I want a salsa recipe thats not .....

[tercel89]

I want a salsa recipe that's not sweet . We go to Poncho Villa in Oak Grove Ky and Clarksville Tn and their salsa is not sweet and is perfect . It is absolutely awesome. I can't seem to find a recipe that tastes like it . I want one like theirs because theirs is not sweet and is salty and has a nice cilantro taste . Anyone know a good recipe for a "non-sweet" salsa ? 

[peejman]

Every time I've tried to use a recipe for salsa, I didn't like it.  The recipe is more like guidelines... adjust everything to suit your taste.  Note that if you use hot peppers, they tend to get hotter after a few days in the mix. 

[DaveS]

Try this...

 

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/272654/salsa-pancho-villa

 

Dave

[PolePosition]

Every Mexican has a different recipe due to different family traditions. But a traditional salsa has tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, jalepeno or serrano chiles, salt, and pepper. You can sub out the chiles if you don't want the heat and add more or less garlic dependent on your tastes... those are the ingredients. Salsa's should not be sweet because even if the tomatoes themselves are sweet, you have lime juice for acidity and salt to offset any sweetness. If a salsa is too sweet in a restaurant, it means they added sugar, because tomatoes inherently are not that sweet. Sugar is not an ingredient in traditional salsas. Keep in mind that in many restaurants, they cater their dishes to Americans, so it is not what they would make at home to eat.

 

To make, throw all of the ingredients above into a blender because you want all of the cells to break up to really get the flavors to mix. The ratios are up to you. Another spin on salsa is to roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in an oven (or stove with flame) to get a char on them. This gets a deeper, earthier flavor that Mexicans will use to mix with food, rather than just eating it with chips like you see in a restaurant.

[Motasyco]

Every Mexican has a different recipe due to different family traditions. But a traditional salsa has tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, jalepeno or serrano chiles, salt, and pepper. You can sub out the chiles if you don't want the heat and add more or less garlic dependent on your tastes... those are the ingredients. Salsa's should not be sweet because even if the tomatoes themselves are sweet, you have lime juice for acidity and salt to offset any sweetness. If a salsa is too sweet in a restaurant, it means they added sugar, because tomatoes inherently are not that sweet. Sugar is not an ingredient in traditional salsas. Keep in mind that in many restaurants, they cater their dishes to Americans, so it is not what they would make at home to eat.

 

To make, throw all of the ingredients above into a blender because you want all of the cells to break up to really get the flavors to mix. The ratios are up to you. Another spin on salsa is to roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in an oven (or stove with flame) to get a char on them. This gets a deeper, earthier flavor that Mexicans will use to mix with food, rather than just eating it with chips like you see in a restaurant.

 

I think PolePosition nailed it.  The only thing I would add is habaneros.

[bersaguy]

I'm also a Salsa lover but never found any I really liked until I was at Sams Warehouse store doing some shopping and ran across a salsa I had not seen before. It comes in 47 oz bottles and I get the medium because the hot will blister your mouth but this stuff is "KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF" good stuff. It is not at all sweet. last time I went back I bought 5 jars of it. The brand is   "On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina" It's all natural and everyone that has tried it that stops in says it is killer good for sure. If you just want to make your own I understand but if your just looking for some great salsa this will fill the bill I bet....................jmho

[homeagain]

Here's the recipe I like:

 

1 of those netting bags of cherry tomatoes

1 yellow tomato

2 cloves garlic

1 small slice of Vidalia onion

Handful of cilantro

Juice of half a lime (scrape out pulp and include it)

1/2- 1 Serrano pepper (take the seeds out if you don't like much heat) depending on your taste

Salt/Pepper to taste

 

I use a small processer like a Ninja

 

Take a small handful of tomatoes, the cilantro, Serrano, lime juice/pulp, garlic, and onion and process it until it's almost liquid;

 

Pour it in bowl when processed;

 

Process the rest of tomatoes and yellow tomato until chunky (some like small, some like larger) and mix in with processed cilantro, lime, etc. in bowl;

 

stir it up and add salt pepper to taste;

 

if you want more heat, mince up more Serrano and add it.

 

Let it sit overnight to blend.

 

It's usually kind of frothy at first because of processing the cilantro, lime, etc. to almost liquid, but it 'defroths' over night.

 

The reason I use the cherry tomatoes is because large tomatoes have too much juice and not enough flesh, and make the salsa too thin.

Edited January 28, 2014 by homeagain

[enfield]

Here's the recipe I like:

 

1 of those netting bags of cherry tomatoes

1 yellow tomato

2 cloves garlic

1 small slice of Vidalia onion

Handful of cilantro

Juice of half a lime (scrape out pulp and include it)

1/2- 1 Serrano pepper (take the seeds out if you don't like much heat) depending on your taste

Salt/Pepper to taste

 

I use a small processer like a Ninja

 

Take a small handful of tomatoes, the cilantro, Serrano, lime juice/pulp, garlic, and onion and process it until it's almost liquid;

 

Pour it in bowl when processed;

 

Process the rest of tomatoes and yellow tomato until chunky (some like small, some like larger) and mix in with processed cilantro, lime, etc. in bowl;

 

stir it up and add salt pepper to taste;

 

if you want more heat, mince up more Serrano and add it.

 

Let it sit overnight to blend.

 

It's usually kind of frothy at first because of processing the cilantro, lime, etc. to almost liquid, but it 'defroths' over night.

 

The reason I use the cherry tomatoes is because large tomatoes have too much juice and not enough flesh, and make the salsa too thin.

 

Roma tomatoes should work as well - they were developed for making sauces, not eating.  Lot's of flesh, little juice.

[FUJIMO]

While I love making my own salsa, guacamole, tortillas, etc, I have found the Wal-Mart great value HOT to be a tolerable substitute when fresh ingredients aren't available. Just make sure you get the salsa and not the picante. Over the years my tolerance for heat has increased so I now spike the hot with a good dose of rooster sauce ;) Edited January 28, 2014 by FUJIMO

[daveW]

The salsa I make is what most places would call Pico d 'gaio (spelling is probably off)- its chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime juice. I do like the blender stuff at some restaurants but not at home.

I have a Mexican faction that married into my family and they make/bring to family gatherings something that looks like tomato juice but tastes (for a brief second before searing your mouth) like fiery hell! For a time, I suspected they were just playing a prank on the non-Mexican folk but they actually eat it.

[Guest HillyKarma]

I've got one for you bud.

Tomatoes are inherently high in sugars and mildly sweet, so be careful about the variety of tomato you select.

 

I recommend globe tomatoes (generally, that's what you'll get with any tomatoes that are not labled otherwise)

 

The recipe is as follows:

 

4 large globe tomatoes

3 medium sized jalapeno peppers

2 medium sized red onions (very important to not use white onions in your case. White varieties are very sweet, in most cases)

1tsp of lime juice

A few sprigs of cilantro

 

First, peel your tomatoes. I prefer using the blanching method, which consists of bringing a pot of water to a boil, dropping a tomato into the boiling water for no more than a minute, then immediately transferring it to a bowl of cold ice water, which will cause the tomato's skin to contract and begin pulling from the meat. From this step, cut the tomatoes in half, then squeeze the seeds out by gently applying pressure until the majority of the excess juice and seeds are gone. Now, begin dicing your tomatoes, being sure to remove any unsatisfactory pieces of flesh. Now, begin dicing your onion with a small dice method, and place the onion into a bowl with your diced tomato. Next, the most important part in determining your heat, is the jalapenos. Dice them up using a small dice method, and decide the amount of heat you'd like in the salsa. This can be controlled by the amount of seeds and veins (the white stuff) you decide to put in with the final product. Now, add the diced  jalapenos to the other vegetables, and chop your cilantro, making sure to use a sharp knife to avoid bruising the herb. Add the cilantro, then a dash of salt, toss the mixture with a spoon, cover the bowl, and let it sit overnight to allow the flavors to marry. 

 

Source: I'm a culinary student, passionate culinarian, and have hundreds of hours in competition and catering. I couldn't tell you how many pounds of salsa I've made haha.

 

Sorry for the long post! I get carried away when I talk about food

 

EDIT: Also, depending on the consistency you like, and the size of your cuts, it wouldn't hurt to pass it through a few pulses in the food processor or blender if you have one

Edited January 29, 2014 by HillyKarma

[enfield]

Pico de Gallo - love the stuff.  It's addictive.  Don't buy it pre-made at Wal-mart.  That's the voice of experience there.

[tercel89]

Thanks a bunch guys ! I'm writing all this stuff down and going to make it all one by one .  :up: