Recipe Note
Level Up: Rookie ✦ Backyard Pro ✦ Pit Legend
Rookie
✦ Spoon on carne asada tacos and grilled chicken.
✦ Drizzle over grilled corn or breakfast eggs.
✦ Chip-and-dip with warm chips.
Backyard Pro
✦ Split batch: half classic, half avocado-creamy.
✦ Add 2 sliced grilled scallions and a squeeze more lime.
✦ Finish grilled white fish with a warm spoon of verde right off the pit.
Pit Legend
✦ Warm 2 Tbsp salsa in a pan with a knob of butter; toss sliced steak in it “on the board.”
✦ Smoke-kiss: add a pinch of ground toasted cumin + a drop of mezcal for aroma.
✦ Color lock: stir in cilantro and lime after the veg cool slightly for greener pop.
From the Fire
Taquería parrillas blister the veg first—the smoke softens sharp edges so the salsa tastes like it belongs on meat hot from the grate.
Tips, Tricks & Techniques
• Rinse tomatillos well (sticky husk residue tastes bitter).
• If too sharp: pinch sugar or another splash of oil; if dull: +lime +salt.
• Keep it coarse so it clings to slices, not just the plate.
• Chill up to 4 days; stir and lime-snap right before serving.
• For no-processor cooks, knife-chop everything fine—better texture, brighter green.
Pair It (Serve & Sip)
• Carne asada • Chicken thighs • Pork tenderloin • Grilled fish & veg
• Zero-proof: Lime Topo with a pinch of salt
• Mexican lager • Paloma
About the Pitmaster
Michael McDearman is a PitMaster/Grillmaster, Restaurateur, and Good Ol’ Country Boy with a Passport full of Cook-Offs and a Phone full of Grill Photos — not a backyarder playing PitMaster online. He’s represented 50+ Major BBQ & Grilling Companies, served 3 Years as Grillmaster for Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., Won Contests Around the World, earned SIX Straight Golden Tickets to the Steak World Championship, and Judges Food Competitions on the World’s Largest Food Sport Stages.
Michael and Stoking the Coals are here to help busy families, new grillers and seasoned hosts get Pro level results without the chaos and catastrophes. We are all in this together!
