When I think of Salsa Verde, it’s usually the herb-forward version, featuring parsley and olive oil, that appears in many variations during summers at our house. Mexican Salsa Verde, on the other hand, features Tomatillos, making it much more of a “salsa”, compared to the herb based Salsa Verde. This particular version gets an extra boost of flavour, thanks to drippings from the Pork Carnitas, which lends flavours of orange, cinnamon, and bay leaf. If you don’t have Carnita drippings, you can just use water in its place.
- 6 medium tomatillos (about 1.5 pounds) or equivalent orange/yellow or slightly unripe green tomato
- ½ white onion (halved)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 chopped jalapenos (stem removed)
- 1 cup pork carnita drippings (juice separate from fat & oil)
- Add pork drippings into sauce pan (if you don't have that much pork drippings, supplement with water).
- Add rest of ingredients to sauce pan, and bring to a boil, cooking until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Puree salsa with immersion blender.
- If the salsa verde is too watery, keep boiling until it has reduced to your desired consistency.
- Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.
Typically, Mexican Salsa Verde is green, thanks to the Tomatillos, since I couldn’t get my hands on any, I used some orange tomatoes which I had on hand, giving this particular version a beautiful orange hue!
Cheers,
Bob
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How to Render Pork Lard (for tortillas)
