I’ve had a love of all things spicy for as long as I can remember. As a kid I would smother my food with whatever salsa or hot sauce we had lying around the house. So the fact that I am now living in Mexico, up to my eyeballs in some of the most delicious salsas on god’s green earth, has left me in a state of bliss. However, knowing that I am not going to be here forever, I’ve recognized the importance of collecting recipes so I can replicate them later.

One of the first recipes I collected was this recipe for salsa de chile de Arbol and so far it remains my favorite (don’t tell the others). This spicy, roasted salsa is full of flavor, but extremely easy to make. The Guajillo chiles add a nice sweet, smokey flavor while the chiles de Arbol bring the heat; meanwhile, the addition of roasted tomatillos add a nice bright, tanginess that gives the sauce some depth of flavor. Salsa de chile de arbol is perfect on eggs, in tacos (like these sweet potato tacos from the Thug Kitchen recipe book), or just served with some chips at your next [insert sport here] party.

Ingredients:

10 Arbol chiles, dried
3 Guajillo chiles, dried
6 Tomatillos
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 of a white onion
Salt

Preperation:

  1. Rehydrate the chiles in warm water for about 20 minutes. Once they come back to life, remove the stem, seeds, and veins.
  2. Roast the chiles, tomatillos, garlic, and onions. You can do this on a pan, straight on the burner, under the broiler in your oven, or on a comal if you’re trying to be authentic. Either way, what you’re looking for is a nice char on the tomatillos.
  3. Toss all the ingredients into a blender or molcajete (preferred) and blend till you reach a nice, smooth consistency.
  4. Add salt to taste.
  5. Enjoy!