Stone-Ground Salsa)
Blistered tomatoes, chillies and garlic crushed by hand into a rustic, smoky salsa with real texture. Better than any blender.
Ingredients
- 400 g ripe plum tomatoes (about 4)
- 2 serrano chillies (or 1 jalapeño)
- 1 slice thick slice of white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- ½ tsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped (optional)
- ½ Lime, juiced (optional)
Method
- Heat a dry comal or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Roast the tomatoes, chillies, onion and garlic, turning now and then: the garlic needs 6–8 min, the chillies and onion about 8 min, the tomatoes 10–12 min, until blackened in patches and soft.
- Peel the garlic. Pull the stems off the chillies.
- Grind the garlic and salt in the molcajete into a paste, then add the chillies and onion and crush them in.
- Add the tomatoes one at a time, crushing and turning with the pestle until you have a chunky salsa.
- Stir in the coriander and lime, if using, and taste for salt. Serve right in the molcajete.
Tips
- No molcajete? Pulse everything briefly in a food processor so it stays coarse.
- Leave some of the charred skins on the tomatoes for extra smokiness.
Sources
Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:
Open Salsa de Molcajete (Roasted Stone-Ground Salsa) in Nouns Cooking