CHILE LIME SAUCE Makes ¾ cup. Asian ingredients such as fiery sambal paste and Chinese chile paste are widely used in the United States and have made inroads into new Mexican cooking too, possibly as a convenience item—a kick in a jar, if you will. This creamy salsa is good with anything fried or cheesy. It must be very spicy or the effect is lost, but the sweetness of the citrus is a perfect counterpoint. ½ cup mayonnaise 3½ tablespoons sambal or red chili paste 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice Zest of 1 orange or lemon Combine all ingredients. The sauce keeps, refrigerated, for 48 hours.
THE COMAL The comal is a simple griddle and the busiest piece of equipment in the Mexican kitchen. Cooks set this disk of thin steel or earthenware directly over a flame to cook tortillas, toast chiles and nuts, or char vegetables for salsa. I find it best to use cheap, well-seasoned cast-iron pans. Don’t use nonstick pans; the high heat required to properly toast ingredients can vaporize the coating, producing unhealthy fumes. The toasting and dry-roasting of ingredients are important techniques to master, especially when making salsa. Toasting involves cooking in a hot, dry pan, stirring all the while, until the ingredient is fragrant but never burned. Dry-roasting is the process used to char and blacken fresh vegetables. TIP: Line the pan with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent sticking. Always make sure there is plenty of ventilation when you cook with this sort of high heat, and especially when you roast chiles.