Raleigh Way's Authentic Mexican Salsa

Salsa is served at almost every meal in Mexico. Two types of salsa are red tomato-based and green tomato-based (tomatillo). (Just for the record, tomatillo-based salsa is prepared differently, so don't try this with tomatillos.) This is a recipe for the red salsa called "pico de gallo," which means "rooster's beak" to indicate it is hot; pico = hot, gallo = rooster. I guess if the rooster pecks or bites you, it smarts like hot chilies!

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh, large, ripe red tomatoes (regular tomatoes)
  • Half as much onion as tomato (generally 1/4 to 1/2 medium onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4 Serrano chili peppers (Jalapeño peppers may be substituted)
  • Cilantro (1/4 of bunch or to taste)
  • Juice of one small lime
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt

NOTE: As with any recipe, adjust the ingredients to your liking. I always end up adjusting recipes as I go.

Preparation

Texture of Salsa: You may use a blender if you want a finely chopped salsa, or use a food processor if you want a coarser salsa.

Type of Tomato: You may use any red tomato you like, but I like roma tomatoes best. Romas are smaller, so if you are using them instead of the larger variety, use more for this recipe. Just consider the volume that two regular tomatoes would make, then figure out how many romas it would take to make the same volume.

Preparing Tomato: You want to remove the skin from the tomato before you process it. I do this by dropping the tomatoes into boiling water for a minute or so to facilitate loosening the skin. Quarter the tomatoes after you have removed the skin.

Preparing the Salsa in a Blender: If you want the finely chopped salsa, place all ingredients in the blender, and blend till all is smooth.

Preparing the Salsa in a Food Processor: For a more coarsely ground salsa, do the following.

  • Place garlic in processor, and blend till finely chopped. Put into a large glass or ceramic bowl.
  • Place about 1/2 cup of the onion into the processor, and blend till coarsely chopped. (Process small amounts at a time to prevent turning the onion to mush.) Pulse-blend until chunky. Put into the same bowl as the garlic and onion. Repeat till all tomato has been processed. Put into the same bowl as the garlic
  • Add some of tomato wedges and cilantro to the processor. (The same principle applies here as the onion - You don't want to turn it to mush.) Pulse-blend until chunky. Put into the same bowl. Repeat till all tomato has been processed
  • Add the chilies to the processor, and process till finely chopped. Blend until finely chopped. (You DON'T want to get a big piece in your mouth!). Put into the same bowl.
  • Stir the mixture with a wooden or plastic spoon.
  • Cover with plastic wrap or place in air tight container until ready to use. It will not keep for very long (It gets watery), so it's best to make it just before you eat it.

Preparing the Salsa by Hand: The BEST salsa is hand chopped with a sharp knife, but who's got time, especially if you're preparing it for a large group!

Your finished product should look something like this:

I stole the picture from Google.