Salsa is a typical Mexican condiment that cannot be missing on our table. For each menu and for each dish that will accompany it, you can create a sauce with different ingredients and flavors. The base is usually composed of tomatoes, various types of vegetables and sometimes even different combinations of fruits. There are so many preparations, some are raw, while others are cooked for several hours, as well as the presentations, some sauces are in fact smooth and well blended, others are cut with a knife into more or less large pieces. Almost all Mexican sauces in addition to being good and healthy will not affect your diet, one more reason to continue reading the article. According to your tastes, choose to create a very spicy sauce or one that is only slightly pungent. Let's see together the best known preparations, Mexico here we come!
Ingrediants
Pico de Gallo sauce
- 3-6 Serrano Chillies
- 1 large white onion (use spring onion, scallion or a red onion if you prefer)
- 2 Lime (juice and peel cut into thin strips)
- 8 Ripe and firm tomatoes
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
- salt
Jalapeño and Lime sauce
- 1 white onion
- 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 3 Tomatoes
- 1 Large red jalapeño pepper
- A small amount of chilli (if you love spicy, there is plenty of it)
- The juice of 2 limes
- 1/2 tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tablespoon of pepper
Chipotle sauce
- 400 g of ripe tomatoes for sauce
- 3-5 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (coarsely chopped)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1-2 Teaspoons of Chipotle pepper
- 1 / 2-1 Teaspoon of sugar
- Lime juice to taste
- salt
- A pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
- A pinch of Jamaican pepper (optional)
- A pinch of cumin (optional)
Tropical fruit sauce
- 1/2 sweet pineapple, peeled and diced
- 1 Peeled mango or papaya, seeded and diced
- 1 / 2-1 Fresh Jalapeño or Serrano chilli, chopped
- 1/2 chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- The juice of 1 lime
- 3 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh mint
- salt
Green sauce
- 1/2 cup of parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup of basil leaves
- 1/2 cup of mint leaves
- 1/4 cup of chervil leaves
- 1/8 cup of tarragon leaves
- 3 Rinsed pickled gherkins
- 1 Spoon of small capers
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1 Spring onion or finely chopped shallot
- 125 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon of whole mustard (with seeds)
- 1/2 Lemon (juice and grated peel)
Spicy Mexican Sauce
- 3 Chipotle peppers
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 can of peeled tomatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of clove powder
- 1 generous pinch of cumin powder
- 1/2 Lemon (juice only)
- 1 Spoon of extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon peel for garnish.
Steps
Method 1 of 8: Prepare fresh chillies for the sauce
Step 1. Peel the peppers
If you use fresh chillies for your sauce you need to know how to remove the skin, there are two ways to do it: with the heat in the pan or directly over the flame of a stove. In both cases, be very careful, the vapors that are generated are very irritating to both the eyes and the lungs.
Step 2. Peel the chillies with the flame of the gas stove:
- Arrange the peppers on a metal skewer.
- Turn on the stove and roast the chillies on the flame.
- When the peel begins to darken, and bubbles appear on the surface, they are ready. Be very careful not to burn them.
Step 3. You can peel the chillies after putting them on the fire in a hot cast iron skillet with no added fat
They will be ready when the skin looks dark and peels off the chili.
Step 4. In both cases, as soon as the chillies are ready, quickly put them in a plastic bag for food use
Close it airtight and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
Step 5. After 20 minutes remove the peppers from the bag, now the skin can be removed easily
- The capsaicin (the substance responsible for the spiciness of peppers) contained in hot peppers can irritate your skin and your eyes in a few moments, be careful. Never touch sensitive parts of your body with your fingers after cleaning, or even just touching, chillies!
- Wash your hands with soap and cold water as soon as you have finished making the peppers, or wear food-grade gloves.
Step 6. With the help of a knife cut the peppers in two and remove the seeds
Step 7. Cut them into small cubes and place them in a bowl
Method 2 of 8: Pico de Gallo sauce
Let's start with one of the most famous sauces, Pico de Gallo, excellent for appreciating the freshness and authenticity of the ingredients. Preparing it is quick and easy, let's see how to do it:
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients and cooking utensils you will need for the preparation of this sauce
Step 2. Choose the degree of spiciness, according to your and your guests' tastes, use 3, 4, 5 or all 6 chillies
Step 3. Prepare the onion
Finely chop the onion and season with the lime juice and the strips obtained with the peel. This step will marinate the onion lightly causing it to lose some of its natural aggressiveness.
Step 4. Remove the skin from the tomatoes
- With a knife, make a small X on the tip of each tomato.
- Immerse them in a large bowl of boiling water for about 30 seconds.
- Remove them from the boiling water and dip them in cold water, or in water and ice (to stop cooking).
- Removing the skin will now be quick and easy.
Step 5. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes
Pour them into the container where you will serve the sauce.
Step 6. Add the onion, lime juice and thinly sliced peel
Step 7. Finely chop the cilantro
Add it to the rest of the ingredients.
Step 8. It's time to add the chillies and sugar
Step 9. Gently mix all the ingredients until the sugar is well dissolved, make sure the lime has seasoned all the ingredients
Step 10. Cover the sauce container with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours
All the flavors will mix properly.
Step 11. Before serving, decorate the sauce with finely chopped lime zest
Pico de Gallo is perfect both to accompany tortillas and nachos and to be eaten with toast just like a bruschetta.
Method 3 of 8: Jalapeño and Lime Sauce
The preparation of this sauce is really simple, combine all the ingredients and that's it.
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients and cooking utensils you will need for the preparation of this sauce
Step 2. Prepare the jalapeño pepper as explained in the first step and chop the peppers
If you want, you can make a non-spicy sauce by replacing the chillies and jalapeño with simple sweet peppers. On the contrary, if you want to increase the spiciness, increase the number of chillies, if you want to add a habanero (variety of chilli pepper more spicy than jalapeño)
Step 3. Cut the tomatoes
Remove the watery part and the seeds and cut the pulp into cubes. Once ready, pour them into the sauce container.
Step 4. Finely chop the onion
Step 5. Chop the fresh cilantro
Step 6. Mix all the ingredients together
Step 7. Season with the minced garlic, salt, pepper and give another nice stir
Step 8. Pour in the lime juice and mix a little more to season evenly
Step 9. The sauce is ready to serve
As for the previous recipe, if you want, let the sauce marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, if you don't like waiting, use it to season your tortillas, to prepare an unforgettable bruschetta or to dress your salad.
Method 4 of 8: Chipotle sauce
This sauce with the help of a blender is very quick to prepare.
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients and cooking utensils you will need for the preparation of this sauce
Step 2. Put the tomatoes, garlic and cilantro in the blender
Step 3. Blend until smooth and thick sauce
Add the finely chopped onion, sugar and chipotle pepper.
Step 4. Season with lime juice and salt, taste so as not to overdo the quantities
Add optional ingredients, if you like: cinnamon, Jamaican pepper, and cumin.
Step 5. The sauce is ready
This preparation does not need to rest in the refrigerator, you can eat it immediately, or rather don't wait, the fresher it is, the tastier it is!
Method 5 of 8: Tropical fruit sauce
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients and cooking utensils you will need for the preparation of this sauce
Step 2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients
If you want room to your taste.
Step 3. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge, let it cool until it's time to serve it
Step 4. With the indicated quantity of ingredients you will prepare enough sauce for 4-6 people, use it to season those dishes that need a spicy and sweet and sour touch
Method 6 of 8: Salsa verde
Being a sauce based on fresh herbs it is perfect for all those cooked dishes that need a dressing.
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients and cooking utensils you will need for the preparation of this sauce
Step 2. Finely chop the parsley, basil, mint, chervil and tarragon
Step 3. Coarsely chop the capers and gherkins
If you find a very small variety of capers it may not be necessary to chop them, you decide.
Step 4. Put all the ingredients in the sauce bowl
Step 5. Add the chives, spring onion (or shallot), oil, mustard and grated lemon peel
Mix well, but gently.
Step 6. Drizzle with lemon juice, mix and taste
Step 7. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, the ingredients will blend and the sauce will take on flavor
Step 8. The sauce is ready, use it to season boiled or grilled meats, and with fish
Method 7 of 8: Spicy Mexican Salsa
This sauce is delicious and is perfect for storing in the freezer if you want to make large quantities and keep it for a long time.
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients and cooking utensils you will need for the preparation of this sauce
Step 2. Prepare the peppers as explained in the first step
Step 3. Put the onion, tomatoes and sugar in a saucepan
Cook over medium heat while continuing to stir until the sauce has thickened.
Step 4. Turn off the heat and add the garlic, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, oil, lemon juice and chillies
Taste and correct if necessary, let it cool.
Step 5. Once the sauce is cold, decorate it with a few strips of lemon peel
Method 8 of 8: More Sauces to Try
Step 1. There are tons of sauce recipes to discover
Here are some suggestions:
- Corn sauce
- Toasted corn sauce
- Cabbage sauce
- Black bean sauce
- Banana sauce
- Watermelon sauce
- Strawberry sauce
- Salsa with coconut, kiwi, mango and crunchy cinnamon biscuits
- Salsa with pawpaw and mango.
Advice
- If you want you can blend all the sauces to make them smoother and more airy.
- As often happens, the flavor of sauces is better the day after preparation, the ingredients in fact have had time to get to know each other and marry their flavors to perfection.
- When using very hot peppers such as habanero always use gloves for food use, you will avoid annoying hand irritations.
Warnings
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and cold water after handling hot peppers. The substances contained are very irritating, especially for the most sensitive parts of the body.
- Always use extreme caution when handling a knife.
