I consider myself lucky to be friends with him. He’s the kind of guy that inspires you to make whatever he’s serving, just because you want to eat it again and again! My friend Ben is a professional chef, but also whips up amazing stuff for friends too! When he offered to do a nacho bar for Jake’s party, I answered him before he even finished the question. After all the guests raved about the salsa, I begged him to write it down for me. He’s the kind of guy that throws in pinches and dollops and things just turn out good. But, in order to break it down for the novice, he wrote me the recipe.
Pre Heat Oven 500 degrees.
STEP 1
• 5 Pounds Roma Tomatoes cut in Half.
• 2 Medium Onions
• 8-10 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• ½ teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Dry Oregano
STEP 2
• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider or Red Wine Vinegar
• *** Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Rinsed and Seeds Removed.
• 2 Tablespoons Canola or Vegetable Oil
STEP 3
• ¾ Bunch Fresh Cilantro
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Dry Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon (Adjust to taste based on your Taste Buds) Kosher Salt
• ½ teaspoon (Adjust to taste based on your Taste Buds) Fresh Ground
Black Pepper
Pre Heat your oven to 500 – 550 degrees for at least 10
minutes. Cut the Roma tomatoes in Half Lengthwise. Peel and Slice
the onions Crescent style about ¼ inch thick. Lay flat on the cut side
and the onions on the bottom and the garlic on top of that. Spray
with Vegetable oil and sprinkle with the dry ingredients. Roast for
15 Minutes Checking for even cooking. Rotate Pans and Roast for
15-25 more minutes until they look like the photo. A few darker
parts are good as they lend to the character of the Salsa. Cool
before step 2.
Step 2.
Blend thoroughly in batches to your preferred consistency
and put your batches is a stainless steel bowl.
Step 3.
Add remaining ingredients to your batch and stir in
thoroughly with a wire whip. Be sure to check the salt level after
waiting 3 minutes before adding more, as it takes time for the salt
to dissolve completely.
***2 for Mild – 3 for Medium – 4 for Medium-Hot – 5+ to impress your friends
I should note that I made this for New Years Day and I was anxious to get started, so I went shopping before I heard from him with the recipe. I was guessing the ingredients, so I didn’t have the chipotle peppers on hand. Instead I roasted a jalapeno and and it into the mix for heat.
He also gave me the recipe for his black bean chili and queso…but that share is for another day. Instead, I’ll show you the end result. Topped our chips with loads of salsa, sour cream, queso, olives, black bean chili and a little tri-tip. I’m getting hungry thinking about it!
Go try this salsa…and don’t be intimidated by the roasting. It was soooo easy and the flavors are spot on.
Oh and yeah, we use paper plates. That’s how we roll when we’re feelin’ lazy!