Salsa

Tacos Árabes are a specialty of Puebla, home to one of Mexico’s most significant Lebanese communities. At most stands, the pork is cooked on a spit, then shaved off, shawarma-style. But for this recipe, you don't need a spit.

The scent of homemade salsa roja always takes me back to my childhood. The aroma of rehydrating dried chiles mingling with fresh serrano chiles or jalapeños, tomatoes, onion, and garlic was a weekly occurrence in our household. It was always too spicy for my young palate, but I never got sick of the smell wafting through the house. Though I’ve grown into a heat-seeker as my palate has evolved, this version doesn’t have to be spicy at all. Adding a single serrano chile to the mix gives this mild .…

This smoky chipotle and tomatillo salsa is an excellent dipping sauce for crudités or tortilla chips, or you can spoon it on top of tamales. You can use more chiles for a spicier sauce.

The two imperatives are that the tomatoes must be truly ripe and sweet and that the sauce should be eaten at once. If you must, you can hold it for up to two hours refrigerated and tightly covered, but it loses its magic fast. For the right slightly coarse texture, the ingredients should be chopped separately by hand. The only thing I sometimes do with the food processor is the chiles. Try to find fresh ones—canned jalapeños will work, but aren't ideal in a sauce supposed to be sparkling fresh.

Peanut butter tames the heat in this mild puréed salsa with serrano chiles and onions. Spoon it over mushroom tacos or use it as a dip for chips.

Use this charred tomato-chile salsa to top Egg Shop's Chilaquiles.

Grilling the onions and half of the tomatoes adds smoky depth and sweetness to this riff on pico de gallo.

For a salsa that won’t send smoke shooting from your ears, be thorough about removing the seeds from the chiles—and even scraping out the ribs, the hottest part.

It's not just a marinade—this classic mojo sauce can also be spooned over chicken or fish for a piquant finishing touch, and deployed as a flavorful stir-in for rice.

The lime juice and oil will keep the avocado from turning brown, but it’s a good idea to make this pico de gallo recipe right before you serve it.

Other tender herbs such as cilantro, dill, and/or tarragon can be used instead for this salsa verde recipe. Though the breadcrumbs don’t stay crisp, they give body and subtle crunch to the sauce.

These tacos are great any night of the week, not just Tuesday.

You can always ask your butcher to slice the pork shoulder on the electric slicer for you, which will ensure even pieces and save you time.

If we had to give this salsa a heat index rating, it would get three out of five chiles.

A cooling and crunchy green version of the typical salsa.

To choose a fresh tomatillo, they should be firm and the husks mostly intact. A split is ok, but you want them looking pretty tight. Roast the onions here if you like a deeper, caramelized flavor, or add them in raw for a more authentic salsa.

Tart and fiery, this classic bright-green salsa shows off the flavor of tomatillos and the lovable grassy sharpness of fresh unripe chiles. Serve it with anything that would benefit from lively contrast, such as Chopped Fried-Fish Tacos .