Salsa Verde (Tomatillo)

Position an oven rack 4 inches beneath the broiler and set it to high. Arrange the tomatillos, whole jalapeños, onion quarters, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Broil for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the tomatillos are blackened and blistered in spots, softened and collapsing, and the jalapeño skins are charred. Flip everything once at the halfway mark. The garlic should be soft inside its skin.

Squeeze the roasted garlic from its papery skins directly into a blender. Add the charred tomatillos and their accumulated juices, the jalapeños (seeds and all for full heat, or deseed for milder), and the onion. Pulse 4-5 times to break it down, then add the cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend to your preferred texture — a few more pulses for rustic and chunky, a 20-second blitz for a pourable sauce.

Taste the salsa and season in layers: add salt first until the tomatillo flavor snaps into focus, then add lime juice in small increments to amplify the brightness without pushing it into sourness. A good salsa verde should taste bright and tangy, with the heat arriving at the back of the palate. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving — the flavors knit together as it sits.