
This smoky, deep-red salsa starts with roma tomatoes charred hard on a hot skillet until the skins blister and the flesh turns sweet and jammy, joined by blackened onion and garlic for that classic roasted backbone. Dried guajillo and ancho chiles get toasted just until fragrant, then simmered until soft and blended into the mix for layered warmth without any real heat spike. A touch of Mexican oregano rounds out the flavor before everything gets a quick fry in oil to concentrate the color and thicken it into a spoon-coating consistency. The whole process leans on whole vegetables, dried chiles, and simple aromatics, which makes it a naturally easy fit for an anti-inflammatory kitchen. Serve it warm over eggs, roasted vegetables, or grilled chicken, or let it cool and spoon it over just about anything that needs a little smoky depth. It's the kind of make-ahead staple worth keeping in the fridge all week.
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Heat a large dry skillet or comal over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Place the tomato halves cut-side down, the onion wedges, and the unpeeled garlic cloves in the skillet. Cook undisturbed until the tomatoes are deeply charred on the cut side, about 5–6 minutes. Flip the tomatoes and continue cooking until the skins blister and the flesh softens, another 3–4 minutes. Turn the onion and garlic occasionally until charred in spots and softened, about 8 minutes total. Transfer everything to a plate and peel the garlic once cool enough to handle.
In the same dry skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles one at a time, pressing each flat with a spatula for 10–15 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darkened — watch closely, as they can scorch quickly. Transfer the toasted chiles to a small saucepan, cover with 1 cup water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 8 minutes until the chiles are fully softened and pliable, then remove from heat.
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