Texas Monthly: Multimedia

Red Pepper Salsa for Tamales (November 2001)

Recipe from Patricia Casillas, Word of Mouth Catering, Austin

This recipe was made to go with the corn-and-poblano tamales from Hot Damn, Tamales!, Fort Worth. But it’s a good salsa for many purposes, and a pretty one too.

20 Roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled
5 red bell peppers, roasted, seeded, and skinned
4 ounces canned chipotles in adobo sauce (or more or less to taste)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 small red onions, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in 10 of the tomatoes. Cook at a low boil until the skins split open, a few minutes. Remove and drain in a colander for about 5 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, blend the 10 blanched tomatoes with the garlic, roasted peppers, and chipotle chiles (you do not need to rinse off the adobo sauce that clings to them). Do not overblend; you want the sauce to have some texture. Set aside.

Dice the rest of the tomatoes. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the tomatoes with their liquid until it thickens slightly. Add the blended mixture from above to the tomatoes in the skillet and cook for 5 more minutes.

Remove from heat and cool slightly before adding onion and cilantro. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 8 cups.