Green “She-Man” Sauce (Salsa macha verde)
In San Andrés Tuxtla we were treated to a magnificent luncheon at La Caperucita, a magnet for good eating in the Tuxtlas area. (The name refers to the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, “Caperucita Roja,” and a brand name for a cheese.) Elodia Guevara Chávez and Juan Pablo Chávez Guevara, the mother-and-son team who built up the restaurant from its humble beginnings as a hamburger cart, had pulled out all the stops to welcome us and introduce us to experts on the regional cuisine. An epic meal featuring at least a dozen excellent seafood, meat, and masa specialties was accompanied by this fresh-flavored variation on the beloved Veracruzan salsa macha.
This type of sauce is not difficult to make by hand in a molcajete or other large mortar. When using a blender or food processor, try to reproduce the chunky texture of the hand-ground version by stopping before the ingredients turn into a paste.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- ½ small white onion coarsely chopped
- 6 fresh jalapeño or serrano chiles seeded (if desired to reduce the heat) and coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Juice of ½ lime
Instructions
- Grind the garlic, onion, chiles, and salt to a rough paste using a mortar and pestle, or place in a blender or food processor and process with an on/off motion just until roughly combined.
- Add the lime juice and grind or process just until the mixture forms a coarse textured sauce.
- Use at once.
Notes
Makes about 1 cup
Nutrition
Calories: 12kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 583mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
