Salsa Verde en Molcajete
Make your own smoky grilled salsa verde, completely by hand.
·Jul 7, 2023
Mexican salsa verde is typically made of fire roasted tomatillos, green chiles (jalapeño or serrano), onion, garlic, and cilantro blended together. It’s spicy and smoky, while still having an element of summer freshness. This recipe is courtesy of the Medina sisters of Duplo Design who produce small batch, artisanal stoneware. Instead of using a blender or food processor, they opt for making the salsa by hand in a Molcajete.
The unique texture of the volcanic rock grinds the ingredients into a thick paste, yielding a different texture than a blender salsa. Enjoy this salsa as a topping for your favorite tacos or simply as an accompaniment to fresh tortilla chips. This salsa is quite spicy, so feel free to reduce the number of chiles or remove their seeds to reduce the heat.
Salsa Verde en Molcajete
Make your own smoky grilled salsa verde, completely by hand.
Tania and Marcela Medina
- 4-6 serrano chiles
- 4 tomatillos
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a Griddle, Comal, or Carbon Steel Frying Pan over medium-high. Slice the half onion lengthwise into two quarters. Once hot, add serranos, tomatillos, and one quarter of the onion to the griddle. Cook, turning every few minutes, until the vegetables are softened and charred, 15–20 minutes, then set aside to let cool.
Add garlic along with a hefty pinch of salt to Molcajete and grind to a paste.
Once cooled, remove the stems (and seeds, if desired) from the chiles. Keeping them separate, roughly chop the vegetables.
Incorporate the charred onion into the garlic paste, smashing until fully combined. Repeat with the chiles. Once you have a uniform paste, add in the tomatillos a few pieces at a time.
Chop the remaining quarter of the onion and add to the Molcajete along with the cilantro, stirring until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Yields about 1 ¼ cups.
