This has become my favorite sauce—for now. Its fresh flavor, vibrant color, and slight heat (which you can control with the amount of jalapeños you add) are the reasons why. And once you discover how easy it is to prepare and how long it keeps in the refrigerator, I don’t doubt it will become a favorite of yours, too.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 1/2 cups

　　1 pound (about 9) tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and quartered

　　2 jalapeños, stemmed and halved

　　1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves

　　1 clove garlic

　　1/2 onion

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　2 tablespoons water

　　

Puree the Ingredients

Step 1

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times before blending the ingredients into a puree.

　　

Serve or Store

Step 2

Transfer to a serving bowl if using right away, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate if storing.

　　

COOKING NOTES

Step 3

INGREDIENTS

　　

Step 4

Fresh versus Canned Tomatillos

　　

Step 5

Resist the urge to purchase canned tomatillos. Because this is a fresh sauce made with raw ingredients, a canned ingredient will mute the color of the sauce and will not taste fresh.

　　

Step 6

In a bind, it is preferable to use unripe green tomatoes and substitute white vinegar for the water.

　　

Step 7

Cilantro

　　

Step 8

Since the sauce is going to be pureed, it’s okay to include the tender stems of the herb when measuring it out. Just make sure to lightly pack the cilantro in the measuring cup to ensure you are using a sufficient amount of the herb.

　　

Step 9

TECHNIQUES

　　

Step 10

Cleaning Tomatillos

　　

Step 11

Tomatillos come wrapped in a papery husk that usually comes off easily. If you find one that is difficult to remove, just soak it under water for a few minutes and it should come right off.

　　

Step 12

You will also find that tomatillos have a sticky skin. A quick rinse under cold water will remove the stickiness.

　　

Step 13

ADVANCE PREPARATION

　　

Step 14

The sauce can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

　　Reprinted with permission from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro, © April 2009 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book at Amazon or Bookshop.