Emi’s Chile or Salsa Mexicana (de Emi)

I learned this recipe from the woman that cooked breakfast for my hostel in Oaxaca. Her name is Emi, and she insisted that this was not a salsa de Emi but a salsa mexicana. The spanish word salsa means “sauce.” It can refer to the various small bowls of condiment served at restaurants and at home, and in some regions is called chile when spicy, such that if you’re at a taqueria and presented with two bowls, often you will be told that one is salsa and that the spicier one is chile. This is a recipe for chile.

Ingredients

• 8–12 tomatoes, any kind but with the equivalent volume of this many good-sized plum tomatoes, ranging from very ripe to overripe.
• 1–2 heads garlic
• 1–3 fresh habanero peppers (here, I encourage ambition)

This recipe is appropriate for the current age, and will both allow you to salvage tomatoes and garlic otherwise past usability and give a boost to your immune system (courtesy of the allicin in the garlic and the capsaicin in the chiles, both of which are worth a Google search). In your tomatoes, do not be put off by soft, rotten spots — these are PERFECT for this application (and for any other sauce!) Simply cut out any bad spots and save your firmer tomatoes for salads and sandwiches.

Roast garlic cloves, in their husks, in a dry pan over medium to medium high heat, flipping occasionally until slightly blackened and soft to the touch, less than 10 minutes. Remove from pan and do the same with your chiles, which will take longer and should finish slightly more blackened than your garlic.

I pause here to say that you don’t have to use habaneros. Any fresh chile appropriate to your spice tolerance will work; do not make chile you cannot eat. However, habaneros have a very distinct flavor in addition to their exuberant heat, and without them you will not be making the same chile that by this recipe I recommend. Again, I encourage ambition! I believe 1 pepper to 10 tomatoes is a perfectly achievable spice level for even novice chile enthusiasts, and you will find yourself more daring with subsequent batches.

While your garlic is roasting, and then your chiles, use the tip of your knife to cut out the stem holes in your tomatoes. Once your garlic and chiles are out, replace with your tomatoes. Do not overcrowd your pan, 2 batches may be necessary. Let tomatoes roast, covered, turning occasionally to ensure the skins don’t burn to the bottom of the pan (they should, like the peppers and the garlic, be blackened). When soft and very juicy, remove from heat.

Peel the husk from your garlic and pinch the skin from your chiles. Do the latter carefully, as the oil that makes chiles hot can get on your hands and will make its presence VERY known if you accidentally touch a tender area. Wash hands thoroughly after, unless you need the extra incentive not to touch your face. You can also leave the skins on for a little added char.

Put it all in a blender (or food processor, or maybe you even have access to a food mill — lucky you!). You may add cilantro if you like. Blend until homogenous, but still chunky. Keep in fridge and eat with everything.