EXPERT Draft

 September 9th 

                                            A Short Guide 

             for Pairing the Right Salsa with Your Next Mexican Meal!

Salsa is the centerpiece of Mexican cooking. Quite literally, the bowl of salsa always sits at the center of the table. My dad likes to say salsa is one of the most misunderstood Mexican foods. Salsa is not a generic mix-and-match condiment, nor is salsa only meant to be enjoyed with chips! Just as in French cooking, béchamel and béarnaise sauce complements specific dishes and ingredients, Mexican cooking also recognizes that salsas serve a variety of flavor functions. A perfect salsa will highlight the green, herbaceous flavors of fresh chiles and the raisiny sweetness of dried (Garcia). 

Overwhelming spice and heat are never the intentions of good salsa, rather it's finding the right heat balance to complement a seared skirt steak or braised pork belly carnitas. In this article, I will describe the ingredient and flavor profiles of a few common Mexican salsas while also explaining which meals they suit best!

                     Salsas Crudas (Raw) vs. Salsas Cocidas (Cooked)

Salsas can be made with fresh chiles such as serranos, jalapeños, and poblano, or they can be made with dried chiles like chipotle, guajillo, and ancho. Did you know once a fresh chile is dried it takes on a new name? A chipotle chile is simply a smoke-dried jalapeño and an ancho chile is a dried poblano pepper. Although these chiles are essentially the same pepper, their fresh flavors are distinct from their dried alter-egos. Dried chiles will taste spicier because they're smoky and develop an intense flavor in the drying process. 

Raw salsas are usually chunky, so the flavors develop as you chew, you taste the pungent heat from the fresh chiles and acidity from tomatoes. The flavors of a raw salsa are simple yet explosive, meaning there aren't many ingredients in them but each one packs a punch. Cooked salsas have a slow burn with a deep and rich taste because they're made with a bunch of different dried chiles and the fresh ingredients are often charred. According to my mom, there are three main cooking techniques for chiles in a salsa (Cardenas): 

• Charred on a dry surface for smokiness
• Lightly fried for brightness 
• Simmered in water for creaminess 

The Salsas 

Salsa Verde 

Salsa verde is bright and tangy. This salsa introduces us to one of the most key ingredients of all Mexican salsas: the tomatillo. If you've never tried a tomatillo it's just a Mexican green tomato. A tomatillo is juicy, sour, and salty which gives this salsa its signature flavor.  In a salsa verde, the ingredients get a quick and even char on a comal, which is just a flat pan that looks like a griddle.  

Ingredients

• Tomatillos
• Jalapeño 
• Onion 
• Cilantro 
• Lime juice 
• Salt
• *Add avocado to make an Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Pairing: Salsa verde is known as a taco salsa. I'm sure you've seen the green and red bottles at a taco truck! The acidity from the tomatillos balances the rich flavor of the meat in a taco. Salsa verde pairs well with any taco, but if you added avocado try this on grilled shrimp tacos, ASAP. "In Mexico we say that the meat is what makes a good taco, but the right salsa is what makes it exceptional" (Taco Chronicles). 

Salsa de Molcajete

This is my favorite salsa because it combines fresh and dry chiles and all the ingredients are charred and mashed together in a molcajete dish which makes it a smoky, chunky salsa that sits on the spicy side. A molcajete dish a the throne for Mexican salsas, it's very similar to a mortar and pestle but they are much heavier and bulkier because they are made from volcanic stone. The molcajete was first used by the Aztec and the Maya, so it's basically a pre-Hispanic food processor (Yucatan Times). 

Ingredients 

• Tomatoes 
• Serrano chiles
• Jalapeño
• Arbol chiles
• Onion
• Cilantro 
• Salt

Pairing: There's really nothing like a fresh salsa de molcajete paired with a carne asada (grilled steak) because a simple steak will highlight the charred flavors of the salsa. This salsa also pairs well with potato dishes. 

Salsa Roja 

Salsa roja is a reliable classic. This kind of red salsa is similar to the salsa de molcajete, except it's less spicy because it does not combine dried chiles and salsa roja is usually not mashed in the molcajete. This salsa might seem like the kind you get at Tex-Mex restaurants. I think those salsas are pretty terrible because they add corn syrup and red bell peppers. Authentic salsa roja is delicious because it has a bright flavor as well as some mild spice and tanginess. 

Ingredients 

• Tomatoes 
• Jalapeño 
• Onion 
• Cilantro 
• Garlic 
• Lime 
• Salt 

Paring: Salsa roja's mild and tasty profile make this the perfect salsa to pair with a runny egg breakfast! In fact, salsa roja's time to shine is usually at breakfast when you're maybe craving a gentle spiciness to start the day. This salsa is also great for those that don't want such a spicy salsa on their tacos. 

Chile Macho 

This salsa is spicy! Just a few drops goes a long way. A typical recipe calls for 4 times the amount of chiles as it does tomatoes! What also makes this salsa different is that it's strained after blending so the salsa itself is a runny, potent sauce. All of the chiles in this salsa are dried so the flavor is deep, smoky, and striking. The guajillos are simmered for creaminess and the rest of the dry ingredients are charred. 

Ingredients 

• Arbol chiles
• Guajillo chiles
• Tomato 
• Vinegar
• Garlic 
• Whole peppercorns
• Salt 
• Water

Pairing: This salsa is paired with stews and soups since the creamy consistency allows for the salsa to incorporate well into soup dishes. Stews and soups with rich cuts of meat best compliment this salsa. Chile macho is most often seen around the holiday season when everyone is enjoying a warm and comforting meal. Every Christmas my family prepares a huge pot of pozole (hominy stew) with chile macho. 

~

Of course, there are many interpretations and varieties of the salsas I mentioned. Even various cities in Mexico critique each other's traditional versions because they feature ingredients that are native to their region. What everyone agrees on, however, is that no meal is complete without a fresh, handmade salsa that balances with the range of flavors in a Mexican dish.  

Works Cited

Cardenas, Rosa. "The 3 Cooking Techniques for Chiles" Interview with Rosa Cardenas (my mom). 09 September 2020. 

Garcia, Ricardo. "Salsa Misunderstandings/What makes a good salsa?" Interview with Ricardo Garcia (my dad). 09 September 2020. 

"Molcajete, a cultural heritage that gives unique flavor to the Mexican cuisine," Yucatan Times. 27 April 2019. https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2019/04/molcajete-a-cultural-heritage-that-gives-unique-flavor-to-the-mexican-cuisine/ 

Taco Chronicles. Directed by Carlos Perez Osorio, Season 1, Episode 4, Netflix, 2019.