A quick, vibrant salsa roja with charred tomatoes and chiles—perfect for tacos or as a guisado base.

Ingredients

• 5 medium ripe Roma tomatoes (or 4 larger)
• 2–3 fresh chiles (jalapeño or serrano; more for heat, less for mild)
• ¼ medium white onion, cut into thick slices
• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lime juice)
• ½ tsp ground cumin (optional, but nice with venison)
• ½ tsp Mexican oregano (or regular oregano, pinch)
• 1–2 Tbsp neutral oil or lard
• Salt to taste
• Splash of stock or water if needed

Instructions

Step 1: Char the Base

On a dry cast-iron skillet, griddle, or under a broiler, roast tomatoes, chiles, onion slices, and garlic until blistered/blackened in spots.

Peel garlic once roasted.

Step 2: Blend

Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, vinegar, cumin, and oregano to a blender.

Blend until smooth, adding a splash of stock or water if it's too thick.

Step 3: Fry the Sauce

Heat oil/lard in a skillet until shimmering.

Pour in blended sauce (careful, it'll sizzle) and cook 5–7 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened and deepened in color.

Salt to taste.

Serving Options

• As a taco salsa: Keep it a bit thinner, drizzle over shaved venison in tortillas.
• As a guisado-style filling: Toss venison in the sauce, let it simmer together for 2–3 minutes, then serve inside tacos.