1Preheat a broiler to high and place tomatillos and tomatoes inside until they are black and tender.
2De-seed and de-stem the guajillo chiles and arbol chiles, then tear them further for easier toasting.
3Place the prepared chiles on a kumal and begin toasting them.
4While chiles are toasting, warm up a pot of water for rehydrating the guajillos.
5Cut half an onion into large chunks and peel the garlic cloves, keeping them whole.
6Add the onion and garlic to the kumal with the chiles and continue toasting.
7Once the chiles are toasted and warm to the touch, remove them from the kumal and place them in a bowl.
8Pour just enough warm water over the toasted chiles to cover them, then place a smaller bowl with extra weight on top to keep them submerged and hydrating.
9Remove the tomatillos and tomatoes from the broiler once tender and lightly colored.
10Remove the garlic from the kumal and peel it.
11Add the hydrated chiles (including their soaking water if not bitter), roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and peeled garlic to a blender.
12Add salt, chicken bouillon, and MSG (optional) to the blender.
13Blend all ingredients until smooth and well combined.
14Taste the salsa and adjust seasonings as needed, remembering that flavor perception changes with temperature.
Ingredients
675 g tomatillos, whole
540 g Roma tomatoes, whole
85 g white onion, large chunks
32 g garlic, whole and still in its paper
20 g guajillo chile, seeded and stemmed
12 g arbol chile, stemmed
8 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3 g knorr chicken bouillion
1 g msg (optional)
Equipment
broilerkumalpotbowlblenderfood recycler
Tips
Use good tomatoes, especially this time of year.
For guajillo and arbol chiles, remove seeds and stems, then toast and rehydrate in warm water for better texture and to avoid chili flakes in the salsa.
When roasting garlic on a kumal, keep the skin on as protection.
Don't be scared when cooking; approach it with swagger and bravado.
Taste perception changes with temperature, so taste the salsa again once it cools down.
Salsa is a seasoning; treat it as such, ensuring it's bright, acidic, and salty.