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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 13, 2010 0:07:50 GMT
There's a query in On the Menu about what to do with these interesting relatives of the cape gooseberry. These are not green tomatoes, although one of the common names would suggest that, but a different plant altogether. Here is the most basic thing first, the classic sauce. Use this as a guide, adjusting it to your own tastes Salsa Cruda de Tomatillos (raw tomatillo sauce) @ 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and washed a couple of serrano chiles or jalapeño, or similar green chile a small clove of garlic, peeled &/or 1/4 small onion fresh cilantro to taste salt Grind or blenderize the ingredients, adding salt to taste & perhaps a little water to thin the sauce. Some people add a pinch of sugar, but I don't care for that. You can mash some avocado into this if you wish. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 13, 2010 0:12:57 GMT
There is a cooked version of the above.
Use the same proportions, but boil, roast or broil the tomatillos first. For a real Mexican touch, toast the garlic &/or onion on a dry griddle as well.
There is a version served with the ubiquitous tacos de cabeza on the Brownsville/McAllen part of the Texas border that boils all the ingredients, including the cilantro, together, then blenderizes them. It's not as pretty, but it tastes good.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 13, 2010 0:27:33 GMT
Now for a recipe that will use up lots of tomatillos and may well become a family favorite. I've often felt there should be a statue somewhere in Mexico for the woman who created the first chilaquiles. It's homey and very flavorful, plus uses a commodity that's inevitable in a Mexican home -- leftover tortillas. You'll see recipes that say to use commercial tortilla chips for this, but that's all wrong. The under-frying of the slightly stale tortilla gives it just the right texture to absorb the sauce. Really, the tortilla is sort of a fake meat in this dish. That said, it's delicious with cooked poultry added in. Because of the absorption factor, be sure to make enough sauce. Double the amount of sauce in this recipe!  <-- click pic for recipe |
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Post by Don Cuevas on Jul 13, 2010 11:58:53 GMT
There is a cooked version of the above. Use the same proportions, but boil, roast or broil the tomatillos first. For a real Mexican touch, toast the garlic &/or onion on a dry griddle as well. There is a version served with the ubiquitous tacos de cabeza on the Brownsville/McAllen part of the Texas border that boils all the ingredients, including the cilantro, together, then blenderizes them. It's not as pretty, but it tastes good. I almost always cook the tomatillos for sauces. Sometimes roasted, along with chunks on onion and garlic and some Poblano chiles, but it's a whole lot easier to poach them. The thing to watch for as the tomatillos simmer is to STOP before they turn soft and olive drab. I always add cilantro after everything else is cooked. I don't cook the cilantro. For that reason I make sure that it's throughly cleaned and disinfected, then blotted dry. I remove and discard the larger stems. I've had Pork in Salsa Verde, but don't actually have a recipe. It's one of those dishes I'd rather eat at a street or market stall for about $30 MXN than to make myself. A botanist/horticulturist amigo swears that the tiny "miltomates" are superior in flavor to the grandes. But then, he never has had to peel the little things, one after another after another. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 13, 2010 19:04:15 GMT
I agree with your botanist friend! The best I ever had were some volunteers that came up from compost in my garden. They'd reverted to the small, purple type and if allowed to become mature were so sweet they could be eaten as a fruit.
Oaxacan Salsa de Tomatillo con Gusano
2 lbs/ 1 kilo fresh tomatillos
3 dried chiles pasilla de Oaxaca*
4 garlic cloves
gusanitos de maguey, to taste, up to a dozen (optional)**
1/4 cup cilantro or to taste
-- Cook tomatillos in salted, boiling water for @4 minutes (their color won't matter in this sauce).
-- Meanwhile, toast the garlic on a dry griddle, along with the chiles*. Remove peel after garlic is toasted.
-- Crush the gusanos** & top them with a little water from the tomatillo pot so they can soften.
-- Blenderize drained tomatillos & all the other ingredients, with salt to taste
-- Serve at room temperature.
* Pasilla de Oaxaca is different from the chile pasilla of the rest of Mexico. It's one of the smoke-dried chiles. Substitute a couple of anchos and a couple of dry chipotles, or only chipotles. You can also use chipotle in adobo.
To toast the chiles: put them whole on the hot griddle for a few seconds on each side. As soon as they're flexible, slit them on one side, open them out, then flick out the seeds. Place the opened chile back on the griddle to toast the inside.
** If you can't get the gusanos, leave them out or use sal de gusano, remembering that it will have some chile in it. If you have a friend who drinks mescal or a friendly bartender, get them to give you the worm out of a mescal bottle. It should still have plenty of flavor & you don't really need as many as called for in the recipe.
This is hands down one of my favorite salsas. It's a beautiful deep brick color and goes with everything.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 14, 2010 3:01:17 GMT
Here is a Oaxacan recipe with some European roots. You can see that there is room to flex here and make this recipe your own. Try it with chicken instead of pork, or with tongue. Estofado Verde1 cup sesame seeds 2 pounds tomatillos 2 medium onions, very thickly sliced 6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled 6 8-oz. center loin pork chops, w/ribs (or substitute other cuts if you prefer) salt & pepper for the pork a piece of canela (cinnamon bark) @ 1 1/2" long (or use a bare drift of ground cinnamon) 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves a couple of sprigs of thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried ditto oregano, or 1/4 teaspoon dried 3 tablespoons of capers 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives 1/2 cup blanched almonds Toast the sesame seeds. Have a lid handy, as they'll pop like corn. Set aside. Griddle roast or boil the tomatillos. Roast the onion slices and the unpeeled garlic on a dry griddle. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic. Set all of the above aside. Salt and pepper the pork chops and brown them in a little oil in a dutch oven. Remove them as they brown and set aside. Put the first group of ingredients into a blender jar along with the sesame seeds, canela, pepper, cloves, thyme, & oregano. (may have to do in batches) Puree. Head the dutch oven with the oil remaining in it on medium high, then add the puree and bring it to a boil. Stir in the capers, olives & almonds, then put in the pork chops and reduce the heat t low. Cook covered until meat is done. (and here is another version, which should make everyone relaxed about innovating) |
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Post by Don Cuevas on Jul 14, 2010 9:03:58 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 14, 2010 18:16:59 GMT
I think we only get the red ones here. Mention was made elsewhere about freezing tomatillos. Since in many dishes using them, they're cooked to the point they don't have a fresh color and are meant to fall apart anyway, I'd say cook & freeze some. I found several references online to simply peeling and washing the tomatillos, then putting them into a zip-lock bag in the freezer until ready to use. Just think how much easier that would be to dump into the compost heap next year, when you have another bumper crop of the things! Better yet, figure out which of the salsas you like and could make as your signature salsa. Experiment with the gusano one (w/or w/out the gusanos), as its color is so lovely and it's so versatile. Then try canning or freezing it. It would make a great gift. I'm thinking the tomatillo would lend itself to jam making, as it is rather acid. Also, since tomatillos and figs are abundant at the same time, I can see some happy combination of the two. And chutney -- wouldn't it make a wonderful chutney?! These links might serve as guidelines ~~ www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2007/10/03/preserving-the-beauty-of-tomatillos-for-winter/www.gourmetsleuth.com/Recipes/Jams-Jellies-Preserves-253/Tomatillo-Jam-504.aspx |
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Post by Don Cuevas on Jul 14, 2010 19:25:46 GMT
I once had a "ratatouille" which contained barely cooked tomatillos as well as baby eggplants, etc.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Jul 14, 2010 19:28:06 GMT
Aside...this is the only website into which i can get during the "impossibly narrow band with" times of day. Sometimes, I can even send a reply.
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