Poblano crema – one green sauce to rule them all

Green sauce. It’s the stuff magical tacos are made of. No seriously, most of the time people’s favorite taco joint is determined not by the tacos themselves, but who has the best green sauce.

I’m not talking straight up tomatillo salsa verde either, but rather that creamier version with layers of chile flavor and a little slap in the face of heat. Ready to have your mind blown? Most of the ‘cremas’ don’t even have any dairy in them and all the richness comes from avocado! #whoa!

The green poblanos add a real freshness to the sauce, a bright note against beef and rich, fatty foods, similar in effect to chimichurri. It’s ridiculously easy to make and keeps in the fridge for about a week. Unfortunately, since my move stateside, I’ve had to rebuild my extensive collection of kitchen appliances and my crema was made with a stick blender attachment, which didn’t give as smooth a consistency as I wanted. A blender or food processor would certainly work better, and you could even strain the mix once or twice for a super smooth and refined finish.

If you feel like you want to increase the indulgence factor, add a spoonful or two of sour cream. Full fat, of course. And if you prefer a little more bite, add in some Serrano chiles to the roasting stage. Then drizzle over medium rare flank steak slices in a warm flour tortilla. Or eat it directly from the spoon. Either way, delicious.

Poblano crema a.k.a taco green sauce

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro/coriander
• 1 large or 2 small ripe avocados
• 1 medium white onion
• 1-2 poblano pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 3 fresh tomatillos
• 1 lime
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. De-seed the chile peppers and cut into rough chunks. Also chop the onion and tomatillos into large chunks.
2. Place on a foil lined tray and oven roast at 390f/400c until skin blisters and all items have softened. Then remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. Add all roasted items to a food processor, along with the cilantro leaves (no stems), the juice of one lime and salt. Blend until smooth.
4. Add in avocado and blend again until mix is creamy.
5. If a finer sauce is desired, pass sauce through a strainer and blend again.