Roasted Tomato & Mint Salsa
Submitted by gswiedman
Roasted tomato and mint salsa with fire-blackened Roma tomatoes, serrano chiles, cilantro, fresh spearmint, lime, and orange zest. A smoky, herbaceous Southwestern salsa for grilled meats or chips.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
10 minCOOK
10 minREADY
1 hrsFire-blackened Roma tomatoes pulsed with garlic, then mixed with fresh mint, cilantro, serrano chiles, lime juice, and a whisper of orange zest. This is Southwestern cooking at its most interesting: smoky, raw, herbal, and bright all in the same spoonful.
Blackening the tomatoes on a comal or cast iron skillet chars the skins and concentrates the flesh, adding a smoky depth that raw tomatoes just don’t have. The fresh mint and citrus zest go in after cooling, so they stay vibrant against that roasted backbone.
Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. The flavors need time to get acquainted, especially the mint, which opens up and becomes more aromatic as it sits.
Kitchen Tips
- Blacken the tomatoes on all sides, not just one. Turn them frequently on the hot skillet until the skins are blistered and charred all over.
- Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor, don’t puree. You want rough chunks, not tomato juice.
- Serrano chiles are hotter than jalapenos. Start with one if you’re not sure about your heat tolerance, then add the second after tasting.
Variations
- Grill the tomatoes over charcoal instead of a skillet for an even smokier flavor.
- Use fresh basil in place of mint for a more Mediterranean-leaning salsa.
- Serve alongside grilled venison chops, pork, or marlin as Mark Miller originally intended.
Ingredients
Directions
With a comal or black iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook the tomatoes until blackened all over.
While still warm, pulse tomatoes with the garlic in a food processor until roughly chopped.
Let cool to room temperature and add the remaining ingredients.
Mix together and let sit at least 30 minutes before using.
Mark Miller writes: “Ripe red tomatoes roasted on a hot steel comal until the skins blacken are a basic element of many Mexican salsas.
The smoky flavor adds a complexity to the taste of ripe tomatoes.
Mixing fresh mint as a counterpoint to this cooked flavor creates the combination of raw and cooked which is one of the classic taste motifs of Southwestern cuisine.
It can be served with venison chops, grilled pork, grilled marlin, and that faithful standby, tortilla chips.
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