Simple Salsa Roja

By Heidi Allison
Traditional and rich, this mellow, brick-red salsa is cooked twice to fully develop its soul-satisfying flavor—the perfect accompaniment paired with Chili Rellenos, drizzled over Mexican-style breakfast eggs, dolloped into plated soups, slathered over enchiladas or ladled over slow-roasted, braised or grilled beef dishes. This is a great, versatile, south-of-the-border workhorse red sauce that aficionados of regional Mexican cuisine should have on repeat rotation.

Initially oil-toasting the moderately spicy, complex dried mild Hatch and guajillo chiles creates a robust roast-iness that cannot be matched by merely rehydrating the chiles in hot water. Do not skip this step; it’s a crucial culinary technique that softens the chiles’ brightness, and the finished flavor profile combines better with the lightly caramelized sweet onion, tomatoes and garlic. It is also important to use a 375-degree oven temp when toasting the chiles and veggies—you do not want to burn either, or the finished product will taste bitter. What you are looking for is soft, sweet and cooked veggies. Also, make sure to drain and toss out the chile soaking water before incorporating the roasted onion, tomatoes and garlic, which can also make the finished salsa taste bitter. While this recipe does not call for an acid, you can squeeze one quarter of a ripe lime into the finished dish to add another dimension of flavor.

Salsa Roja
Makes 5 cups
Ingredients
4 large Roma tomatoes
1 large red tomato
1 white medium onion, peeled and cut into quarters
10 large cloves garlic, peeled
6 guajillo chilies
5 Melissa's mild Hatch dried chilies
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 cup good quality chicken bone broth
1 teaspoon kosher flake salt
1 tablespoon kosher flake salt
1 tablespoon avocado oil

Preparation
Preheat toaster oven to 375 degrees. Place tomatoes, garlic and onion in a large bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over veggies and dried Hatch and guajillo chiles then toss to coat. Place oil-filmed veggies and chiles on a baking tray, and roast for about 7-9 minutes, or until you can smell chiles fragrance and chiles turn dark red color. Immediately remove chiles to another plate, and return veggies to roast for another 25 minutes, or until soft and lightly caramelized. Do not let chiles or veggies burn, or the salsa will taste bitter.
While veggies are cooking, place oil-roasted dried chiles in a large bowl and cover with hot, but not boiling water to soften. After about 20 minutes, remove chile stems and shake out seeds.
When veggies have finished roasting, allow veggies to cool enough to handle and remove tomato skins. Place half of chiles, roasted veggies and ½ cup chicken stock or bone broth into a high-efficiency blender and purée for at least 15 seconds or until emulsified. Repeat with the second batch of roasted chiles, veggies and chicken bone broth or stock.
Place 1 tablespoon of oil into a medium skillet and heat on medium heat till warm. Add puréed red salsa and reduce down by about a quarter, roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust with salt—sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of kosher flake salt and stir to combine.