Last updated on February 10th, 2015
Pssst… Contributor C.C.’s got a salsa secret…
There are secret recipes and then there are secret weapons.
There is salsa and then there is the one salsa.
Papalote Roasted Tomato Salsa.
CHOW magazine, upon discovering the salsa, sent a sample to France in attempts to deconstruct the recipe. And most famously, it knocked down Iron Chef Bobby Flay on Throwdown’s burrito episode. In his words, “The salsa is the secret weapon.”
According to the Papalote website, the salsa is the culmination of 50 years of tradition. It is described as “inarguably distinctive, delivering an unmistakable burst of flavor when accompanying a single tortilla chip, while complementing Miguel’s dishes without overpowering the complex and sometimes subtle characteristics of his marinades and sauces.”
It is described by C.C. and B.F. simply as “crack.” When they first get a jar, it is guaranteed that the next three dinners will consist of nachos, which enables C.C. to flex the extent of her culinary skills in all their microwaveable glory. But never mind, the salsa raises the dish to a fine art.
It is insanely good. You can put it on pretty much anything: meat, fish, skewers, eggs…. C.C. secretly hopes that B.F. will update his Anglo ketchup addiction with something more appropriately Californian.
And C.C. is ecstatic to discover that the salsa fits she and B.F.’s Paleo diet requirements (just not including the salt). Because it is so creamy and delicious, C.C. can’t believe it’s not enhanced somehow with a dab of cream or a slice of buttershe’s aware that butter is not a traditional salsa ingredient, thank you very much. But it’s just that yummy!
Until recently, you could only obtain a jar of the fiery red goodness in San Francisco, at the two not-so-secret Papalote locations tucked away in the Mission (the original Papalote Mexican Grill) or on Fulton Street. But since November 2010, Papalote has begun offering their salsa at fine stores in the Bay Area and, best of all, online.
Yes, you too can discover Weapons of Mass Gustation.
Disclaimer: C.C. is in no way affiliated with Papalote, apart from the likelihood of a dribble permanently on her chin. Yum!