Chef Rick Bayless


Chef Rick Bayless shows us how to make Salsa Huevona served over grilled lobster on Chicago Tonight at 7:00 pm. View the recipe below:

“Lazy” Salsa

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Salsa Huevona

Ok, I know the name’s a little edgy, since many people wouldn’t use huevona around their grandmother. Perhaps I should have translated salsa huevona as ‘lazy-ass salsa,’ more clearly capturing to the sentiment one of our cooks was expressing when he christened this salsa. That was after his cousin put tomatoes, onions and jalapeños on the backyard grill one Sunday afternoon and promptly forgot them until they were nearly throw-away blackened. And then he decided to use them anyway, which actually was to his credit, because something, well, alchemical seemed to happen. Alchemical and quite delicious. Though rustic and a little huevona.   

Working Ahead:  This salsa keeps well for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator, covered. Makes 2 ½ cups, serving 6 generously

1 ½ pounds (4 medium-small round) ripe tomatoes

1 medium white onion, cut in half

3 or 4 fresh jalapeños, stemmed

4 unpeeled garlic cloves

Salt

  1. Char the ingredients.   Light a charcoal fire and let the coals burn until they are covered with gray ash; position the grill grate and let it heat for a couple of minutes. Lay on the tomatoes, onion halves, jalapeños and garlic. (To keep the garlic from dropping through and to make cleanup easy, I typically lay one of those perforated grill pans on the grill grates, heat it up, then lay on the vegetables.)  Grill the ingredients, turning occasionally, until they are kind of charred, but not incinerated—about 10 minutes for the garlic, 15 minutes for the chiles and 20 minutes for the tomatoes and onions. As they are done remove the ingredients to a rimmed baking sheet. Let cool. Peel the garlic. If you wish, you can pull the charred skins off the tomatoes.
  2. Finish the salsa.  In a food processor, combine the garlic and chiles. Pulse until coarsely pureed. Add the tomatoes and any juices that have collected on the baking sheet, and pulse until roughly chopped. Chop the charred onion and place in a bowl. Stir in the tomato mixture, along with a little water (usually about 2 tablespoons), to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon.

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