Don Pepe’s Chiles de Árbol Salsa and Guacamole

Name: Don Pepe's Chiles de Árbol Salsa and Guacamole
Cook time: PT0D0H25M
Total time: PT0D0H25M
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 5 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded; 1 ⁄ 4 cup boiliing water; 5 plum tomatoes (4 cored, 1 minced); 4 cloves garlic (half peeled, half minced); 2 serrano chiles (half stemmed, half minced); 1 ⁄ 3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. sugar; 1 small white onion, minced; Kosher salt, to taste; 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice; 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and mashed

Serves
serves 6
Time
25 minutes

DYLAN + JENI

Inspired by Don Pepe Taqueria in Fresno, this fiery salsa and cooling guacamole accompany hearty shrimp tacos; but you can use the two sauces to add dimension to any taco night. This recipe was featured in Sara Deseran's story On the California Taco Trail

Ingredients

5 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded
¹⁄₄ cup boiliing water
5 plum tomatoes (4 cored, 1 minced)
4 cloves garlic (half peeled, half minced)
2 serrano chiles (half stemmed, half minced)
¹⁄₃ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
¹⁄₄ tsp. sugar
1 small white onion, minced
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and mashed

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the salsa: Heat a 12″ skillet over medium-high. Cook chiles de árbol until lightly toasted, 1–2 minutes, and transfer to a blender; add water and let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 4 cored tomatoes, unpeeled garlic, and stemmed serrano, turning as needed, until charred all over, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a plate and let cool. Peel garlic and seed serrano; transfer to blender with charred tomatoes. Add half the cilantro, the sugar, half the onion, and salt; purée until smooth and set salsa aside.

Step 2

Make the guacamole: Stir minced garlic, tomato, and serrano, the remaining cilantro and onion, the lime juice, avocado, and salt in another bowl; cover guacamole and chill.

Make the salsa: Heat a 12″ skillet over medium-high. Cook chiles de árbol until lightly toasted, 1–2 minutes, and transfer to a blender; add water and let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 4 cored tomatoes, unpeeled garlic, and stemmed serrano, turning as needed, until charred all over, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a plate and let cool. Peel garlic and seed serrano; transfer to blender with charred tomatoes. Add half the cilantro, the sugar, half the onion, and salt; purée until smooth and set salsa aside.
Make the guacamole: Stir minced garlic, tomato, and serrano, the remaining cilantro and onion, the lime juice, avocado, and salt in another bowl; cover guacamole and chill.