Ingredient 28 – Tomatillos

First off let me express my apologies for the lateness of this post.  Dave and I moved to new digs last weekend and the packing, moving, and unpacking has monopolized my life for the last few weeks.  I would like to say that things are now back to normal, but they aren’t.  We are heading back to the Midwest for a wedding and family visits next weekend.  However, after said trip I am expecting to fall into my normal cooking and posting routine.

Now on to tomatillos, the main ingredient in salsa verde.  I made the batch pictured below about a week before before I moved.  The preparation was pretty simple and the end result was ridiculously delicious.  To be fair, I love Southwestern, Latin American, and Mexican food more than the average bear, so my opinion is a bit biased.

Tomatillos, Physalis philadelphica, are nightshades native to Mexico.  When ripe, they range in color from green or greenish purple to yellow and red.  Tomatillos come into season in late summer or early fall.  When selecting, look for tomatillos that are firm but not rock hard.  The husk surrounding the fruit can be broken but should be more or less still on the fruit.  You can store tomatillos at room temperature for a few days or in a loosely tied plastic bag in the fridge for up to two weeks.        

Salsa Verde
Adapted from Simply Recipes
1 and 1/2 pounds tomatillos
1/2 a white onion
1 3/4 oz package of cilantro
2 jalapeño peppers
1 lime
1 tsp sugar



Begin by lining your broiler pan with aluminum foil and setting the broiler to high.  While the broiler is warming, remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse off the sticky coating on the fruit.  The sticky coating comes from the tomatillos high pectin content.

   
Next, slice the fruit in half and place it cut side down on the lined broiler sheet.  Broil for approximately 6 minutes.  While the tomatillos are roasting, deseed and roughly chop the jalapenos and roughly chop the onion.

 

When you remove the tomatillos from the broiler, the skin should be slightly blackened.



While the tomatillos are cooling, rinse the cilantro and remove the stems.  Place the cilantro, pepper, onion, sugar, and tomatillos in a food processor or blender.  Juice the lime into the food processor or blender.  You can use a strainer if you want to ensure that none of the flesh ends up in the mix, but this isn’t necessary.



Cover and pulse for a minute or two.  The salsa is ready to go when all the the ingredients are finely chopped and well mixed.  Plate and serve with crispy tortilla chips.  I prefer Xochitl or Tostitos Cantina Style.

As I noted previously, this salsa was fantastic.  I could have eaten it with a spoon.  It was so fresh and full of flavor, but not way too spicy.  If you prefer more heat, consider throwing in another pepper.  This is a great take along for any party or bbq.