Green, red and the one we warn you about. What is in each, and which one belongs on what you ordered.
Every table gets the same three, and almost nobody uses them the same way. Here is what is in them, so you can stop guessing.
The green one
Tomatillo, serrano, garlic, cilantro and lime, blended while it is still warm. It is bright and a little sour and it wakes food up rather than covering it.
Put it on carnitas, on pollo, on anything fried. It is also the safest one to hand someone who says they do not like heat and then keeps reaching for the bowl.
The red one
Dried chiles, toasted until the kitchen smells of them, then tomato, onion and garlic cooked down slowly. Deeper than the green, and warmer rather than sharper.
This is the one for carne asada, for barbacoa, for anything that spent a long time over heat before it got to you.
The other one
There is a third. We do not put its name on the board and we do not stop anyone either.
Ask at the counter. Start with less than you think.
