Auntie E’s Amazing Salsa – 3 Heats

In a heavy skillet, dry roast your chilies over medium-high heat till fragrant. They will go from brick red to almost black. The warm fragrant aroma that simply dry roasting these dried chilies will leave in your kitchen is to die for. Let them cool and then snap off the stems.

Using your food processor, place onions, cilantro, peeled garlic, tomatoes and roasted chilies in the bowl. Start with 7-8 chilies and if you find you want a hotter heat, add them accordingly. Pulse until well blended. Add about a teaspoon of kosher salt. Pulse to blend. Taste. Adjust the salt. If you find this heat is too whimpy, break up another 1-3 chilies and pulse again until smooth. I find that 8-9 chilies, depending on how hot the chilies are, is a good start. This is my salsa base.

Variations:

For medium heat, finely chop some onion and fresh tomato and add to a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the hotter salsa base. Mix well. Voila! Medium chunky salsa.

For mild heat, prepare the medium salsa above, add ½ – 1 whole can (14.5 oz. can) of tomato sauce. Mix well and there you have it. 3 salsas from one base.

Tip:dry roast 20-25 Arbol chilies at once. Leftover chilies can be stored in baggies or other airtight container. This will allow you to make this pantry-ready salsa in no time.