Name: Quick Tomatillo Salsa
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: MexicanLatin America & Caribbean
Ingredients: 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatillos , drained; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small onion , chopped; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves; 1 jalapeño chile , stemmed, seeded, and chopped; 3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes); 1 garlic clove , minced; Salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Why This Recipe Works

A simple, tangy tomatillo-based salsa with jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice proved ideal for cutting through the richness of our Pork Carnitas. During testing, we found that using canned tomatillos cut down on prep work and that charring half the tomatillos under the broiler tempered their acidity while adding roasted depth to the salsa. Pulsing all the ingredients together in the food processor quickly gave us the slightly chunky texture that we were after.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using a 28-ounce can of tomatillos, but they are also available in 26-ounce cans. If you can find only a 26-ounce can, there’s no need to buy a second can to make up the extra 2 ounces. For more heat, reserve and add the jalapeño seeds.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss half of tomatillos with 1 teaspoon oil and transfer to prepared sheet. Broil until tomatillos are spotty brown and skins begin to burst, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer tomatillos to food processor and let cool completely.

Add onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, sugar, remaining tomatillos, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil to processor. Pulse until slightly chunky, 16 to 18 pulses. Season with salt to taste. Serve. (Salsa can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)