Salsa Molcajeteada (Roasted Molcajete Salsa)
Salsa Molcajeteada
The classic Mexico City-style molcajete salsa: tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a mix of fresh chiles charred on the comal, then ground by hand in a volcanic-stone molcajete. The lava-rock grind gives it that unmistakable chunky, smoky texture you cannot get in a blender.
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
15 minutes
Servings
2 cups
Difficulty
Medium
1 Ingredients
- 3 small ripe tomatoes (jitomates)
- 1 large beefsteak tomato (tomate corazon de buey)
- 1/4 white onion, unpeeled
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 chile poblano
- 1 chile anaheim
- 1 chile jalapeno
- 2 chiles serranos
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Instructions
- 1
Cut the stems off the chiles and the tops off the tomatoes.
- 2
Heat a comal or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Lay all the chiles, tomatoes, onion, and garlic on the dry surface. Char for 7 to 10 minutes until the skins blister and blacken.
- 3
Turn everything and char for another 5 to 7 minutes. Pull the garlic out early once it is soft.
- 4
Off the heat, peel most of the burnt skin from the tomatoes and chiles. Peel the garlic.
- 5
In the molcajete, grind 1/2 teaspoon salt with the garlic until a paste forms.
- 6
Add the onion and grind. Then add the chiles one at a time, crushing into the paste. Add the tomatoes one by one and grind to a chunky salsa.
- 7
Chop the cilantro fine, stir it in, taste for salt, and serve.
💡 Tips from the Kitchen
- →
If you do not own a molcajete, pulse everything in a food processor in short bursts. Do not overdo it: chunky is the whole point.
- →
Leave a little char on the chiles. The black flecks are the smoky flavor.
- →
Best eaten the day it is made. Loses brightness after 24 hours in the fridge.