Salsa Verde

Name: Salsa Verde
Yield: makes about 2 cups
Ingredients: 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed; 2 cloves garlic; 2 jalapeño chiles, stems removed; Leaves from 1/2 bunch cilantro (about 1/2 cup packed); 1 large shallot lobe or small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup); 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt, plus more to taste; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

December 14, 2011

Some people say that Tex-Mex cooking bears no relation to Mexican. Well, tell that to me and my friend Patricia Jinich, a Mexico City native who now teaches cooking classes through the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C. Pati and I bonded over our mutual love of Mexican food, and even though I have traveled frequently in Mexico, many of the recipes she has shared with me take me right back to my West Texas childhood or Central Texas college days. This salsa—gorgeous to behold and tart and spicy to taste-is the perfect example; its flavors are identical to those served up in little bowls on every table at the best Tex-Mex restaurants I know. It’s perfect on the Catfish Tacos with Chipotle Slaw (page 101) and Shrimp Tacos with Grapefruit–Black Bean Salsa (page 102), and it is a natural pairing with seafood. But, honestly, you can drizzle it on just about anything to decent effect. And, of course, you can just scoop it up with tortilla chips.

Recipe notes

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