Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Vegetables for Roasting
- 500 g plum tomato, whole, washed
- 100 g white onion, cut into thick wedges
- habanero pepper, whole
- garlic, unpeeled cloves
Finishing Ingredients
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, stems included
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 13 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 3 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 165 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 125 mg
- Calcium
- 9 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 15 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.0 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 11 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place a dry cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Allow it to preheat until smoking slightly, reaching a surface temperature of roughly 200°C/400°F.
Place the whole plum tomatoes, thick white onion wedges, unpeeled garlic cloves, and whole habanero peppers directly into the dry cast iron skillet. Char the vegetables, using tongs to turn them occasionally.
Remove the vegetables from the skillet as they finish. The garlic and habanero will finish first (about 5-7 minutes). Once cool enough to handle, peel the papery skins off the garlic and discard. Carefully remove the stem from the habanero pepper. Wear gloves if handling the habanero with bare fingers.
In a molcajete or the bowl of a food processor, add the peeled garlic, stemless habanero pepper, and sea salt. Grind or pulse until a rough, fragrant paste forms.
Add the warm charred tomatoes (do not peel them), charred onion wedges, fresh cilantro, and lime juice to the habanero paste. Gently mash with the molcajete pestle or pulse a few times in the food processor to combine.
Taste the salsa and adjust the seasoning with additional sea salt or a splash more lime juice if needed. Let the salsa rest at room temperature so the smoky and spicy flavors meld before serving.
Chef's Notes
- For a truly authentic Yucatecan flavor, substitute the lime juice with the juice of a sour orange (naranja agria), which provides the traditional floral acidity of the region.
- When using a food processor instead of a molcajete, strictly use the pulse function in short bursts to maintain a rustic, chunky texture rather than a watery, smooth puree.
- Keep the skins on the tomatoes! The blackened, charred skin is absolutely essential for the signature smoky flavor of chiltomate.
- Wear gloves when handling roasted habaneros. The capsaicin oils will stick to your fingers and can cause severe burning if you subsequently touch your face or eyes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight glass container to prevent staining and odor transfer.
Freezer: 3 months — Freezing will alter the texture slightly; best used in cooked dishes like stews or braises after freezing.
Troubleshooting
Salsa is overwhelmingly spicy.
Cause: Too much habanero used or the pepper was exceptionally hot.
Fix: Blend in one extra roasted tomato or add a small pinch of sugar or agave syrup to balance the aggressive heat.
Prevention: Start with half a habanero, removing the seeds and internal white ribs before blending to drastically reduce the heat.
Salsa tastes bitter or acrid.
Cause: Garlic cloves were burnt completely rather than just having their papery skins scorched.
Fix: Cannot be fixed if the burnt garlic has already been blended. Must start over.
Prevention: Remove the garlic from the skillet earlier than the tomatoes, as it burns much faster.
Salsa is too watery.
Cause: Tomatoes had very high water content or were over-blended in a food processor.
Fix: Strain salsa briefly through a fine mesh sieve to remove excess liquid.
Prevention: Use meaty plum (Roma) tomatoes and pulse briefly instead of continuously running the food processor.
Cultural Context
Chiltomate is an ancient, fundamental table salsa in the Yucatan Peninsula with deep Mayan origins. It is traditionally made by roasting locally grown vegetables over an open wood fire and crushing them in a volcanic stone molcajete. This smoky condiment serves as an essential, everyday accompaniment to iconic regional dishes like Poc Chuc and Huevos Motulenos.
