Salsa Rosa

Adapted from Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking

Makes 3-4 cups

6 red bell peppers, washed

3 serrano chilies

Olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

½ cup tomato puree

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and freshly crack black pepper. Bake the peppers for 30-35 minutes, rotating throughout, until they are roasted and blackened. Transfer the pepper to a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam until cool.

2. Clean the cooled peppers, peeling off the external skin and removing the stem, ribbing, and seeds. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the serranos and toast until blackened. Let cool in a covered bowl like the red bell peppers before peeling, reserving about half of the seeds. In the oil used to fry the serranos, add the garlic and sauté until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the oregano and tomato puree, stirring until combined. Simmer for about 4 minutes and them remove from heat.

3. Place the red bell peppers, serranos, and tomato mixture in a blender and add the vinegar. Pure until smooth. Season to taste with more salt and freshly crack black pepper. Serve immediately, refrigerate, or fresh until use. Good on everything, but especially breakfast tacos and huevos rancheros.

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