Using a hotter fire than normal for vegetables, we grill the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño in this salsa to blacken their skins and intensify their natural flavor. If you already have a favorite salsa recipe, try the technique with it. In your own blend or ours, you'll definitely notice the difference from grilling key ingredients.
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
| ½ | medium onion, cut through its "equator," in one piece |
| 1 to 2 | fresh jalapeños |
| Vegetable oil | |
| 1½ | pounds whole small tomatoes, preferably Italian plum, unpeeled |
| 3 | tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro |
| 2 | garlic cloves, roasted (see Technique Tip, [>]) |
| 1 to 1½ | teaspoons salt |
| Juice of ½ to 1 lime |
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Coat the onion and jalapeño with oil. Grill the onion, jalapeño, and toma toes over high heat, turning occasion ally until the surfaces of each are deeply brown with some black spots. The jalapeño will be ready in about 5 to 6 minutes, and the onion and toma toes in about 10 to 12 minutes. The tomato skins will split as they cook and the onion and jalapeño will become crisp-tender. If grilling covered, cook the jalapeño for the same amount of time and the onion and tomatoes for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning each once midway.
Trim and discard the stem end from the onion and remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño. Place them in a blender with the tomatoes (skins, cores, and all), cilantro, garlic, salt, and lime juice and purée. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve the salsa warm or refrigerate it for use later. Eat it with fresh tortillas, chips, on a burger, in Salsa-Sassy Chicken Salad, or as a second salsa accompaniment to Olvera Street Fish Tacos.