# ISO Tomato Salsa recipe. The kind served in a Mexican restaurant



## beerbelly (May 8, 2010)

Ive been searching but having no luck finding an authentic Mexican restaurant salsa recipe, does anyone have a recipe they would be willing to share?

Thanks in advance.


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## Andy M. (May 8, 2010)

There has to be a million salsa recipes on the internet.  How do you know they aren't authentic?

Salsas have some basic ingredients but can differ from restaurant to restaurant.  Are you trying to duplicate a specific restaurant's salsa?


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## BreezyCooking (May 8, 2010)

I agree.  Your question is impossible to answer.  I've eaten in many different Mexican & Tex-Mex places & I've yet to come across the same type of salsa.  Red, green, smooth & thick, smooth & thin, chunky, vinegary, tomatoey, oniony, cilantroey (is that a word? Lol!) - the variations in restaurant salsas, as well as salsas in general, are endless.


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## beerbelly (May 8, 2010)

no im not looking for any specific restaurant, from my experience eating at mexican restaurants from  the southwest and beyond I found that most restaurants do have similar house sauces. Im looking for a recipe for a house salsa used in a mexican restaurant. 

to breezy...

authentic mexican restaurant tomato salsa IS narrowed down to a specific sauce.


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## mcnerd (May 8, 2010)

I totally agree with the prior comments, but here is a link to a few copycat recipes that might be worth looking at.  Most salsa's I come across in restaurants are bought in bulk and all you need to know is the brand name and then see if they have a consumer version.

Copycat Salsa Recipes From Famous Restaurants


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## Kayelle (May 8, 2010)

When I think of salsa I think of Pico De Gallo.....the chunky kind most often served here with a basket of tortilla chips.
This is what I do at home.......



4 tomatoes (or a can of drained chopped tomatoes if fresh ones don't look good.
1/3  medium red onion, chopped finely
1 tablespoon lime  juice
3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1/2  teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon black  pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1  cup chopped cilantro
2 or 3 Tbs. of olive oil
Mix all and let everyone get to know each other for a while.
Is this what you had in mind?


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## Mimizkitchen (May 8, 2010)

My very good friend is from Mexico and when I lived in Jersey him and I use to make his salsa all the time... It's not a restaurant chunky salsa, but it is my all time favorite... I can't really give you exact measurements, cause there really aren't any, it was all depending on how hot he wanted it... Now a days he just makes green salsa, God bless him I can't do it... Any way here is the method.

Good ripe tomatoes
Jalapenos
Onion
Garlic
Cilantro
Salt

What we did was boil the tomatoes (put an X in the bottom) with the jalapenos (I would say roughly 4 to 1, you can adjust the amount of heat you like) boil for about 5 minutes..

Meanwhile peel onion, and garlic and cut onion in large pieces... Roughly chop cilantro...

Peel tomatoes and place in blender with the rest of the ingredients, and whirl away...

Serve with homemade tortilla chips (if you like)

Once you've made this you will be able to determine whether or not you need more or less heat... If you make it let me know what you think...

Happy Salsaing!!!~


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## CharlieD (May 9, 2010)

The last time I went to Mexican restaurant they had fresh pineple and tomato salsa on the table. That was yum.

do you want recipe for it?


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## SierraCook (May 9, 2010)

Here are a couple of recipes that I have in my files to make someday.  Hopefully, they will help. 

*Mexican Table Salsa *

6 Roma tomatoes or 3 large regular tomatoes
1 Medium white onion
3 Jalapeno or serrano chiles (add more or reduce quantity to taste)
1 Garlic clove
1 Cup loosely packed cilantro
2 limes (the smaller Mexican limes are the best)
Salt
Char the tomatoes, onion, garlic and chiles. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove the tops of the tomatoes and chiles.
Put all ingredients in a blender including the cilantro and the juice from two limes. Add salt to taste. Blend until coarsely ground. Do not over blend.  Makes 5 to 6 cups of salsa.


*Red Tomato Salsa*

8 Roma tomatoes or 5 large tomatoes
1 medium onion quartered
5 chiles de arbol
2 cloves of garlic
3 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1. In a large frying pan, char the the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Be sure that the tomatoes blacken on the outside which will add extra flavor to the salsa.

2. After the vegetables are charred, put all of the ingredients except the olive oil in the blender and blend for about one minute – until everything is well blended but not pureed. You want the salsa to have some texture when it’s finished.

3. In the same pan that you charred the vegetables add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. In batches, fry the salsa in the olive oil over medium heat. Frying the salsa is an important step and brings out loads of flavor. Traditionally, you fry the salsa in lard, but I prefer olive oil.

4. Turn the heat to low and simmer the salsa for five minutes which cooks the salsa through, thickens it, and brings all of the flavors together.

5. Remove the salsa from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. The salsa will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Makes 3 1/2 cups


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## mexican mama (May 10, 2010)

Here is what i usually make when i prepare salsa..this one is very easy and very good
2 chiles serranos, or to taste 
1/4 small onion 
1 small garlic clove, peeled 
2 large sprigs cilantro 
1/4 tsp. salt 
1/2 lb. tomatillos, husks removed 
1/3 cup water

Direction 
*In a blender, add together garlic, onion, chilies and salt 
*Blend them all together until it has a finely chopped consistency 
*In a bowl, pour the blended mixture and add water 
*Mix them well together with a spoon
*Refrigerate or serve this right away


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## recipedirect (May 10, 2010)

What really makes a basic salsa recipe pop is to grill the tomatoes and peppers and then puree.


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## Claire (May 10, 2010)

Hmmmm ... to me this would be a hard one, because the Mexican restaurants I go to vary a LOT in their salsas.  I consider "cooked" salsas to be something I wouldn't bother trying to make myself, there are so many available in the stores.  So when I make a salsa, I go for what I call a "fresh" salsa, or something akin to pico de gallo (please correct my spelling).  When I do that, I take one or two really ripe tomatoes and chop, finely chop a small or half a large onion (the sweeter the better, but make do, and a couple of green onions will substitute), cilantro to taste (I don't think it tastes right without, but if you hate the stuff, and many do, just eliminate it or put in regular parsley).  One clove of garlic, smashed and finely chopped.  The juice from half a lime.  

The heat is something you cannot regulate or recipe.  In years of cooking with and growing peppers I've learned that even two peppers picked from the same bush at different times of the year can vary extremely in heat ... AND what I'd consider mild, a friend would consider incendiary and another would think wimpy.  So when I do this, I do it for our (that is to say, husband and me) taste.  Because I'm going for a "fresh" salsa rather than a cooked one, I buy (or pick from my garden, depends on the time of year) a pepper or two, then add it a little at a time until I have the heat we like (want to make your lips dance, but not ruin your taste buds for the rest of the meal).  If you have a jarred version of peppers you happen to like the flavor and heat factor, use them, as much or little as you like.

That's just the basics; if you have a bell pepper, some celery, etc, hanging around the fridge, chop fine and add.  

If you have a specific restaurant whose salsa you love, consider asking them if they would sell you some to take home.  I've been eating Mexican food since I was a child in restaurants from coast to coast and border to border, and no two (well, aside from chains, which I avoid; I look for where the local Mexicans go to eat) have exactly the same salsa.


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## BreezyCooking (May 10, 2010)

That was my point exactly, Claire - but I was shot down for it.  Lol!!


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## Barbara (May 11, 2010)

Here is my basic recipe when I don't have fresh tomatoes. 
 
In a blender:
 
1-large can whole peeled tomatoes (or crushed)-with their juice. I add fresh if I have them too.
1-2 jalapeños, stemmed & seeded(or whatever chili you have)
1/2 large onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
Salt & pepper TT
Crushed red pepper TT
Squeeze of lime
 
Puree until smooth.


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