Recipe: Sheet Pan Roasted Blackened Salsa

Jackie Alpers is the author of Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona

 

Though this salsa is made with blackened ingredients, the color is actually a lovely shade of brown. The recipe is inspired by the Charro Steak roasted salsa recipe in my Taste of Tucson cookbook. Here in the desert Southwest, its Hatch chile season which is highly anticipated and celebrated in late August and early September when the Hatch chile harvest hits local markets, so I’m incorporating hot Hatch chiles into the recipe. If you can’t get Hatch chiles use two jalapeños instead. 

I first learned how to make salsa from the Flores family who have been serving salsa at their restaurants for over 100 years. This version was developed for their steakhouse by Chef Gary Hickey and as you might surmise, it pairs exceptionally well with grilled meats and vegetables in addition to chip-dipping. Make it the day before you plan to serve it to let the flavors meld.  

Yield: Makes 6 cups salsa

 

The Silicone Kitchen Tools Used

The Silicone Kitchen Baking Mat

The Silicone Kitchen 3-Piece Spatula Set

 

Ingredients

5 Roma tomatoes

4 hot or mild Hatch chiles, about 6 ounces

1 large white onion, peeled and quartered, about 8 ounces

1 small head of garlic, about 3 ounces

1 teaspoon olive oil 

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 

1 cup water 

½ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon sea salt 

1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub most of the skin from the outside of the head of garlic, the slice off the stem to expose some of the inner cloves. Spray or brush the garlic head with olive oil. 

 

 

Using a baking sheet lined with a The Silicone Kitchen silicone baking mat, roast the Roma tomatoes, onion and garlic, for 1 hour, or until soft, blistered and blackened, turning the chiles and tomatoes halfway through and flipping the onion over on its remaining flat side. Oven temperatures vary so check the progress frequently. Let cool slightly.  

Squeeze the uncut side of the garlic to release the cloves from the paper. Pull the chile stems to detach and discard. 

Using tongs, transfer the roasted vegetables to a high speed blender (a Vitamix works perfectly for this). Add the crushed tomatoes, water, cilantro, vinegar, sea salt and Mexican oregano and blitz on high until well combined, using the skinny The Silicone Kitchen spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. 

 

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld. Serve with tortilla chips and/or grilled meats. Stays fresh for one week.