Charred Ranchero Salsa

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A dry skillet does all the heavy lifting here: tomatoes, jalapeños, onion and garlic blister until blackened and sweet, then get blended and simmered down into a glossy, faintly smoky ranchero sauce. It's the Tex-Mex sauce you ladle over huevos rancheros, enchiladas, breakfast tacos or a plate of chips — and it keeps a full week in the fridge, getting better on day two.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Roma tomatoes (about 6), whole
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into thick rings
• 2 jalapeños, stems on
• 1 serrano chile (optional, for more heat)
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 2 tbsp neutral oil or bacon fat
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp sugar (optional, if tomatoes are tart)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Set a large cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over medium-high heat and let it get properly hot, 4 to 5 minutes. Use no oil — this is a dry char. Turn on your range hood or crack a window.
2. Add the whole tomatoes, onion rings, jalapeños, serrano (if using) and unpeeled garlic cloves in a single layer, working in two batches if your pan is crowded. Let them sit undisturbed 3 to 4 minutes per side until blackened in patches, turning with tongs. Pull the garlic after about 4 minutes total (it burns fast) and the chiles after 6 to 8 minutes. The tomatoes need 10 to 12 minutes total and should be slumped, split and blistered on all sides.
3. Transfer everything to a bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Peel the garlic. Pull the stems off the chiles; for a milder sauce, slit them and scrape out the seeds and ribs. Leave all the tomato skins on — the char is the flavor.
4. Add the tomatoes with any collected juices, onion, chiles and garlic to a blender. Pulse 6 to 8 times for a rustic, slightly chunky texture, or blend 15 seconds for a smooth pourable sauce. Don't overdo it or the salsa turns pink and frothy.
5. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to medium heat. Add the oil, then the cumin, oregano and smoked paprika, and toast, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Stand back and pour in the blended tomato mixture — it will hiss and spit. Add the water or broth, salt and sugar if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the salsa darkens slightly, thickens enough to coat a spoon, and no longer tastes raw.
7. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust salt — charred salsa needs more than you'd expect. Serve warm over eggs, enchiladas or tacos, or cool and refrigerate.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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