New Mexican Salsa Verde
This fragrant, mild, green salsa is a staple—no, the very lifeblood—of New Mexican cooking. I’ve kept it simple, so you can appreciate the flavor of the chiles. This makes a bit more salsa than you can comfortably fit on the burgers.
Recipe Notes
- Advance Prep: None
- Yield: About 1 cup
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic (leave the skins on), skewered on a wooden toothpick or small bamboo skewer
- 1 cup roasted New Mexican green chiles or Anaheim chiles cut into 1/4-inch strips (See Roasting Chilis)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe Steps
1: Preheat the broiler.
2: Broil the garlic cloves until they are lightly browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side (4 to 6 minutes in all).
3: Scrape any really burnt skin off the garlic. Place the garlic, chile strips, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, oregano, and 4 tablespoons of water in a blender and purée until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender with a spatula.
4: Transfer the salsa to a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let simmer until thick and flavorful, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. The salsa should be thick (roughly the consistency of heavy cream) but pourable; add more water as needed. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and salt and pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned.
