Salsa with Dried Chiles
2 dried Hatch chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
4 tomatoes, quartered
1 cup hot water
1 white onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp dried oregano
5-6 sprigs of cilantro
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbs salt
Freshly ground pepper and more salt to taste
Instructions
Cut stems off of dried chiles, cut slit up side and remove seeds and white veins
Place chile's in a dry pan and roast for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally
Turn off flame, add hot water, and let the chiles sit for 15 minutes
Preheat the broiler
Add the quartered tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and broil until charred. About 10 minutes
Add chiles and liquid to a blender and puree
Add the roasted vegetables to the blender and blend until there are only tiny chunks, but not to the point of liquidy
Pour the salsa into a pan over a low heat and add remaining ingredients
If salsa is too thick add some water. If salsa is too thin, simmer down a little to desired consistency
Notes
In this recipe, I show the veggies roasting on a skillet on the stovetop. However I think broiling them in the oven would do a much better job of charring the vegetables, without cooking them.
