Essential Roasted Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa

Essential Roasted Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa
Makes about 2 cups

1 pound (2 medium-large round or 6 to 8 plum) red, ripe tomatoes
2 large (about 1 ounce total) fresh jalapeño chiles
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Salt, about a scant 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 small (about 2 ounces) white onion, finely chopped
A generous 1/3 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
About 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar (optional)

1. Roasting the basic ingredients.
The broiler method: Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet and place about 4 inches below a very hot broiler. Roast until blistered and blackened on one side, about 6 minutes; with a spoon or pair of tongs, flip the tomatoes and roast on the other side. Cool, then peel the skins, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes.

While the tomatoes are roasting, roast the chiles and unpeeled garlic directly on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium. Turn occasionally until both chiles and garlic are blackened in spots and soft, 5 to 10 minutes for the chiles, about 15 minutes for the garlic. Cool, pull the stems off the chiles and peel the papery skins from the garlic.

2. Grinding the salsa.
The mortar method: In a large mortar, use the pestle to crush and grind the chiles, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt to a coarse-textured paste (this will release a wonderfully pungent aroma), paying special attention to breaking up the chile skins. A few at a time, grind in the roasted tomatoes, transferring the ground mixture to a bowl if the mortar gets unmanageably full. Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl, and stir in any reserved tomato juices.

3. Final seasoning. In a strainer, rinse the onion under running water, shake off the excess and stir into the salsa, along with the cilantro and optional vinegar. Add water, if necessary, to give the salsa a thickish, but easily spoonable, consistency (2 to 4 tablespoons is the norm). Taste and season with salt, usually a scant 1/4 teaspoon, and the salsa's ready to serve.

(Recipe from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavor of a World-Class Cuisine)