Salsa Verde

Green salsa is used in many mexican dishes.  There is more than one way to make this salsa.  In this recipe I will give three possible variations and will follow this blog up with more blogs that utilize the green salsas.

7-10 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered (Tomatillos are like sticky, green tomatoes sometimes sold in the husk)

Cilantro, rinsed

1 leaf of lettuce (optional)

1/4 of a small onion

1 clove garlic

2-6 jalapeño peppers, with tops removed

chicken bullion (for more authentic taste, buy the mexican, loose variety)

Pour 1 1/2 – 2 C water in the blender.  Add the quartered tomatillos and blend.  Add a small bunch of cilantro (removing only the thick stem ends), lettuce, onion, garlic and ONE  JALAPEÑO AT A TIME, blending between each pepper.  (Jalapeños are all different.  Sometimes one pepper adds more than enough heat.  I made a batch of salsa with SIX  jalapeños and it was still as mild as can be.)  Add chicken bullion to taste.  If you stop at this point, you have a fresh salsa that tastes good on a variety of things: corn chips and tacos to name just two.

If you want to make Enchiladas Verdes or Chilaquiles Verdes place the raw salsa in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until salsa turns from bright green to olive green, thickens slightly and sticks to the sides of the pan.

Another variation of this salsa has a different flavor and can be used in place of the above mentioned, cooked salsa.  I like this variety particularly for the flavor it gives cubed pork chops (carnitas en salsa verde) when I make Gorditas.  (Recipe to follow)  For this variety: Spray, or spread, a griddle or large frying pan with a small amount of oil.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Grill the whole tomatillos, the onion quarter, the garlic clove, and the jalapeños until blackened on several sides.   Then blend as above, adding cilantro, chicken bullion and lettuce.