Matt's Smoked Salsasalsa 3 whole medium tomatoes 1/2 medium sweet white onion; cut in chunks 3 whole jalapenos -or- 6 whole serranos (for a hotter salsa) 3 cloves garlic 3/4 teaspoon salt; or to taste 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup water This recipe is adapted from one that appears in Matt Martinet's Culinary Frontier: A Real Texas Cookbook by Matt Martinez, Jr. and Steve Fate (Doubleday, 1997). It's great with chips, but it's heavenly with barbecue, steaks, and scrambled eggs. If you don't have a smoker, a barbecue pit will do. Combine ingredients in a heavy pot, and place the pot (uncovered) in a smoker for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the vegetables are soft. (Do not allow the sauce to become dry; add more water if needed.) Remove pot from smoker. Mash (do not blend) the vegetables, taking care to mash one chili at a time until salsa tastes hot enough; discard any extra chilies. (Salsa will be chunky.) Adjust the salt to taste. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator (will keep about 2 weeks). Yield: 2 cups. Note: For a thicker salsa, combine 1 Tbs. cornstarch with 2 Tbs. water, and drizzle the mixture into the salsa while it's still hot. Simmer on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes until salsa reaches the desired thickness. If it becomes too thick, simply add a bit more water. Posted to the BBQ List by "Glen G. Hosey" |
