Subtle, spicy, smooth, and chunky: The finer points of salsa
Joe Engle
Tex Tubb's enchiladas, coated and dotted with salsas rojas and verdes.
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Salsa's often free at local Mexican restaurants, and some diners take for granted how well it goes with a cold Negra Modelo, a basket of chips, and some quartered limes. That said, salsas can be as varied and nuanced as the dishes you're paying to eat. Decider went on the hunt to find Madison's best chip-dipping treats, and sampled everything from subtle to searing hot.
Red salsas (rojas)
Rojas are the most common salsas, made with tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions. If you don’t speak Spanish, start with Tex Tubb's Taco Palace. This Austin-style taco joint features salsa bars that offer two rojas, along with an above-average salsa verde. Order some chips and try the "mild" (onions, cilantro, tomato, and garlic) and then the "hot" (habanero, roasted tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and tomatillo). They’re quite different despite the common ingredients, and a taste-test comparison is a worthwhile endeavor. If you’re looking for less polish, you’ll be well rewarded at El Pastor. The staff will promptly set you up with a basket of oiled tortilla chips and two homemade salsas, one being a roja. It’s a relatively thin and mild blend of white onions, tomatoes, and green peppers, and it’ll have you compulsively dipping.
Green salsas (verdes)
Green salsas are made with a base of tomatillos and peppers. Guanajuato has a salsa bar, and it’s one of the best in Madison. Spicy pickled peppers and carrots fill one tub, and others offer a variety of chiles and salsas. Accent it all with fresh-squeezed lime juice, and start spooning it over your chips. A bit like guacamole, Guanajuato's salsa verde is a smooth and mildly heat-infused blend of avocados, tomatillos, and chilies.
Bottled hot sauces
Hot sauce is salsa’s more intense sibling. El Yucateco salsa, made from red chili habanero peppers, pepper, water, tomato, salt, and spices, can be found at many local restaurants, including Juanita’s Tacos and Tex Tubb's. This thinner, chunkless salsa is usually hotter than homemade table salsas are. Cholula and Valentina are both decent in most of their forms, and can be found at Qdoba, Cancun, and La Zacatecana.
Best Mexican grocery outlets
Fresh salsas should be homemade or eaten in a restaurant if possible, but when cooking at home, it's good to have options. La Hispana Grocery Store (4512 E. Washington Ave.) has a fine array of bottled salsas and hot sauces, including the hard-to-find Valentina black sauce. Mercado Marimar (2102 S. Park St.) features Extra Hot Valentina Salsa Picante, and Guanajuato has an attached grocery with many options for fiery tongue annihilation.
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