Just a quick post to follow up the Carnitas recipe.

I love this spicy Roja sauce on pretty much any and all Latino food. It is very easy to make and makes about two cups so you can keep it in the fridge and have it available for all your spicy food needs. Most of this is written out in the recipe. A few quick notes. I like to roast my veggies in the oven but a skillet works as well. I am just lazy and like the oven to do the heavy lifting. Also please do not be like me and think “I’ll be fine I don’t need gloves, I’ll just wash my hands and remember not to touch my face.” The last time I made this I made that fatal decision and then like an idiot got in my car to take a short road trip. As I am driving across one of our many very long, very high bridges snuggled up real close to a semi-truck. When I decided to rub my eyes. Oh, the pain! It was like my eye had burst into flames. My poor children were wondering why the hell is Mommy balling and use a stream of profanities only reserved for being stuck in traffic in the vortex that is the Target/Whole Foods part of town. So learn from mistakes, put on gloves, you will thank me later. 

Recipe

Ingredients

20 dry arbol peppers

8 dry guajillo pepper

2 roma tomatoes 

2 medium sized tomatillos

4 garlic cloves unpeeled

1/3 of a medium white onion 

Juice of 1/2 lime

3/4 teaspoon of Cumin

Salt to taste

1.  Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers to the hot griddle and slightly roast them, make sure to keep an eye they toast up very fast and you do not want to burn them. As the peppers start to change color, remove them to a small saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water to cover; bring to a boil, cover and turn off heat. Allow steeping for 25 minutes. Once done remove and set aside to cool. Reserve the steeping liquid for later.

2. Place tomatoes, onion, tomatillos, and garlic on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven or heat a skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, arrange the tomatoes, onion, tomatillos, and garlic to roast on the skillet.

3. Roast the ingredients until they start showing some blistering and look slightly softened, turning them occasionally to make sure they roast evenly. The garlic cooks in a few minutes and you will need to remove it and set aside. The roasting process will take about 8 minutes. If your tomatoes or tomatillos don’t look to softened, wrap them in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes, this will help them to finish cooking.

4. Once cooled peel your garlic, after putting on GLOVES!!! remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and tear into chunks. (reserve some seeds if you would like a spicier sauce.)

5. Once all the ingredients are done place tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, onion, peppers, lime juice and cumin and a pinch of salt. In the blender, process them until you have a fine texture.

6. If your salsa is too thick add a little of the reserved steeping liquid till you get the consistency you desire. 

* Remember the sauces are spicier when warm so you may want to put them in the fridge to cool before tasting

*Arbol peppers are spicier than other dry peppers. If you prefer less heat in your salsa remove some of the peppers or switch up with different kinds and different amounts.

**** Please, Please REMEMBER TO WEAR GLOVES!