Salsa Science

Hi there - first time posting and I would like to tell you all thank you for what you do. I can truly say reading your boards has gifted me with the majority of my culinary knowledge.

To my question:

I am curious as to the content of the various conctions served up at taquerias.

I recall a posting from a while back about a salsa de lechuga, which spurred this posting.

I am also interested in the dried chile based salsas including the typical tomatillo-arbol base.

What unique salsas have you come across, and what was their composition?

The most interesting I have come across is/was a salsa crema at a taqueria on the NW corner of Kimball and Palmer. Don't quote me on the name of the joint, but I think it was simply called Tacos Al Carbon. I saw
a Food Network show make something called a Salsa Crema. It was basically your run of the mill blender salsa with some cream of mushroom soup concentrate. I tried to recreate the one from the taco joint, but could never tweak it right. It was REALLY good stuff. I wonder if it was just some crema in the mix - blended smooth. It mellowed the heat, and added a nice tang.

Then there's always your fruit / vegetable salsas - Mango; cucumber;
papaya; pear; peach. Basically omitting tomato in favor of the salsa namesake, and generally always chopped instead of blenderized.

Also, some joints will blend avocado in their blender salsa to add a creamy note.

There is always the interesting salsa boracha-often made with toasted pasillas, garlic, orange juice, cumin, oregano,tequila and beer.
And that god-awful (imho)salsa made with jumiles. (insects)
One version for the arbol salsa would include: 3#roasted tomatillos, 2 heads roasted garlic, 30 fried chiles de arbols,1 charred onion and salt to taste. Blend to smooth or coarse consistency depending on your mood.

Well, there's always my salsa which probably more closely resembles a chutney. It uses some Bayless teachings to roast the heck out of tomatillos to get rid of excess liquid and amp up the sweetness.

I'm very curious about the black salsa being talked about on this board, and I'd like to try a de lechuga too. I may have had this at a defunct place in Prospect Heights called Taqueria los Morelos -- it was a creamy-looking pale green with a kick, somewhat thin and very smooth. The owner wouldn't tell me what's in it except that it didn't have avocado.

Hi Alex,

welcome and it’s great to see you on LTH. I hope you’ll also have a chance to post here about stuff out your way, because many people here regularly travel to Southern California.

Regarding your question about unusual salsas, here are some pointers to past posts (with photos) that might be of interest.

La Casa de Samuel serves a fantastic pasilla chile salsa with their cabrito al horno.
(7th picture down, post by G Wiv)
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=99911#99911

Erik M has a picture of a creamy green salsa at Taqueria Tlatzala and some discussion of what might be in it:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=33185#33185

The new Yucatec place, Xni-pec, of course has salsas with chile habanero, both a relatively mild one (the xni-pec) and a much hotter one containing only habanero.

Xnipec salsa picture here, in a post by Antonius:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=113272#113272

Habanero salsa – kind of hard to see, but in the tiny pitcher near the papadzules, 6 pictures down, in this post by G Wiv:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=113281#113281

*********
There was a little hole-in-the wall place that closed before Antonius and I could ever post on it, which had some interesting salsas. Maybe we can add more details about that later.

-- Amata

"Taco Grill" - Nice little taco joint on Ogden Ave. in Westmont, just west of Cass Avenue. The Mexican food is very good (they have a lot more than just tacos), thoroughly-marinated and well-spiced, and they have a salsa bar with twenty different salsas every day. Worth a try if you're in the neighborhood.

Mike

Thank you all for the information thus far [exactly what I am looking for] and a special thanks goes to Amata as it was per her kind suggestion that I become a member of these boards.

Amata -- I so appreciate the links to various previous postings -these are incredible sauces - such diversity. Now only comes the task of their recreation.

The Yucatec Xnipec - I have been thinking of making as I have seen it recently on Bayless's show. I know there is another Yuc rest in the area --how does their Xnipec compare?

The salsa that is adorned on these lovely cabeza de borrego tacos have sparked my interest as well. http://tacohunt.blogspot.com/2007/03/lo ... candy.html
[Great blog in every respect if you havent checked it out]

stewed coot- have you tried the salsa de jumiles? I vaguely remember a post by RST indicating he had found a frozen source in a small Guerrean shop.

HI,

I have tried the salsa de jumiles arranged by RST using frozen insects. While it did satisfy a curiosity factor, it was agreed by those who had experienced the unfrozen preparation it was not as pungent or sharp.

There is a report and image here of salsa de jumiles.

Regards,