Melissa’s Red Salsa

This salsa came from my cousin Melissa — one of those people who just knows how to make food taste incredible. Everything she’s ever cooked for me, I’ve begged her for the recipe. Her house is lined with stacks of cookbooks, and every time I visit, I leave with about fifty photos of recipes I swear I’m going to make.
This one, though, she didn’t even need to look up. She rattled off the ingredients from memory, and I rushed home to recreate it. Hers still somehow tastes better (of course it does), but even my version is simple, deeply flavorful, and reminds me of the red salsa that showed up at every Mexican restaurant my mom took us to as kids.

Ingredients
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10 Roma tomatoes
​3 garlic cloves, skins on
5 to 8 dried chiles de árbol
Salt (to taste)

Instructions

1. Char the tomatoes.
   Heat a comal, skillet, or grill over medium-high. Add the whole tomatoes and cook, turning occasionally, until the skins are mostly blackened and the tomatoes have softened — about 10 minutes.
2. Roast the garlic.
   While the tomatoes are charring, add the garlic cloves (still in their skins) to the comal for about 4 minutes total, turning so they roast evenly. Remove and let cool, then peel off the skins once they’re cool enough to handle.
   Tip: If you’re using a grill, be careful they don’t fall through the grates.
3. Toast the chiles.
   Once the tomatoes are done, briefly toast the chiles de árbol on the hot comal — just 30 seconds or so, until they puff slightly. Don’t let them burn or they’ll taste bitter.
4. Blend.
   In a blender, combine the tomatoes, peeled garlic, 4 or 5 chiles, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Blend until smooth. Taste once it’s cooled a bit, then adjust the heat and salt. I usually stop at 5 chiles for medium heat, but you can add more if you like it fiery.
5. Adjust seasoning.
   Keep in mind that different salts have different strengths — for example, Diamond Crystal kosher salt is much lighter than Morton’s. Start with less and add as you go.
6. Final taste.
   Once the salsa has fully cooled, taste again and adjust seasoning if needed.
   
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