Serrano Salsa en Molcajete
Serrano Salsa is a classic Texas Mexican table salsa. If you’re from this region, send me an email or comment about how you’ve savored this in your home.
Amá (we did not use the Spanish word, mamá) always had this salsa on the kitchen table. The straight taste of chile Serrano and salt is a beautiful thing. I’ve never seen this table salsa in any Mexican restaurant. If you haven’t obtained a molcajete yet, you can use a spice grinder or a small blender. You can add diced tomato, onion, garlic if you want to make it into a Salsa Ranchera or Salsa Mexicana, but sometimes raw simplicity is best.
To this day Serrano is my favorite chile. The fresh, green taste is prominent, much more so, I think, than in the Jalapeño which is more neutral. We’d take a flour tortilla, spread some pinto beans on it, and then top it with this salsa. That’s all. Why gild the lily?
Recipe/Ratios for Serrano Salsa
Adapted from the book: Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage In Recipes
Ingredients
1 Chile Serrano, sliced
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
Method
Place the ingredients in the molcajete and have fun!
Fiesta supermarket has plenty of molcajetes. As do vendors at the airline market.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a fresh serrano pepper. You’ve just inspired me to track some down–and see if I can grow some next summer.
My grandmother very often made my grandfather fresh salsa–I don’t remember that we called it salsa, though–most days with dinner. She would put in her molcajete whatever she had on hand; maybe a clove of garlic, some tomato, some onion. And always the salt, and the heat. Often it was my job to source the heat. I would run to our patch of chile pequin in the yard and pick a handful of chiles, usually the green ones because the birds would have already gotten the red ones, and then run back, trying to remember not to touch my eyes. 🙂
I am looking at your recipes and missing her, and her kitchen, and that patch of chiles under the huisache tree. Thanks for reminding me of some of the foods my grandmother fixed for me when I was too busy to pay attention to her cooking and measurements (a handful of this, a pinch of that, a sprinkle of magic) because I was too busy eating and enjoying her company and attention. 🙂
When it gets cool again, maybe I’ll pull out the crockpot and try your carne guisada. It won’t be exactly like hers, but it will be delicious, and with the convenience of the crockpot? She’d approve! 🙂
Can’t wait to try it!