My taco truck's salsa verde was a total flop for months, then a customer gave me a tip.

I was using raw tomatillos for my green sauce, and it always came out way too sharp and bitter. A regular who owns a restaurant in town finally said, 'You gotta char those first, man, it changes everything.' Has anyone else had a simple cooking step they were missing that made a huge difference in their truck's food?

3 comments

3 Comments

ruby_murphy3mo ago

Wait, you were putting raw tomatillos in the salsa this whole time? I can almost taste that bitter sting from here. Charring them is like the first step in every recipe I've ever seen for salsa verde. It completely mellows them out and adds that smoky depth. That customer did you a massive favor. My old spot would roast them under the broiler until they were blistered and soft. The difference is night and day, it goes from harsh to complex.

logansingh3mo ago

Tried roasting them like you said and wow, what a difference. That bitter edge is totally gone now. Can't believe I used to serve them raw.

tyler_white4224d ago

Charring is just the start though. The real game changer is the timing on when you add the charred tomatillos to the blender. If you toss them in while they're still hot, you get this weird flat taste. Let them cool down to room temp first, then blend. Also, don't forget to scrape up the black bits from the pan and toss those in too. That's where all the real flavor hides.