This recipe is commonly referred to as Pico de Gallo (rooster’s beak). I suppose it is because the ingredients are all chopped up as if they were broken up by a bird’s beak. It is one of my favorites since it is not only delicious but also low fuss. Don’t worry about chopping the vegetables into uniform sizes or shapes and certainly don’t feel compelled to measure any of the ingredients. This chunky sauce goes well with almost every Mexican dish and is the classic accompaniment to serve with tortilla chips.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 cups

　　2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and chopped

　　2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

　　1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra sprig for garnish

　　1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped

　　Juice of 1 lime

　　1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

　　

Combine the Ingredients

Step 1

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

　　

Adjust the Seasoning

Step 2

Allow the sauce to sit for about 5 minutes. The tomatoes will begin to let go of their juices and the salsa will become more liquid. Taste again for seasoning and adjust if needed.

　　

Serve or Store

Step 3

Transfer to a serving bowl if using right away and garnish with sprig of cilantro. To store, cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated.

　　

COOKING NOTES

Step 4

INGREDIENTS

　　

Step 5

Tomatoes

　　

Step 6

While round red tomatoes are the typical choice, feel free to experiment with different colors and sizes. This recipe works well when using a combination of tomatoes.

　　

Step 7

ADVANCE PREPARATION

　　

Step 8

This sauce is best made a half hour before you plan to serve it. It can be made a few hours before, but it will begin to get too watery if left to sit longer than a couple of hours.

　　

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Step 9

For the classic chips and salsa, serve this sauce with tortilla chips.

　　Reprinted with permission from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro, © April 2009 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book at Amazon or Bookshop.