little green lanterns

Maybe it's all my time in a western saddle, but lately I've been leaning hard into Mexican flavors.

If you're not yet acquainted, let me introduce you to the tomatillo, the tomato's little green cousin. Each one comes wrapped in a thin, papery husk that makes it look like a tiny lantern. Inside, it's bright, tart, and citrusy, closer to a Granny Smith apple than to the red summer staple in your garden.

At the top of my list is Rick Bayless's roasted tomatillo salsa verde. It's a cornerstone of Mexican cooking and deserves a permanent spot in your fridge.

Look for firm fruit that fills out its husk snugly. A shriveled or loose husk usually means it's past its prime.

Don't skip the rinse. Once husked, tomatillos have a naturally sticky coating. Then put them under high heat, where charring brings out their hallmark smoky sweetness.

Here's my adaptation of his recipe for roasted tomatillo salsa.

Husk and rinse six to eight tomatillos. Preheat the broiler with a rack set four inches below the flame. A toaster oven works beautifully here.

Spread the tomatillos on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with one jalapeño, halved and stemmed, and four unpeeled garlic cloves. Broil until charred in spots, about six minutes. Flip everything and broil the other side. The garlic is done when it feels soft.

Let everything cool on the tray, then slip the skins off the garlic. Leave the charred skins on the tomatillos and jalapeño, because that's where the flavor lives.

Scrape everything, juices and all, into a blender or food processor.

Pulse, leaving a little texture. You want salsa, not soup.

Chop half a white onion and rinse it in a strainer under cold water to tame its raw bite. Shake off the excess water.

Stir the onion into the salsa along with the leaves from six to eight cilantro sprigs. Taste and season with a pinch of kosher salt.

This salsa is incredible spooned over chicken cream cheese enchiladas, alongside carne asada quesadillas, or piled onto garlicky shrimp tacos.

Might just bring out your own inner cowboy.