Heat by the pint

El Pelón salsa

by Alex Shapiro

noshing & sipping

Blue Ribbon BBQ's half-and-half, May 25 Boston Creme muffin, May 18 Candy-cap oil, May 11 Rauxa's olives to go, May 4

Salsa isn't hard to make at home, but nine times out of 10 you don't really have time for all that shopping and chopping. When I'm jonesing for real salsa, I thank my friend Weedo -- real nickname -- for telling me about El Pelón, a tiny Fenway taquería that makes extraordinary use of ordinary ingredients and blows the doors off bland, gloppy supermarket Mexicana. The kitchen here burns through 12 gallons of smoky fire-roasted salsa every four days, plus lots of vibrant salsa fresca and a hot salsa made with homemade habanero vinegar. You know the stuff is fresh when the cilantro jumps up and does a little dance on your tongue. Also, it's tasty enough to eat with a spoon. The salsas can be purchased for $6 a pint at El Pelón Taquería, 92 Peterborough Street (Fenway), in Boston. Call (617) 262-9090.

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