Some Like It Hot

SOME LIKE IT HOT

By Sidney Carlisle

Photography by Michael Haskins

Salsa evolves into upscale condiment.

Most of us learned to eat salsa at Mexican restaurants, using crisp tortilla chips to scoop up gallons of the spicy mixture. While few will argue that chips, salsa, and a margarita comprise the perfect three-course meal, salsa has evolved into an upscale condiment appropriate for any menu. A Spanish word meaning sauce, salsa is used to describe both freshly chopped vegetable mixtures and a wide variety of cooked sauces having a smoother texture.

Only imagination and the availability of ingredients limit salsa recipes. Tomatoes and onions remain staples, but vegetables such as black beans and jicama add another level of taste and texture to contemporary salsas. Vegetable salsas, by no means bland tasting on their own, acquire an entirely different flavor when enriched with fruit. The juice of lemons, limes, and oranges frequently is added to salsa, while fruits such as mangoes and pineapples remain chunky. Almost any fruit, from apple to watermelon, can be used and, with careful planning, the crisp vegetables and tangy fruits pair wonderfully with zesty chilies.

Chilies provide both flavor and heat in salsa. Their bite can be pleasantly warm (the familiar jalapeño pepper) or blistering (the evil little habanero pepper). Serious experimentation, accompanied by an icy beverage or a cold, wet rag, will develop a personal tolerance. Novices should start with jalapeño or serrano chilies, gradually increasing the number of chilies used. In the event of a disaster, milk is supposed to quench an unbearable fire faster than beer, water, or tequila, but the concept interests hardly anyone.

Although the selection of fresh and dried chilies keeps improving in major grocery stores, a Latin American market may provide the best quality and the widest variety. Canned and jarred chilies are another option that shouldn’t be overlooked. Not only are they convenient but they provide access to chilies that are unavailable in some areas. One of salsa’s strong points is that it may be prepared from fresh items or may include some portion of cooked, canned, or jarred ingredients. Substitutions are easy and if a fresh item isn’t available, a processed ingredient usually will work. The taste may change slightly but accidental improvements do happen. Top-quality canned tomatoes may be a better choice in the off-season, for instance, and substituting canned chipotles (smoked jalapeños) for fresh jalapeños will give salsa a different flavor.

Salsa provides a great opportunity to be creative at home since most recipes are fairly easy. The preparation requires a sharp knife or a food processor and little else. A few minutes work can produce a quick appetizer or the snappy flavor needed to enhance a plain entrée. In addition, hundreds of distributors sell jarred and bottled salsas. A little research should yield two or three favorites worthy of a spot on your pantry shelf.

Choosing a favorite from the recipes that follow may be more difficult. Not only do the selections include specialties from Associate Club chefs, but a few club members also were persuaded to share their top-secret salsas. The heat levels vary widely and although the chili can be increased or decreased to accommodate your personal taste, watch out for the Texas recipes. Those folks like their salsa hot.

Food writer Sidney Carlisle admits she’s a chili lightweight. There are no habaneros in her kitchen.

SALSA TIPS
1. Roasting tomatoes and chilies will significantly alter their flavor, an option recommended in many salsa recipes.

2. Onions can acquire a bitter taste in leftover salsa. Some chefs recommend rinsing the chopped onions before adding them to a recipe.

3. To extend the refrigerator shelf life of a large batch of salsa, add cilantro only to the portion that will be consumed immediately. Add cilantro to the remaining salsa about an hour before serving.

4. Jalapeño and serrano chilies are interchangeable in almost any recipe. Just remember that the serrano chilies are usually hotter.

5. Use garlic sparingly in most salsa recipes since it can easily overpower the other ingredients.

6. Chili substitutions may boost the heat level from bearable to tear-inducing. To be safe, add the minimum amount and taste the salsa after the flavors have had a chance to blend.

7. When working with fresh chilies, either wear rubber gloves or be especially careful about hand washing. Keep hands away from eyes and sensitive skin areas.

8. Chopped fresh cilantro will perk up jarred salsa and give it a freshly prepared taste.

FRESH VERSUS JARRED: ASK AN EXPERT
Opinions differ on salsa, prompting heated discussions of fresh recipes versus bottled brands. Fresh-ingredient fans argue that bottled or jarred salsa has a sameness about its taste, varied mainly by the fierceness of its bite.

We asked salsa and hot sauce collector Conrad Austin of Newport News, Virginia, for a comment. As the proprietor of an online salsa retail store, he’s sampled plenty of salsa. He admits that freshly prepared salsa has a clean, crisp taste. However, he says, “Some jarred salsas can’t be beat. It’s because the fresh ingredients are too hard to find and it’s impossible to reproduce the flavors of others.

“The taste of roasted peppers,” he continues, “is so dependent on the quality of the pepper used, that it’s not always worth the time to fool with them, depending on where you live.”

Austin ships a wide variety of salsa and hot sauce all over the world. To browse for specialty items not available locally or to send a scorching gift to a friend, click on his Web site at www.blazing-bites.com.

SERIOUS SALSA
Although salsa is a popular item at Associate Clubs in the United States, the salsa operation at the affiliate Tower Club in McAllen, Texas, is serious business. Salsa is served at lunch once a week on every table in every dining room. Not jarred or canned, of course, but sous chef Danny Ordaz’s special salsa, prepared fresh for the occasion. Plain restaurant chips have no place in this scheme either. The chef buys corn tortillas (about 100 dozen a week) from a local tortilla factory. Then the tortillas are hand-cut in the Tower Club kitchen, deep-fried, and served alongside the bowls of salsa.

TEXAS GARDEN FRESH SALSA
The secret to this salsa is the Texas 1015 yellow sweet onion. If they’re unavailable, use Vidalia or another sweet onion variety, advises Debra Reese, a member of Barton Creek in Austin, Texas.

3 cups vine-ripened red cherry tomatoes
3 cups slightly green cherry tomatoes
4 cups small firm yellow pear tomatoes
1⁄2 cup chopped Texas 1015 yellow sweet onion
8 fresh serrano chilies, each about 11⁄2 inches long, chopped
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Using a food processor with a metal blade, process 2 cups of tomatoes at a time until all are minced very fine. Discard the juice and place the pulp in a mixing bowl. Process the onion and the serrano chilies until finely minced and add to the tomato pulp. Add the salt, black pepper, and seasoned pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. The salsa may be refrigerated, tightly covered, but is best served at room temperature.

Note: The salsa is fairly hot. To lighten the heat, use fewer serrano chilies or remove the seeds before chopping.

TROPICAL SALSA
Executive chef Darryl Longo of Atlanta’s Buckhead Club serves this flavor-packed salsa with grilled sea bass or tuna.

1 cup 1⁄4-inch diced, peeled, cored pineapple
3⁄4 cup 1⁄4-inch diced, peeled, pitted mango
2⁄3 cup 1⁄4-inch diced red bell pepper
1⁄2 cup 1⁄4-inch diced, seeded tomato
1⁄3 cup 1⁄4-inch diced, seeded English (hothouse) cucumber
1⁄3 cup 1⁄4-inch diced, red onion
3 tablespoons minced
fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced
fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced, seeded fresh jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
salt

Combine all the ingredients in a glass bowl, tossing to blend. Season to taste with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and chill to blend flavors, stirring occasionally, at least one hour or up to 4 hours.

RED PEPPER SALSA
Tom Lunsford, a member of the Capital City Club in Raleigh, North Carolina, uses a combination of fresh and processed ingredients in this easy, but spicy salsa.

1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) plain stewed tomatoes
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon fajita seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place the red pepper in a blender and pulse for a few seconds. Add the stewed tomatoes and their juice, tomatoes and green chilies, jalapeño peppers, fajita seasoning, and salt, processing briefly until blended but still chunky. Stir in the cilantro. Cover and let rest at least one hour to blend flavors. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. The salsa will keep in the refrigerator about a week, but do not add the cilantro until ready to serve.

Note: If fajita seasoning is unavailable locally, it may be ordered from Penzeys Spices at www.penzeys.com.

MANGO-PAPAYA SALSA
A favorite recipe from executive chef Michelle Brown of Beckett Ridge Country Club in West Chester, Ohio, this salsa is frequently served with swordfish or tuna.

3 fresh mangoes
3 fresh papayas
1 cup diced red onion
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1⁄4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin (see note)
1 jalapeño chili, finely minced
salt and pepper

Peel each mango and use a sharp knife to remove the fruit from around the seed. Dice the fruit and place it in a mixing bowl. Peel each papaya and discard the skin and the seeds. Dice the papaya and add to the mango. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomato, and cilantro, tossing to mix the ingredients. Add the orange juice and cumin. Add the jalapeño gradually, tasting until the salsa reaches the desired level of heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand 1 hour to blend flavors.

Note: Cumin, or comino, is ground from the seed of a parsley-like plant. It is available at Middle Eastern or Latin American markets or may be ordered from Penzeys Spices at www.penzeys.com.

PEACH POBLANO SALSA
This salsa recipe is a favorite of sous chef Danny Ordaz of the affiliate Tower Club in McAllen, Texas.

1 can (29 ounces) peach halves in syrup
1 fresh poblano chili, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1⁄4 cup sugar
1 cup chicken stock or broth
salt and pepper

Measure 1⁄2 cup of the peach syrup and discard it. Combine the peach halves and remaining syrup, poblano chili, cilantro, garlic, sugar, and chicken stock in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the pepper has softened, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture in a blender and process until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SALSA SERRANO
A recipe shared by Suzanne Armstrong, a member of Walnut Creek Country Club near Dallas, this salsa is the perfect accompaniment to fajitas or any grilled beef entrée.

4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup chopped white onion
2 serrano chilies, seeded and finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1⁄2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the tomatoes, onion, and serrano chilies in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the lime juice and salt and stir to blend. Add the cilantro. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary.

GOLDEN PINEAPPLE SALSA
This colorful, cooked salsa is a specialty item on the buffet table at Beckett Ridge Country Club in West Chester, Ohio. Executive chef Michelle Brown serves it with sliced Virginia or honey ham.

2 golden pineapples (see note)
1 cup diced red onion
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1⁄4 cup pineapple juice
salt and pepper

Remove the skin and core from the pineapples and discard. Cut the fruit into small chunks. Combine the pineapple, red onion, bell pepper, and cilantro in a saucepan. Drizzle with the pineapple juice and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the ingredients over low heat until the vegetables have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon the warm salsa over sliced ham.

Note: Golden pineapple is another name for the familiar Hawaiian-grown Cayenne pineapple. Some markets offer pineapple in containers with the skin and core already removed.