Pico de Gallo is a fresh uncooked salsa/salad that can be found widely in Mexican cuisine. It is also called salsa fresca. The version featured here is tomato based. In addition to the tomatoes, onions, hot pepper, garlic and fresh cilantro/coriander make up this chopped sauce. It is seasoned with fresh lime juice and salt.
Because the ingredients are few, it is imperative that you make the salsa/salad with the freshest and best of ingredients. Tomatoes are still in season, so get firm ripe tomatoes, crisp onions, and fresh, tender cilantro/coriander.
No bottled or jarred lemon or lime juice, only fresh-squeezed will do. If you have kosher or sea salt, use that in place of fine table salt, but by all means, if table salt is all you have, that will work just fine.
There is no cooking involved in this recipe; all you need is a sharp knife to mince the ingredients. Don’t even think of tossing the ingredients into a food processor, it would ruin the texture and puree some of the ingredients. Yet again, this is a food best handmade.
Photo by Cynthia Nelson
The quantity of ingredients depends on a personal preference but tomatoes form the bulk of the salsa/salad. Here’s how to make it.
- Finely mince some onions, white/yellow/red or a combination. You should get about a heaped half cup.
- Grate or grind to a paste, a large clove of garlic. You want the garlic to be like a paste so that you don’t bite into bits of the garlic.
- Add the onions and garlic to a bowl, squeeze some lime/or lemon juice into the bowl and add salt to taste. Mix the ingredients together and set aside. This step breaks down the rawness of the garlic and onions and begins the pickling process.
- Finely mince some hot peppers, leave out the seeds and membranes if you do not want things too spicy but this sauce needs some heat.
- Wash, pat dry and dice about 4 – 5 large tomatoes. If you like, you can remove the seeds from a couple of them.
- Grab a bunch of cilantro/coriander and remove the leaves; you can leave the upper tender stems. Mince finely.
- Now add the pepper, tomatoes, and cilantro to the onion-garlic mixture, toss to mix, taste and then add more lime/lemon juice and salt until it suits your taste. To determine the taste, taste the juice after mixing the ingredients together.
- Cover the salsa/salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using, this is to help the flavours to meld.
- Bring the salsa to room temperature and give it a toss before serving.
Ways to use Pico de Gallo
- This sauce can be served with grilled seafood, grilled chicken, steak and chops.
- It goes well with fritters and fish cakes.
- Use it as a dip for a variety of chips – pita, plantain, tortilla
- Use it on sandwiches and tacos.
- Mix it on avocados or cheese dips.
- An interesting way to enjoy Pico de Gallo is to blend all the ingredients together, pass it through a sieve and some of it to a Margarita mix for a Pico de Gallo Margarita.
- Add a splash or two or three of the strained juice to lemonade or a sweet-salty, lick your lips, refreshing drink. Serve it ice cold in chilled glasses. Yum!
- Add a couple of tablespoons atop any pea soup before serving.
