Recipe: Veracruzana Sauce for dear Gail.

Veracruzana Sauce

Use this sauce together with the Molcajete Sauce, the selected sliced grilled beef, chicken or seafood, the sliced white fried cheese, the sliced tortillas fried in a little olive oil, & the chopped cilantro. Mix everything & heat until the flavors are married. Serve in the Molcajete with accompaniments of FRIJOLES DE OLLA y ARROZ MEJICANO. The recipe for Frijoles de olla is at my first posting. Also the Molcajete Sauce. Mix with the above mentioned ingredients. Toss until well heated & serve in the Molcajete with the accompaniments.

Salsa Veracruzana
(Veracruz-style Sauce)
Recipe Source: Zarela's Veracruz by by Zarela Martinez, Houghton Mifflin, 2001

There are versions of salsa a la veracruzana ranging from thin to thick, fussy to minimalist. Some people puree the tomatoes and let everything else simmer in them; others chop all the ingredients rather coarse or very fine and let them cook down to a juicy mixture or a dense paste. For me, the only essential thing is very good tomatoes. If the fresh ones in your market look dismal, use good canned plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzanos from Italy). The following salsa a la veracruzana comes from La Sopa Restaurant in Xalapa, known not just for good food but for cultural activities (it's also an art gallery) and good works (at the time of the pre-Christmas procession-pageants called posadas, La Sopa feeds homeless children). Lunchtime always finds people lined up around the block waiting to eat the inexpensive comida corrida (set menu). Owner/chef Pepe Ochoa has been known to serve his salsa a la veracruzana with canned tuna in empanadas over fish (huachinango a la Veracruzana or as an addition to the Molcajete).
Makes about 3 to 3 1/2 cups

1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves (3 whole, 2 minced)
1 medium-sized white onion, chopped fine
4 to 5 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), chopped fine, or one 28-ounce can of Italian plum tomatoes with juice, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon capers (about 12 - 15 large or 24 - 30 small ones)
12 small pimiento-stuffed green olives
2 to 3 pickled jalape o chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup parsley leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
2 sprigs of fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried marjoram
2 sprigs of fresh Mexican oregano or 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground canela
1/2 cup dry white wine

In a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan with a well-fitting lid, heat the olive oil to rippling over medium-high heat. Add the 3 whole garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until deep golden (but not browned) on all sides; remove and discard.

Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and the chopped onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until slightly concentrated.

Add all the remaining ingredients and cook, covered, for another 15-20 minutes, until the flavors are richly melded and it is as thick as you like.

Taste for salt and add another pinch or two if desired (the capers and olives will contribute some). If using whole fresh herbs, fish them out of the sauce and discard before serving.