Once a week or so, in my duties as a chef at the restaurant where I work, I make a big batch of tomato-based salsa.

How big?

Well I start with 12 pounds of tomatoes so it’s a pretty big batch.

Depending on how busy we are it might last a week but typically it lasts about five days. Here’s the recipe

Ingredients

12 lbs Tomatoes, seedless

12 each Limes, juiced into bowl

1 each Garlic, head, minced

1 each Cilantro, bunch, chopped

24 each Jalapenos, chopped

4 each Serranos, chopped

1 lb Onion, Yellow, Sweet, minced

1/4 c. Salt, Kosher

Method

* Remove skin from tomatoes

* Place in large vessel

* Add half of garlic, cilantro, chiles, lime juice and onion

* Puree’ with immersion blender

* Add remaining ingredients

* Purée til desired consistency is reached

I like my salsa puréed very fine but some folks prefer it chunky. When you feel like it’s how you like it, stop and have a taste.

This is the classic Tex Mex salsa that’s available at most Mexican restaurants out here in Austin, Texas.

It changes a little from joint to joint but this is the basic, building block version.

Run wild and add things that appeal to you: Avocados, Habaneros, Mangos, Papaya…all sorts of things would go well with this recipe as the base.

Bon Appetit y’all

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