Korean Style Salsa Roja and Onion and Cilantro Relish

OK, here's the last post in my Korean BBQ "extravaganza". To bring the whole meal together, I decided to make the Korean style salsa roja (which I had originally planned on replacing with sriracha) and onion relish. These are incredibly simple and flavorful toppings, but that salsa was a bit of work. My tomatoes and tomatillos took quite a while to get even slightly charred, but I pressed on and I am so glad I did. The salsa was fiery hot, but in a really good way. It's also tangy from the tomatoes and tomatillos and a bit nutty from the sesame oil. Not only did I enjoy this salsa in my wrap and burrito bowl, but it was fantastic on it's own (please don't judge me for dipping my spoon in it and licking it off). It goes really well with tortilla chips. I imagine some Korean-style nachos would be fantastic. I didn't bother with straining it (because I was too hungry) and I like a bit of texture in my salsa. The onion cilantro relish was tangy and had a slight bite from the onions. It was a great crunchy topping to everything.

So now that I've posted all these great recipes, do you think I could land a gig cooking on the Kogi truck??



Korean Style Salsa Roja
(Adapted from Closet Cooking)



Makes 4+ servings

1/2 pound plum tomatoes
1/4 pound tomatillos, husked and washed
1 cup water
5-6 Thai chilies, toasted
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, grated
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 tablespoons gochujang
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and crushed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roast the tomatoes and tomatillos until charred on all sides, about 15-30 minutes.

Place the tomatoes, tomatillos, water, chiles and onion into a sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer until the onions are tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain the water from the tomato/tomatillo mixture and reserve it.

Place everything other that the sesame seeds into a food processor or a blender and puree adding some of the reserved liquid if necessary.

Mix in the toasted and crushed sesame seeds.

Printable Recipe

Onion and Cilantro Relish
(From Closet Cooking)



Makes 4+ servings

1 sweet onion, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Let stand for 10-20 minutes before serving.

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