The World’s Best Pico de Gallo

It is hard for our family to ever get its fill of fresh Pico de Gallo. So we all work as a team to chop up a huge batch every week or so.

Our daughter Rebekah started this tradition several years ago. Dad brags to everybody she makes the “world’s best pico de gallo” — and the title stuck.

No single serving sizes for us! We make several quarts at a time, often doubling (or – if company’s coming – tripling) the recipe below.

Even then, it seldom lasts us more than 48 hours. Store-bought Pico just can’t compare to the taste and texture of the stuff the kids and I mix up in our own kitchen. This is especially true during the summer months, when we incorporate ingredients grown in our own garden.

Ingredients:

• 8-15 Roma tomatoes
• 1-2 red onions (or yellow if you’re out of red :-))
• 4-6 jalapeños
• 2 bunches cilantro
• 4-5 garlic cloves (optional)
• juice from 8-12 limes
• salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Dice the tomatoes very small. Roma tomatoes give the best consistency and flavor, in my opinion, though we’ve tried other varieties with less favorable results. We don’t bother seeding the Roma tomatoes, but would definitely seed any other kind.
   
   

   

2. Dice jalapeños finely, as well. Unless you like super-hot salsa, you’ll want to halve, seed, and rinse your peppers before chopping. Also, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after this step, to avoid getting oil from peppers into your eyes when later you wipe away tears from cutting onions. (Experience talking – you don’t want jalapeño juice anywhere near your eyes!)
   
   

   

3. Next, dice the onions. My daughter uses red onions in her pico, but it tastes yummy with sweet noonday onions, too. I use whatever kind I have on hand. Put diced onions in a large bowl with the diced tomatoes and jalapeños.
   
   
4. Rinse and chop your cilantro finely. Add to other ingredients.
   
   
5. Stir in minced garlic, if desired (I love garlic, but my daughter likes to leave it out). Add the juice from your limes, as well, plus a little salt to intensify the taste. I seldom measure this step. Instead, I just give my salt shaker a few shakes, stir it in, then follow up with a taste test. Then repeat this step until I’m satisfied with the taste (and have had a head start on the Pico).
   
   

   

Ideas for using up the World’s Best Pico de Gallo:

• Grab a spoon and eat it straight. It’s that good!
• Scoop it up with restaurant style tortilla chips.
• Warm some up with a jar of Cheese Whiz for some spicy queso.
• Add a few spoonsful to fresh, chopped avocado for quick and easy guacamole.
• Use it together with some grated cheddar as an omelet filler (or topper).
• Pair with soft corn tortillas and pulled pork for some yummy street tacos.
• Mix 2 cups of Pico with a can of black beans (rinsed and drained) and a can of shoe peg corn (also drained) for a savory side salad.
• Spoon onto a baked potato with a dollop of sour cream.