Over the years of my experimenting in the kitchen, I have discovered a love for spicy things. Not “burn your mouth off” spicy, but the right balance of savory followed by a nice kick at the end. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but for many a little kick is just what you’re looking for in your food.
This recipe is a great way to add a little kick to your Mexican dish while the others at the table can enjoy their more mild experience. I also mix it with cottage cheese for a protein packed snack that comes with a little heat.
The most important thing to remember about this recipe is where the heat is coming from. When I was first creating this recipe, I tried a bunch of different ones out there so I could figure out where the different types of heat came from and how they interacted with each other. The chili de arbole is the heat in this recipe. The jalapeno adds a nice bite, but the heat hits a little earlier than the arbole, and it mingles with the onion and tomato in a way that makes it more savory and less heat.
Knowing this will determine how many arboles you want to add. I tried one recipe with 20 arboles, and if you know anything about them, you know how much milk I had to drink to calm the fire! I tripled the tomatoes and the heat was still there! However, you might try 4 and crave more heat, and to that I say go for it! Make this work for you. If you want less heat, use only 1 or 2. I like 3, but my husband found it to be too hot. Figure out what is going to work for your crowd and have fun with it!
Warm a large saute pan on med-hi heat. Bring a small pan of water to a boil ans set aside. Heat up 1Tbs of oil in the saute pan and place the sliced tomatoes face down in the pan. Allow them to sear and cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, add the arboles to the pan as well and allow them to warm and soften, but not burn. Turn them often, and once soft, place in the pre-heated boiling water to soften. Flip the tomatoes and allow the skins to sear and soften a bit. Once they have good color and have softened, remove the pan from the heat and let them cool a minute. Meanwhile, prep your onion and jalapeno.
Once they’ve cooled for a minute, add the tomatoes to your blender. Also add you garlic, cilantro, your soaking chile de arbole, and ½ c of the hot water. Finally, add the salt and blend everything together, making sure the peppers have been blended, but not so much that the salsa reaches a puree.
Re-heat the saute pan with a little more oil. Add the onion and jalapeno and brown them for a minute. Then slowly add the salsa from the blender. Bring the mixture to a simmer and leave it for a few minutes, stirring every now and then. Check for salt and remove it from the burner to cool.
Once cooled, you can transfer it to an airtight container to chill it in the refrigerator.
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