Salsa Picante

• Recipe by Chris Cosentino

This piquant, bright-red blend of dried and fresh chiles has a bracing kick, making it ideal for rich meats like grilled pork chops and beef rib eyes.

Ingredients

1. 8 dried New Mexico chiles
2. 3 guajillo chiles
3. 3 dried cayenne chiles or chiles de arbol
4. 2 fresh serrano chiles, seeded and minced
5. 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6. 1 medium red onion, minced
7. 4 fresh red Fresno chiles or jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
8. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
9. 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
10. 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
11. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large, heatproof bowl, cover the New Mexico, guajillo and cayenne chiles with hot water. Let stand until the chiles soften, about 15 minutes. Drain, seed and coarsely chop the chiles and transfer to a blender. Add the serranos and the olive oil and puree until smooth.
2. Transfer the chile puree to a medium bowl. Stir in the onion, Fresno chiles, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley and season with salt and black pepper. Let the salsa stand for at least 1 hour before serving.

Make Ahead

The salsa can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.