Salsa Verde
Makes about 2.5 cups
Clean the grates of a grill, brush the grill with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Set the heat to medium-high. Dehusk and rinse 1 lb [455g] tomatillos, pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel and place them in a large bowl. Add 4 cloves of garlic with their paper on, 2 small white or yellow onions, 2 jalapeños or 1 serrano, drizzle 2 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil, and toss to coat well. If you prefer to skip the bowl, just brush the vegetables with the oil. Grill the vegetables on the hot grill for about 8 minutes, till they all develop char marks and the tomatillos turn a light dull green and are just about ready to burst. You might need to pull the chiles and the garlic off the grill, as they tend to cook quicker than the rest. Let the vegetables sit till they’re cool enough to handle. Peel off and discard the skins and stalks from the onions, garlic, and chillies. Place all the roasted vegetables in the bowl of a food processor. Add 1/2 cup [6g] packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems along with 1/4 cup [60ml] of fresh lime juice. Pulse for a few seconds till it turns slightly chunky. Taste and season with salt. Depending on how sour the salsa tastes, I sometimes add a pinch of sugar. Store the salsa verde in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Cook’s Notes:
You can make this hotter by adding a hotter fresh green chile.
If you don’t own a grill, you can use your oven. Broil the vegetables in baking sheet, till the vegetables start to char, about 10 minutes. Another option is to char the vegetables in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
