For the Love of Salsa Verde

I love patios almost as much I love Tex-Mex themed happy hours. In my opinion, summer happy hours don't get much better than sitting on a shady patio with a limey margarita on the rocks, an ice cold Pacifico (That's right! In my ideal happy hour, I'm double fisting!), crispy chips and a firey salsa. Thankfully, I'm lucky enough to live in a climate where it's almost always patio season and there is an abundance of Tex-Mex restaurants.

In a fully ripe tomatillo, the husk is
beginning to separate from the fruit.

While living in Fort Worth, my default patio of choice was Chimy's. I probably spent way too many afternoons at this little joint drinking margaritas and consuming baskets of chops. This place is almost perfect, minus the fact that their salsa sucked. It tasted a lot like just chopped tomatoes. In fact, almost every Mexican joint I ever went to in Fort Worth* had bad salsa. For some reason, I've found that when you venture out of South Texas, the salsas you find tend to be seriously lacking in the heat department and only of the red variety.

Look for firm tomatillos with
bright green skin color.

While sub par salsa is doable for short sojourns away from Houston, in college I found myself homesick for the tangy, spicy salsa verdes I had grown up on and resorted to making my own. This recipe got me through many rough days when I needed the comfort of home and is still my go-to salsa recipe. It's super quick to make and a real crowd pleaser. Plus, one batch makes enough to feed an army.

*One notable exception to the below average salsa in Fort Worth is Mi Cocinita, a true hidden gem. It's located in the garage of a grandmother's house and most days she's the one the kitchen cooking for you. It's a must visit if you're ever in Fort Worth. And don't let the chickens roaming the streets scare you off!

Salsa Verde

Makes 5 cups

• 1.5 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 - 2 jalapenos, depending on desired heat factor
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced
• Salt
• Pepper

1. You need to char the outer skin of the jalapenos. If you're lucky enough to have a gas stove, this can be done by rotating the peppers slowly over the flame for a few minutes. If, like me, you're stuck with an electric cook top, lightly coat the jalapenos in olive oil and stick under the broiler, turning every few minutes. Once the skin is charred, place the jalapenos in a covered container or plastic bag for 15 minutes. This will allow for easy removal of the skin.

2. Meanwhile, bring a salted pot of water to boil and drop in the tomatillos. Let them cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes, until the tomatillos have turned a very light lime green. Remove from pot.

3. Working in batches if necessary, add the tomatillos, quartered onions, jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice to a blender and blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve me with crispy tortilla chips and an ice cold Pacifico!

I prefer the salsa verde served warm with a cold cerveza, but it's also equally delicious cold.