The Absolutely Best Salsa You Will Ever Eat is a bit different from what you might expect. It is a combination of cooked tomatillos and uncooked red tomatoes. I do not like to put raw onion, raw pepper, or raw garlic in salsa. I think it makes it too strong, especially if you are going to refrigerate it for a few days.
Avoid any strong onion or garlic flavor by cooking them first!
To take the bite out of the onions and garlic I “sauté ” them with a chopped roasted poblano pepper in the microwave before adding the mixture to the tomatoes and the tomatillos. You can get more info on my blog post Healthy and Creamy Broccoli Feta Yogurt Dip which describes how I hate to wash dishes, pots and pans and so, I resort to the microwave “saute” method. It works great. Only one glass measuring cup to wash instead of a saute pan. Yeah. The holidays can be exhausting. Who needs to be washing pans? The tomatillos also are microwaved. 
They take a turn in boiling water for 10-12 minutes to soften them. Before you microwave tomatillos, poke a hole in each one of them or you will have a tomatillo explosion which is an incredible pain to clean up. When they are finished cooking, they are drained and pressed in a strainer to extract their liquid so the salsa is not too runny.
Multi-task while the tomatillos are cooking!
While the tomatillos are cooking, you will put the tomatoes, cilantro, and all of the rest of the ingredients into the large bowl of a food processor and pulse until the tomatoes are just broken up. I used a 16-ounce pack package of Campari tomatoes on the vine because winter tomatoes do not impress me. Indeed, their color is so pale that it’s hard to tell the Roma tomatoes from lemons these days.
You definitely want the salsa to be a bit chunky and have some texture. This also will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week and as it starts to lose its flavor you can add another tablespoon or so of red wine vinegar and some freshly chopped cilantro to awake in the flavors again.
TIP AND TRICK–How to core tomatillos and Campari tomatoes (or any other small vegetable with a core)
Just when you think salsa is perfect for any old meal, it just turns out to be a perfect fit with my red and green theme. Who wouldn’t want a night of fish tacos during the holiday season amid a throng of not-so-healthy dishes? I served this salsa with flour tortillas, some grilled fish (cod or salmon work well), coleslaw mix, avocados, and sour cream. You could add cheese but I rarely eat cheese with fish stem end.
Use aneverydayy tool to core the tomatillo.
I got to thinking that if I could find a sharp, little object just slightly bigger than the circumference of the core. With one motion I could stab it, turn it and pull the core right out. Opening every drawer in the kitchen I stumbled upon an olive oil spout that conveniently comes with the olive oil from Trader Joe’s. Eureka! This worked perfectly to pull the core out. You could also use the star tip from a pastry bag with its sharp edges to accomplish the same result. As you know I am all about saving time and energy for other things that I like to do in metirement.
If you want to serve the salsa during the holidays, make some cheese nachos. Jalapeños are nice and green! Keep your spirits high! More Red and Green to follow!
The Absolutely Best Salsa
This unusual salsa is a combination of cooked and uncooked ingredients so the flavors are really distinct. You can make this as spicy as you want by adding additional roasted peppers. I used one poblano pepper because I am a weakling when it comes to heat!
Ingredients
- 20 tomatillos papery skins removed and washed thoroughly to remove the stickiness
- 16 ounces Campari or other ripe, red tomatoes cored and sliced in half
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 large sweet onion chopped in a medium dice
- 1/2 bunch cilantro washed but the stems left on. Trim just the bottoms off
- 2/3 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons for sautéing the onions and garlic
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano rubbed between your fingers to release the oils
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 poblano pepper broiled until the skin is blackened.
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped. OPTIONAL
Instructions
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Poke a hole with a thin, sharp knife into each tomatillo. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. or you will have a tomatillo explosion in your microwave which is an incredible pain to clean up.
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Put 2 cups of water into a large heatproof measuring cup. Microwave on high heat for four minutes until the water is boiling.
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Very carefully place the washed tomatillos into the water. You may have to pour off some of the water. It is best to leave the cup in the microwave and add the tomatillos to the water.
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Microwave the tomatillos for 10-12 minutes until they are soft but not mushy. They should still hold their shape. Remove from the microwave and drain in a colander. Push down on them with a wooden spoon so the water drains off.
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Remove the skin and seeds from the blackened poblano pepper under running water. Dry the pepper and pull it into strips. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES OR ANYTHING ELSE.
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In a large heatproof measuring cup, mix the garlic and chopped onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Microwave the mixture for 7-8 minutes until the onions are translucent. You want them to lose their raw "bite" but not be overcooked.
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Put the halved tomatoes, cilantro, poblano pepper (and jalapeño if you are using it), onion and garlic mixture, the tomatillos and all the rest of the ingredients into the bowl of the food processor. Pulse in short bursts just to chop the ingredients. You don't want to chop the mixture too much.
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Serve in a large bowl garnished with cilantro leaves.
I love this salsa!!!!
Thanks for the compliment!