MEMBER RECIPE
Salsa Mexicana Recipe
By DiveFan
Difficulty: Easy |
Total Time:
10 minutes
|
Active Time:
|
Makes:
2 - 3 cups of salsa
I haven’t seen a definitive recipe on chow.com, so I’ll make the attempt.
BTW this sauce is a prerequisite for the great ’Merican breakfast burrito and is one of the preferred toppings for tacos and other street food.
Constructive criticism accepted!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 ea. large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 6 ea. serrano chiles, finely minced and seeded
- 1/2 white onion, finely minced, or more to taste
- 1/2 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly. For a smoother texture (that I prefer) use your standup or hand blender. Let sit for 12 hours or more before serving. Use within three days or so.
- I don’t like the texture of chile seeds but I leave in part/most of the veins (pith) for good heat. Don’t worry, the acid in the tomatoes will temper the heat some.
- I prefer a higher percentage of onion to tomato than seems common in local restaurants.
- A 16 oz can of diced or whole tomatoes, drained and chopped, can be substituted for fresh (reluctantly). FRESH is the key concept here. NEVER use tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes or anything COOKED. Lately I’m suspicious of tomato puree as well. NEVER use pickled chiles in this recipe.
- Garlic and lime juice are seen in some recipes including one from Rick Bayless. I don’t think they are necessary. ‘Traditional’ may be in the eye of the beholder’s mother :-)…
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
This is missing lime or lemon or something acidic.
I have always thought of this as pico de gallo too, not salsa. I know it as a condiment, not a dipping salsa. It could be different for other folks, but back in Texas, it went on food and in tacos, but was not eaten with a chip.
Welcome to Chowhound, hebeboy!
'Pico de gallo' can be many different things in Mexico compared to its usual meaning in the US. Eating chips with salsa or PDG is an American thing. Adding lime (or sour cream) to darn every Mexican influenced food is also an American idiosyncracy.
And of course, 'salsa' is just Spanish for 'sauce' - cooked or raw.
Actually, garlic and lime are used in pico de gallo as opposed to salsa. Salsa is more of a chip dip sauce compared to pico which is, for lack of better words, a relish. I love to use pico as a chip dip option for those who like the macho pop it offers, not to mention the chunky, fresh flavors.