A Tale of Two Salsas

Appropriate to Cinco de Mayo, I'd like to mention an experiment I tried recently comparing tomatillos to tomatoes in identical salsa preparations. Both had pan roasted ingredients that were the same except for the main ingredient and both were cutting board salsas.

Pan Roasted Tomatillo or Tomato Salsa

4 or so  tomatoes or 8 or so tomatillos, husked
1 onion, skinned
2 or 3 garlic cloves
1 or 2 jalapeño or Serrano peppers
a handful of cilantro, chopped
the juice of 3 key limes
salt to taste

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the tomatoes or tomatillos, onion, garlic and peppers.

Your looking to get some dark, caramelized patches for some roasty flavor.When charred to your liking, remove to a bowl.

When cool enough to handle, chop the tomatoes or tomatillos, the onion, skin and mince the garlic and stem and mince the peppers. Toss into a large bowl.

Add the cilantro, lime juice and salt. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Could it use more sour? Hot? Salt?

This salsa is best served freshly made, it really doesn't keep well. It does benefit from a 15 minute rest for the flavors to meld.

Tomato

Tomatillo

They were both different but equally good. The tomatillo one was brighter and the tomato one was a little more muted but more familiar. In the end I mixed the two together which was also great.

Shrimp13