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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Wash and remove the papery skins from:
  fresh tomatillos
 
Place tomatillos in a deep metal pan, or on a cookie sheet in a basket made of tin foil with the edges folded up and the corners crimped.  Broil them until they start to get black, then flip them over and broil the other side.  The pan or foil will fill up with juice; if you are using tin foil, be careful not to puncture it when you flip the tomatillos.
     
    Put the tomatillos and their juice into a blender, cover tightly, and buzz briefly just enough to break up the fruits.  Pour into a bowl.
 
Broil any combination of: 
  red bell peppers
  fresh poblano chiles 
fresh jalapeno chiles 
until they start to turn black, turning them over to broil evenly. 
 
Remove the stems and seeds, but do not peel them.  Put them in the blender with some of the tomatillo mixture, blend briefly and add the tomatillos. 
 
Puree:
  fresh or roasted garlic cloves
  serrano chiles 
  fresh lime juice
adding some of the tomatillo mixture if you need more liquid. 
 
Stir everything together, along with:
yellow or white onion, finely chopped.
Notes & Variations:
  1. We haven't given amounts here because it is practically impossible to screw this up.   Different proportions yield different tastes, but they are all good.  Don't worry about including the charred bits, they give it a nice, smoky flavor.
  2. This salsa keeps well in the refrigerator.  As it cools, expect it to thicken somewhat.  It also is great to freeze or can (process 10-15 minutes in glass jars with Ball lids (not Kerr lids!)).  If you have frozen it, you might want to thaw and reheat it briefly, as it can be a bit gelatinous when it defrosts.
  3. Tomatillos are very sweet, and it takes more hot pepper than you'd expect to make an impression.  You may find that a batch that seemed spicy when you made it becomes fairly mild after sitting canned or frozen.
  4. You can puree the onion instead of chopping it.  If you are not serving this salsa fresh, you may as well just puree it.  Don't go overboard with the onion: that's the one thing that can overpower the tomatillos.
  5. You can add finely chopped cilantro, in small or large quantities.  This salsa is excellent with or without cilantro, and should be tried both ways.