What sauces did I eat and how do I replicate them?
April 4, 2018 7:19 AM Subscribe
A small semi-authentic Mexican restaurant in Texas. There are two squeeze bottles full of sauce on the table, one green, one red. Pics of the culprits. What were they and how do I make them part of my life? Details for detectives inside.
Some of you probably know exactly what I'm talking about off the top of your head, but here are some more details if they're needed:
The restaurant itself had a mix of tex-mex and actual Mexican dishes on the menu, and they were really pushing pozole if that can narrow things down a bit.
The red sauce tasted like chilis and garlic and was very spicy. The green sauce was more sour and was EXTREMELY spicy. Both sauces were thin and smooth - no chunks at all.
What the heck were these sauces and how can I make them myself?
Bonus: Where can I get those super-sturdy squeeze bottles pictured above?
Some of you probably know exactly what I'm talking about off the top of your head, but here are some more details if they're needed:
The restaurant itself had a mix of tex-mex and actual Mexican dishes on the menu, and they were really pushing pozole if that can narrow things down a bit.
The red sauce tasted like chilis and garlic and was very spicy. The green sauce was more sour and was EXTREMELY spicy. Both sauces were thin and smooth - no chunks at all.
What the heck were these sauces and how can I make them myself?
Bonus: Where can I get those super-sturdy squeeze bottles pictured above?
Likely the green was a salsa verde with tomatillo and peppers. The smoothness was probably from running through a food service blender then going through a strainer or food mill.
The bottles are standard food service squeeze bottles. Either a restaurant supply store or anywhere online with food service quality stuff will have them for a reasonable price. I highly recommend them as they're durable and cheap.
posted by Ferreous at 7:37 AM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
The bottles are standard food service squeeze bottles. Either a restaurant supply store or anywhere online with food service quality stuff will have them for a reasonable price. I highly recommend them as they're durable and cheap.
posted by Ferreous at 7:37 AM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
The green stuff is salsa verde, which isn't very helpful because the particular recipe will depend on the person making it. But it's basically green tomatoes, onions, probably cilantro, and serrano peppers. Proportions of each will vary.
posted by goatdog at 7:37 AM on April 4, 2018
posted by goatdog at 7:37 AM on April 4, 2018
I have made (and devoured) this very easy Mexican Green Sauce before. It's incredibly spicy and delicious.
The green sauce you might be referring to could be Salsa Verde or some other Mexican green sauce, but I definitely recommend this one if you like Mexican Food :)
posted by JenThePro at 7:43 AM on April 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
The green sauce you might be referring to could be Salsa Verde or some other Mexican green sauce, but I definitely recommend this one if you like Mexican Food :)
posted by JenThePro at 7:43 AM on April 4, 2018 [3 favorites]
My guess is the green sauce was a tomatillo-avocado salsa like this one.
posted by capricorn at 7:49 AM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by capricorn at 7:49 AM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
My guess for the green: Creamy Jalapeno Salsa.
posted by thedward at 8:04 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by thedward at 8:04 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Whataburger Salsa Verde isn't fresh or homemade, but it's acceptably Texan.
posted by nicebookrack at 9:46 AM on April 4, 2018
posted by nicebookrack at 9:46 AM on April 4, 2018
I learned how to make a similar tomato salsa from a woman who ran a Mexican restaurant in Austin. Her method was to wrap tomatoes and chiles (I think she used poblanos, but you could use something else if you want it spicier) in separate heavy-duty foil packets. She placed those foil packets directly on a gas burner. After a while (10-15 minutes?) they get charred. She'd then put the whole, charred tomatoes and (de-stemmed) chiles into a blender with a couple of raw garlic cloves and a pinch of salt.
Those squeeze bottles would be best sourced from a restaurant supply store.
posted by mudpuppie at 9:48 AM on April 4, 2018
Those squeeze bottles would be best sourced from a restaurant supply store.
posted by mudpuppie at 9:48 AM on April 4, 2018
Kenji's Charred Salsa Verde is delicious and easy to make.
posted by mmascolino at 10:19 AM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by mmascolino at 10:19 AM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Ask the restaurants managers. Some will sell stuff like this to you in bulk if that interests you.
posted by Justin Case at 10:20 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Justin Case at 10:20 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
It could easily have been a red chile sauce for the red and green chile sauce for the green. If you were near NM border that is even more likely.
posted by TestamentToGrace at 10:36 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by TestamentToGrace at 10:36 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah, those are just red and green salsas, and there are a thousand variations on each one. The green one most likely had tomatillos, because that’s what makes it green and that’s what supplies the sour taste. But beyond that, there could be a whole lot of different things in both of them. Some common ingredients are chiles, tomatoes, oregano, cilantro, garlic, onion, lemon or lime juice...
What was the name of the restaurant and where was it? We have enough Texans here on Metafilter that someone might know the place. And Texans are passionate about their salsas, so a person who knows the restaurant might have an idea of what’s in them.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:15 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
What was the name of the restaurant and where was it? We have enough Texans here on Metafilter that someone might know the place. And Texans are passionate about their salsas, so a person who knows the restaurant might have an idea of what’s in them.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:15 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
lots of different types of restaurant squeeze bottles are available on amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Condiment-16-Ounce-Condiments-Dressing-Workshop/dp/B01HAWNA5M/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1522867336&sr=1-5
this san antonioan/houstonian agrees that you're just looking at red and green salsas and you're never going to be able to recreate that particular restaurant's without input from the restaurant itself. most even kind of good tex-mex places are going to make that in-house and very differently from another restaurant. you often have a ton of day-to-day variance within the restaurant!
posted by anthropomorphic at 11:45 AM on April 4, 2018
this san antonioan/houstonian agrees that you're just looking at red and green salsas and you're never going to be able to recreate that particular restaurant's without input from the restaurant itself. most even kind of good tex-mex places are going to make that in-house and very differently from another restaurant. you often have a ton of day-to-day variance within the restaurant!
posted by anthropomorphic at 11:45 AM on April 4, 2018
Response by poster: The restaurant was Mexico Restaurant (seriously) in the tiny town of Mount Pleasant, Texas.
Regarding red and green salsas, I was hoping these would be something a little more concrete. The place also had both red and green salsa in bowls, and those were different - chunky, milder, no oil. Either way, I'm making both the salsa roja and the jalapeno creamy sauce linked above!
posted by FakeFreyja at 11:59 AM on April 4, 2018
Regarding red and green salsas, I was hoping these would be something a little more concrete. The place also had both red and green salsa in bowls, and those were different - chunky, milder, no oil. Either way, I'm making both the salsa roja and the jalapeno creamy sauce linked above!
posted by FakeFreyja at 11:59 AM on April 4, 2018
Regarding red and green salsas, I was hoping these would be something a little more concrete.
It is literally impossible to be more concrete than general answers like “green sauce most likely has tomatillos in it” going on what you’ve said. If you told us you went into an American restaurant and there was sauce on your food that was brown, we would not know the ingredients. Calling the place and asking is your best bet.
posted by Smearcase at 2:45 PM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
It is literally impossible to be more concrete than general answers like “green sauce most likely has tomatillos in it” going on what you’ve said. If you told us you went into an American restaurant and there was sauce on your food that was brown, we would not know the ingredients. Calling the place and asking is your best bet.
posted by Smearcase at 2:45 PM on April 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Mexico Restaurant
Address: 301 W Ferguson Rd, Mt Pleasant, TX 75455
Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 9PM
Phone: (903) 577-9421
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:59 PM on April 4, 2018
Address: 301 W Ferguson Rd, Mt Pleasant, TX 75455
Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 9PM
Phone: (903) 577-9421
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:59 PM on April 4, 2018
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Could the red one be salsa roja?
posted by torisaur at 7:36 AM on April 4, 2018