The Salsa

When Herndon, VA's legendary Mexican joint The Tortilla Factory closed down after over 30 years of fabulous food, there were a whole lot of saddened people.  We were sad we could no longer dine in what had become a Herndon institution...but mainly because we could no longer get the chips and salsa.  The chips were home made and sensational...but the salsa was something really special.  The restaurant closure left us standing in the shadow of a huge condimental void, and my old friend Mason and I decided; the only way to step out of the darkness was to make our own salsa...and so the pursuit to replicate the Tortilla Factory salsa began.

After some digging (and bothering people who used to work at the restaurant), we got our hands on what we were told was "the" recipe.  Mason and I experimented with it, and we have both implemented subtle variations to the recipe we started with.  At first, my variations came in the name of trying to replicate the Tortilla Factory's concoction...but along the way it just became a pursuit of damn good salsa - and many have told me that's what I make.

Some kitchen notes about the recipe:
• The recipe we got didn't have mixing instructions. I use a blender, and I put the cilantro in first.  Once all the ingredients are in, I just pulse it until everything's mixed and chopped nicely...being careful to not liquify.  I like it to have some texture.
• For those that don't have a kitchen scale, 3-4 oz of cilantro is about what most grocery stores sell as a bunch, and that's with just the very bottoms of the stems trimmed off. It's going to seem like an awful lot of Cilantro - but roll with it. 
• I have made several batches that ended up with a dominance of onion flavor. To prevent this - use a medium onion on the smaller side, or use a half or 3/4 - depending on the strength of the onion. 
• Fresh tomatoes might seem like a better idea than canned, but I've tried it both ways and with numerous varieties of tomatoes, and my conclusion is the canned is not only easier but tastes better.  Furthermore, I always use San Marzano tomatoes.  They're more expensive, and worth it.

1 28oz can tomatos
1 Medium sweet onion - chopped
2 tsp prepared chopped fresh garlic
2 tsp oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbs black pepper - fresh ground
1 tbs Tabasco
3-4 oz cilantro - chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup corn oil

A note about chips.  The Tortilla Factory's chips were very crisp and thin.  The closest Mason and I have found are a brand called Xochitl.  I find them at Whole Foods and Wegman's consistently.  I've heard Walmart and Giant sell them, too - but have looked and never seen them there.  An alternate is Tostitos Cantina Thin & Crispy.  Those are available pretty much everywhere.

If you try it - I invite you to come back and let me know what you think.  Also - please leave a comment if you made any variations and/or substitutions!