Small tomatillos will be sweeter than larger ones. Generally, a good tomatillo should be smaller than a golf ball. Also pay attention to the husk surrounding the fruit. It should be light brown and fresh. Avoid tomatillos with shriveled, dried husks.
The husks are inedible, so removal is necessary. You should leave the actual green skin of the fruit intact.
Most tomatillos will be slightly sticky before you clean them. Dry well with clean paper towels when done.
Do not stack the tomatillos in multiple layers. A cast iron frying pan will give you the best results, but if you do not have a cast iron pan, any heavy pan should work well enough. This method draws out the “earthy” flavor undertones of the fruit.
Continue cooking until the tomatillos become very soft on all sides. You should also notice some light browning on all sides, but the skins will not usually blacken when you use this method.
You can peel the skin off tomatillos after cooking them, but doing so is only optional.
Do not slice the tomatillos in half from top to bottom. Keep the them in an even, single layer on your baking sheet. Do not overlap the halves or stack them in multiple layers, since doing so will prevent them from cooking evenly. The halves should be cut-side down on your baking sheet.
The skins should begin to shrivel and may take on some light browning, but this method will not cause the skins to char or blacken.
You can peel the tomatillos, if desired, but doing so is not necessary.
Most broilers only have two settings: “on” and “off. " If you broiler has “high” and “low” settings, though, switch it to the “low” option. Prepare a broiler-safe baking sheet or baking dish by spraying it lightly with a thin coat of cooking spray.
A horizontal cut is preferable to a vertical cut. The halves should be cut-side up on your cooking sheet and kept to a single layer. Do not stack them or overlap them in multiple layers.
The pieces do not need to be dripping wet with cooking oil, but the surfaces should all be covered. In the absence of cooking spray, you could drizzle a little vegetable oil over the surfaces or brush the oil on with a pastry brush.
At this point, you should remove the tray from the broiler and flip the halves over to the other side.
The flesh of the tomatillos will be very soft at this point.
You can peel the skins off after cooking the tomatillos, if you so desire, but charred skins can enrich the flavor of sauces, salsas, and other recipes with a smoky taste.
If using a gas grill, preheat all the burners to a medium-high temperature. Allow the grill at least 10 to 15 minutes to reach an ideal heat. If using a charcoal grill, light a full chimney of charcoal on fire. Once the coals are covered with gray ash, pour them out into your grill and spread them across the bottom.
If you do not have cooking spray, you could also coat the grate with vegetable oil. Make sure that the grate is also clean before you oil it.
By this point, the cut sides and skins should both be brown.
The skins will usually be charred and blackened by this point.
The skin can affect the texture of your final dish, so if desired, you can peel the skin off your tomatillos after cooking them. Since charred skins contribute a smoky flavor to finished sauces and dishes, though, many cooks prefer to leave them intact.
To prevent yourself from getting burned, you may also want to slip on a flame-resistant oven mitt. Alternatively, you could place the tomatillo on a heatproof surface.
Make sure that you turn the tomatillo as you torch it so that the flame can touch it from all sides. If you do not rotate the fruit, it may cook unevenly. Note that the tomatillo will also become very soft as you roast it.
You can easily peel off the charred skins if you do not like the flavor and texture, but the skins are perfectly edible and can be left on if you choose to do so. Moreover, the skins take on a smoky flavor when charred, so they may even enhance the overall taste of a sauce or salsa.
