This is an example of a salsa fresca or salsa cruda — “fresh” or “raw” sauce, meaning an uncooked sauce to be used as a condiment at table or street stall. There are many variations on salsa cruda, but this simple version is known everywhere. Pico de gallo (rooster’s beak) is what we call it in northern Mexico — but don’t confuse it with the salad eaten under that name in Guadalajara and Mexico City. It can be served with almost any kind of dish — beans, eggs, tortillas, and various antojitos (snacks), or meat, fish, or poultry. The two imperatives are that the tomatoes must be truly ripe and sweet and that the sauce should be eaten at once. If you must, you can hold it for up to 2 hours refrigerated and tightly covered, but it loses its magic fast. But all is not lost if some is left over; it can be quickly sautéed in a little lard, butter, or vegetable oil to be served in a more durable reincarnation. In fact, it’s probably the sauce I use most in this manner.
Pico de Gallo Norteño
Ingredients
- 2-4 fresh chiles either jalapeño or serrano, or to taste, tops removed but not seeded
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 4 large ripe red tomatoes peeled but not seeded (about 2½ pounds)
- 6-8 scallions with part of green tops
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves loosely packed
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or to taste, crumbled
- Juice of 1 large lime
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- With a large sharp knife, chop the chiles very fine. Mince the garlic. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the scallions and cilantro.
- Place the garlic, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro in a large bowl. If the tomatoes are very dry and juiceless, gradually add up to ½ cup cold water to achieve a light salsa consistency. Stir to mix the ingredients.
- Add the chiles a little at a time, tasting, until it is just as hot as you like.
- Add the oregano, then squeeze the lime juice into the salsa; gradually add salt to taste. Use at once.
