Baja Fresh® Salsa Baja

As Baja Fresh continues its rapid expansion across the country, more and more requests are coming in for a clone of the chain's signature salsa, which is made fresh from scratch every day at the Mexican grill. Its medium spiciness, smoky flavor and deep black color make the salsa unique and mysterious. That is, until now, since I've got the Top Secret formula for you right here. But the recipe wasn't as easy to create as I first thought. I figured the tomatoes would have to be extremely blackened over a hot grill, but I wasn't sure how to get them dark enough to turn the salsa black without the tomatoes getting all mushy and falling apart on the barbecue. As Baja Fresh continues its rapid expansion across the country, more and more requests are coming in for a clone of the chain's signature salsa, which is made fresh from scratch every day at the Mexican grill. Its medium spiciness, smoky flavor and deep black color make the salsa unique and mysterious. That is, until now, since I've got the Top Secret formula for you right here. But the recipe wasn't as easy to create as I first thought. I figured the tomatoes would have to be extremely blackened over a hot grill, but I wasn't sure how to get them dark enough to turn the salsa black without the tomatoes getting all mushy and falling apart on the barbecue.

So, I went back to Baja Fresh before they opened to peer through the window to see if I could catch some hot salsa production action. I waited and waited. After several hours as the lunch rush was beginning to wind down and no fresh salsa was in the pipeline, it was time for extreme measures to get things moving. I went in and ordered 30 tubs of Salsa Baja to go (thankfully they poured those 8-ounce tubs into bigger bowls), and that did it. I ended up with a big bag filled with 2 gallons of salsa, and the restaurant immediately went into "salsa red alert." It was perfect! As I was grabbing my bag, a dude come out from the kitchen with a huge box of tomatoes to slam on the hot grill. I ordered a giant Diet Pepsi and parked myself at a close table to watch the process. That's when I discovered the secret to super-charred tomatoes is to start with firm, chilled tomatoes, that aren't too big or too ripe. I also found out that the tomatoes need to start roasting with the stem-side down. With these secrets locked in the noggin, the rest was simple. So, I went back to Baja Fresh before they opened to peer through the window to see if I could catch some hot salsa production action. I waited and waited. After several hours as the lunch rush was beginning to wind down and no fresh salsa was in the pipeline, it was time for extreme measures to get things moving. I went in and ordered 30 tubs of Salsa Baja to go (thankfully they poured those 8-ounce tubs into bigger bowls), and that did it. I ended up with a big bag filled with 2 gallons of salsa, and the restaurant immediately went into "salsa red alert." It was perfect! As I was grabbing my bag, a dude come out from the kitchen with a huge box of tomatoes to slam on the hot grill. I ordered a giant Diet Pepsi and parked myself at a close table to watch the process. That's when I discovered the secret to super-charred tomatoes is to start with firm, chilled tomatoes, that aren't too big or too ripe. I also found out that the tomatoes need to start roasting with the stem-side down. With these secrets locked in the noggin, the rest was simple.

7 firm medium tomatoes, cold

1 small jalapeno

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups water

2 tablespoons diced white onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Preheat barbecue grill to high heat.

2. Place 6 of the tomatoes, stem-side-down (remove any stems), directly on the grill. Allow the tomatoes to roast over the flame for 20 to 30 minutes. When the tomatoes are very charred and blackened on the first side, flip them over and continue to grill for another 20 to 30 minutes until most of the surface of each tomato is black. When you flip over the tomatoes, add the jalapeno pepper to the grill (take the stem off first). The jalapeno skin will blacken like the tomatoes. Turn the pepper as it cooks so that the entire surface darkens. 2. Place 6 of the tomatoes, stem-side-down (remove any stems), directly on the grill. Allow the tomatoes to roast over the flame for 20 to 30 minutes. When the tomatoes are very charred and blackened on the first side, flip them over and continue to grill for another 20 to 30 minutes until most of the surface of each tomato is black. When you flip over the tomatoes, add the jalapeno pepper to the grill (take the stem off first). The jalapeno skin will blacken like the tomatoes. Turn the pepper as it cooks so that the entire surface darkens.

3. Take the tomatoes and pepper off the grill and put them in a bowl to cool for 10 or 15 minutes. Dump the tomatoes and pepper and any liquid in the bowl into a blender. Add a clove of garlic and the salt and blend on high speed until pureed. Add water and blend again on high speed for 30 to 45 seconds. As the blacked bits of tomato are chopped finer, the sauce will darken.

4. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Dice the remaining tomato and add it to the salsa. Add the onion and cilantro, then cool the mixture in the refrigerator.

From: www.topsecretrecipes.com

Makes 3 cups.

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