Smoky Tomatillo-Pineapple Salsa

Servings: 2  cups
From Season 9, Mexico—One Plate At A Time

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound (4 to 6 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 1 small red onion, cut into ¼ inch slices
  • 1/4 small pineapple, peeled, and cut into slabs (you will need about 6 ounces of grill-able pineapple)
  • 1/4 small jicama, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces (you will need about ½ cup)
  • 2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, stemmed, seeds removed if you wish, and chopped into very small pieces
  • Salt
  • Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Turn on a gas grill to medium or light a charcoal fire, letting the coals burn until they are covered with a gray ash and are medium-hot. If you have wide grates, place a perforated grill pan over the grates. Lay the tomatillos, onion and pineapple slices directly over the fire and grill on all sides until everything is splotchy black in places and soft, about 15 minutes depending on the heat of your fire. Cool all the roasted ingredients, then cut the pineapple and onion into ¼-inch pieces and finely chop the tomatillos. Combine in a bowl with the jicama and chiles. Taste and season with salt, usually about a teaspoon, and a little sugar, about ¼ teaspoon, to balance the tanginess if you like.