Chiltomate Salsa (Tomato and Habanero Sauce)
Smoky and fruity and with a sneaky heat, chiltomate salsa is a combination of habanero chiles and tomato popular throughout the Yucatán peninsula. While it’s made in many ways, this version, which is adapted from the chef Alex Henry, is particularly fresh. The tomatoes are cooked only by blackening their skins so their tang remains. They’re then mashed — skin, seeds and all — with charred habanero, cilantro leaves and stems into a chunky sauce. At El Molino del Sureste, Mr. Henry’s restaurant in St. Louis, it’s served over venison sausage and black beans, and at Sureste, his food hall spot, it tops steak tacos, but says it’s great on all grilled meats.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
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- Serves: 3 persons
Ingredients
- 10ripe plum tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
- 1habanero
- ½bunch cilantro
- Salt
- Lime juice, to taste
Instructions
Step 1
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle to high and turn on your fan, if you have one (or open some windows). Cook the tomatoes and habanero, turning every few minutes, until blackened all over and the tomatoes are soft and bursting, 10 to 15 minutes for habanero and 25 to 30 minutes for the tomatoes. Set aside on a cutting board to cool slightly. Scrape all the blackened bits from the skillet and transfer to a mortar or large bowl.Step 2
Chop the tomatoes and transfer to the mortar or large bowl. Using gloved hands if desired, remove and discard the stem and seeds from the habanero and finely chop. Transfer half the habanero to the mortar. Finely chop all the cilantro, including the stems, and add to the mortar. Season with salt and mash into a chunky sauce. (If using a bowl, squeeze with gloved hands.) Season to taste with salt and lime juice; if tomatoes are at peak ripeness, lime juice may not be necessary. Add more habanero to taste. Salsa keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.