Smoke the vegetables first, then blend. That’s it. The smoker does most of the work and you end up with a salsa that tastes like nothing you can buy at the store. I make a big batch and it’s gone in a couple days.
What you need
- 6 roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 3-4 peppers — I use a mix of jalapenos and habaneros depending on how hot I want it
- 4 cloves garlic, whole with skin on
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2-3 limes, juiced
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp cumin
How to make it
1. Cut the tomatoes in half. Quarter the onion. Leave the peppers whole or halve them. Put everything on a wire rack or grill mat so the smaller pieces don’t fall through.
2. Smoker at 250. I use mesquite for this because you want a stronger smoke flavor since you’re only smoking for about 45 minutes to an hour. Cherry works too if you want something milder.
3. Smoke everything until the tomatoes are soft and the edges on the onion and peppers are charred up. The garlic should be soft inside the skin. Usually 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Pull everything off. Let it cool enough to handle. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins. If you want less heat, scrape the seeds out of the peppers before blending.
5. Throw it all in a blender or food processor. Add the cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Pulse it. I like mine a little chunky. If you want it smooth, let it run longer.
6. Taste it. Adjust lime and salt. It’ll be good right away but even better after a few hours in the fridge once the flavors settle in.
The smoke flavor comes through strong on this. It’s good with chips but I also put it on tacos, eggs, basically everything for the next three days until it’s gone.
