One meal that my sister and I always looked forward to eating when we were growing up was my mom’s carnachas. These were tostadas topped with shredded beef, cheese, and salsa de carnachas.
According to my mom, the origins of my family’s carnachas recipe comes from Veracruz where my Tio Gilberto’s family came from. Our salsa de carnachas has a similar taste to Salsa a la Veracruzana with flavors rich in tomatoes, onions, garlic, but distinguished by the japones chiles.
The japones chiles (pictured) are originally from Mexico, but are heavily used in Asian cuisine. According to Speciality Produce, the chile was brought over from Mexico to Asia during the 1500’s and became vastly popular throughout the region. In Japan they are known as the Hontaka or Santaka Pepper, which means “fire bringer.” Think of the japones chiles like a Chile de Árbol, but a little less spicy. They create the perfect amount of heat for Salsa de Carnachas.
This salsa is very easy to put together, which makes it convenient for a mid-week carnacha dinner. If you want to increase the complexity of your carnachas, try adding additional toppings such as avocado slices, cabbage, or Mexican Pickled Onions.
INGREDIENTS
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 diced roma tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
7 japones chiles
¼ cup diced white onion
1 tsp salt
½ tsp onion salt
½ tsp garlic salt
DIRECTIONS
Saute the chiles and diced onions in oil over the stove for two minutes. Transfer the roasted chilies and onions from the pan to a blender. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes to the blender as well and purée for one minute. After they finish blending, pour the sauce back into the same frying pan and add in the seasonings. Let the sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes before eating.
Sunday Salsa 