Fresh Roasted Tomato Salsa

We’ve been making this salsa for years as an accompaniment to freshly fried tortilla chips, and it’s very similar to the roasted salsas served in better Mexican restaurants. This is the first time I’ve actually written the recipe down, and the last time I made it I added two chile de arbols, which gave the salsa a greater depth of flavor. This one came out spectacularly well, so here's the recipe:

8 Roma Tomatoes
2 Jalapenos
2 Chiles de arbol, stems and seeds removed
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/8-1/4 cup diced onion
¼ cup cilantro(optional)
1 tsp Mexican Oregano
1 tsp fresh lime juice
Black Pepper
2 tsp sea salt

Cut the tomatoes in half, then core them out using a spoon. Cut one jalapeno in ½ lengthwise, and remove seeds and core. Place tomatoes and jalapeño on a baking sheet, and put under broiler setting in oven. When tomatoes and jalapeno start to blacken, turn them on the other side, and add garlic. When both sides are about 50% blackened, remove from oven and let cool.

Heat up a cast iron skillet to medium heat, and toast the arbols lightly, for about 1 minute, frequently turning, and remove them from the skillet as soon as they start to show a bit of color from the toasting. If you wait too long to remove them from the heat, the chiles will be bitter, so be watchful of this step.

Once everything is fully cooled, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender, and blend till it’s pureed. Be careful not to over blend. You may need to add a bit of water if it's too thick. Let salsa sit in fridge for at least two hours before serving so flavors can meld.

The cilantro is optional. With or without, the salsa tastes great, just different.