Roasted Salsa Ranchera Adds Depth of Flavor

Roasted Salsa Ranchera Adds Depth of Flavor

Salsa ranchera is truly a cornerstone of Mexican gastronomy. This roasted salsa ranchera version has an earthy, smoky taste that makes it perfect for spring cookouts, accompanying roasted vegetables, meats and fish. There are also boiled and fried versions, and of course, the original fresh salsa ranchera.

Roasting vegetables for roasted salsa ranchera
Roasting vegetables for roasted salsa ranchera

There is no substitute for the unique taste of salsa ranchera. When I taste it I am instantly and completely transported to my childhood home and family. The combination of flavors is really that distinctive and powerful.

Roasted Salsa Ranchera

Ingredients
2 Roma tomatoes
1 Chile Serrano
1-1/2 ounces peeled and quartered white onion (about 1/8 cup by volume)
1 small garlic clove, unpeeled
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
1.  Place a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chile, tomatoes, onion and unpeeled garlic and cook until they are cooked and soft. They will develop charred black spots.

2. When the ingredients are cooked and charred, first place the chile, onion, garlic and salt in a molcajete or other mortar and mash them into a paste. Then add the tomatoes and mash them, combining them thoroughly with the other inghredients.  You can also do this in a blender, but just be careful not to over process.  The salsa should have small bits of the charred ingredients for texture. Adjust the salt.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

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2 thoughts on “Roasted Salsa Ranchera Adds Depth of Flavor”

  • I am so excited to see your movies this week at the Sonoma Intl Film Festival! The recipe for salsa ranchera makes me think of how good the Huevos Rancheros are in Texas. My husband is from San Marcos with family in Austin, so we often go to Joe’s Coffee Shop when we are in Texas. Even living in San Francisco’s Mission District, I really have never found Huevos Rancheros that are as good as what we have eaten in numerous places in Texas. Is this the sauce you would use? Even being a chef and knowing that is is a fairly simple dish, I have a mental block when it comes to making that dish. Maybe because I associate it so much with good meals with family in long established places like Joe’s.

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