Guess what. Tomatillos aren’t baby tomatoes. Yeah. Even though the Spanish name translates to “little tomato," they are something else entirely. What are tomatillos then? Allow us to explain.
First things first. These little fruits (yep, they're fruits, just like tomatoes and cucumbers) are native to (and largely grown in) Mexico, but have been adopted by American farmers due to their resistance to disease. Tomatillos, sometimes called husk tomatoes, look like green, unripe tomatoes with a dry, leafy husk that wraps around the outside. The color of the fruit is a beautiful bright green, which fades a bit once you cook them—but hey, some of us just peak early, right?
Tomatillos have a slightly more acidic, slightly less sweet flavor than ripe and unripe tomatoes. Overall, the flavor is more vegetal and bright, and the interior texture is denser and less watery. Prepping a tomatillo is pretty straight forward. The husks can be easily removed with your hands and discarded. You’ll notice a sticky film on the surface, which will come off with a quick rinse under warm water. From here, you decide what you want to do with them. If you want to keep the flavor bright and play up their bracing acidity, use them raw. If you want to mellow out that acidity a bit and access the fruit's deeper, more savory qualities, cooking them—whether you're roasting or grilling them whole or chopping them for a saute—is the move.
Roasted tomatillo salsa is great. Raw tomatillo salsa is tangy and great. But tomatillos are good for more than salsa. You can keep the sauce train running by pureeing them into creamy sauces and curries, or add them into vinaigrettes for more acid. They can also sub in for a tomato when sliced thinly, layered over some ricotta, drizzled with olive oil, and eaten on toast. You can grill them with onions for steak side, incorporate them into bean-heavy chili or posole, or braise them with chicken for a saucy stew.
Tomatillos are versatile as all hell and pack fresh, tangy flavor that lights up a spring or summer dinner. They can be anything you want them to be. Just don’t call them baby tomatoes. It hurts their feelings.
Tomatillo salsa is a solid tostada topping, FYI.
