Mexican cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Molcajete Charred Salsa

Tomatoes, serrano and garlic charred over open heat, crushed in a stone mortar into a coarse, chunky salsa.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 700 g tomatoes
• 4 serrano chilies
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 white onion
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. Heat a cast-iron pan or comal without fat until very hot, until a drop of water evaporates instantly.
2. Place the tomatoes, serrano chilies, unpeeled garlic cloves and the onion half on it and turn for 10–12 min, until everything has black charred spots all over and the tomatoes soften and sag.
3. Peel the garlic and crush it with the chilies and the coarse sea salt in the molcajete into a strong paste — the salt acts as an abrasive.
4. Roughly chop the onion half, add it in and crush with only a few turns, so it keeps some bite.
5. Gradually work in the charred tomatoes with their skin and any juice released, crushing with short strokes into a coarse, distinctly chunky salsa.
6. Season with the juice of half a lime and finely chopped cilantro, and serve straight from the warm molcajete with meat, tortillas or eggs.