This is one of my favorite sauces—it’s simple, but often poorly executed. When it’s done right—the tomatoes and serranos blackened, the onion and garlic sautéed, the sauce gently fried with some cilantro and roasted poblanos—it’s a rustic, vivid, soulful sauce that goes great with eggs, chicken, pork, tamales, and seafood.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cut the prepared poblano chiles into 1/4-inch-thick strips (rajas); set aside. Chop together the blackened tomatoes and serranos and set aside. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over low heat and sauté the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes (add up to 1/4 cup water, if necessary, to provide moisture and prevent browning). Add the chopped tomatoes and serranos, two-thirds of the poblanos (reserve one-third of the strips to add at the end), the cilantro, and the salt to the pan. Cover and cook over low heat until the flavors have married and the ingredients have lost their raw taste, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the cilantro and stir in the reserved poblano strips.
Step 2
Serve immediately, or hold at room temperature for up to 2 hours. It can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, refrigerated, and gently warmed before serving (don’t overcook).
