Tomatillo Habanero Salsa

Recipe courtesy of Chris Wing, Cast Iron Chris - Be sure to check out his video here to follow his method!

Prep Time: ~15 minutes Cook Time: ~1 hour (plus 30 minutes to cool) Servings: Makes about 3 cups

Every year when the pepper plants start coming in, this is the first thing that goes over the fire. It's a two-stage cook: hang the tomatillos and onions over the Cauldron to soak up smoke, then move everything down to the grates to pick up color. Blend, season, cool, and stir in cilantro. That's it. It's the salsa that disappears before the chips do.

Ingredients

The Smoked Veg

• 2 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 medium white onions, peeled and halved
• 3 habanero peppers, stemmed (see Pro Tips for heat)
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled

The Finish

• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp coarse black pepper
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Equipment

• Butcher's twine or a hanging basket for the smoke stage
• Perforated grill pan
• High-speed blender

Steps

1. Build the Fire Light your Cowboy Cauldron with hardwood and let it settle into a steady burn with live flame and plenty of smoke rolling off it. You want real smoke here, not just heat, so don't rush it down to coals yet.
2. Hang and Smoke Tie up the tomatillos and onions with twine (or load them into a hanging basket) and hang them over the fire, well above the flame. Let them ride for about 45 minutes, until they've picked up a smoky aroma and a touch of color without cooking through.
3. Hit the Grates Set your grill grate over the fire. Lay the smoked onions cut-side down directly on the grate. Load the tomatillos, habaneros, and garlic into a perforated grill pan and set it alongside. Turn everything now and then until it's blistered and charred in spots, about 15 minutes.
4. Blend Pull it all off the fire and straight into the blender, char and all. Blend until smooth, or pulse it a few times if you like some texture.
5. Season Add the lime juice, salt, and pepper and blend just to combine. Taste and adjust — habaneros vary, and so does lime.
6. Cool and Finish Let the salsa cool to room temperature so the cilantro stays green and bright. Stir in the cilantro, then serve or jar it up.

Pro Tips

• Smoke first, char second. The hang stage is what makes this salsa different from every other roasted salsa out there. If you skip it and go straight to the grate, you'll get char but not depth.
• Dial the heat with the habaneros. Three makes a properly hot salsa. Use one or two for something friendlier, or leave the seeds in if you want to make people sweat.
• Give it a day. It's great warm off the Cauldron, but the smoke settles in and mellows overnight. Keeps about a week in the fridge, if it lasts that long.