Salsa Roja
The fresh punch of tomatoes, cilantro, and lime makes this sauce a natural fit for Viva la México Balls (page 27), but try it as a dip with chips too. This sauce will keep for up to four days in the fridge.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients
2 15-ounce cans chopped tomatoes with green chiles
3 fresh jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
Juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
Preparation
Place the tomatoes, jalapeños, onions, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and Tabasco sauce in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if desired.
Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.
Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation.
Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick.
Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.