Salsa Verde

Though there are many variations of salsa verde, they all contain pretty much the same ingredients. My basic version follows......

1 lb tomatillos - husked, rinsed, and quartered
5 serrano chiles - stems removed and coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves - peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro - coarsely chopped
1 medium white onion - finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (if needed)

Put tomatillos, chiles, garlic, and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until you get the texture that you like. I like it chunky but others like it pureed. Pour mixturer in a bowl and blend in onion and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed.

As an alternative, you can "toast" the whole tomatillos (remove husks), stemmed chiles, and unpeeled garlic under a broiler or in an ungreased skillet until blackened in spots then proceed as above. Also, I'll occasionally add the chopped flesh of 1 avocado for variation.

My recipe is similar, from Rick Bayless:

-8 ounces (5 to 6 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
-Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed
-5 or 6 sprigs fresh cilantro (thick stems removed), roughly chopped
-Scant � cup finely chopped white onion
-Salt

Roast the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until darkly roasted, even blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side�4-5 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatillos and chiles that are soft and cooked through. Cool, then transfer everything to a blender, including all the delicious juice that has run out onto the baking sheet. Add the cilantro and � cup water, blend to a coarse puree and scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove the excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous � teaspoon.

From what i've read on the web about salsa verde, and from these two above recipes, i guess i can't very well call what i made salsa verde. guess i should call it 'all killer, no filler pepper sauce'. it sure was taste though.
i'm not too familiar with this tomatillos. i've seen them, and ate them. what are their characteristics?

Salsa Verde by definition is green sauce. Recipes are different depending on the Mexican state you live in and family to family. With all the time I've spent in Mexico.. I find their heat to be relatively mild.. the hot stuff is typically gringo. That is a broad statement.. but genarally runs true.. the heat is added to the meal by the person eating it.. in fact.. you will often see them eating a rather bland meal.. so to speak.. and eating a chile separately.. so, salsa doea not necessarily compute to hot.

Typically, Salsa Verde will contain some amount of Tomatillos as mentioned. They make up the majority of the bulk of the salsa. Cilantro is a must (parsley won't work unless you have a problem with cilantro.. it is pretty strong and some don't like it.. but it is the Mexican parsley) as is garlic and salt to taste. As far as heat goes, Anaheims and Jalapenos or a mix of both are pretty usual.. and build the heat to your own prefereences. Some homes will add an avocado to the blend to add a different flavora nd thicken things up. A little onion is pretty common but can really change the overall flavor.. and overpower.