I ♥ Mexican food.
As a native Los Angeleno, I’ve been eating all types of Mexican food since I was a kid. I really enjoy cooking Mexican food too. I like to make mole, salsa, enchiladas, carnitas, carne asada, tacos, chilaquiles, and tres leches cake, so you can expect to see those recipes here eventually… but before we get into all those fancy dishes, I thought we should start with the simplest of recipes- Pico de gallo. It’s easy, tasty, and goes well on top of nearly everything (except maybe chocolate cake, but I haven’t tried that, so for all I know it could actually work).
Since I like it a little spicy, I add serrano chilis to my pico de gallo. Or, if I'm feeling especially masochistic, thai chilis… but if you don’t particularly like things very spicy, feel free to add a jalapeño instead, or just leave out the chili altogether.
What you’ll need: 3 large tomatoes on the vine, 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, 1 serrano chili, 1 lime, 1/2 Tbs of kosher salt, 1 small onion, and 2 tsp of lemon juice.
First, quarter the tomatoes. Then scoop out the seeds with your fingers and cut off any green parts from where the stem used to be. Chop the tomato and place it in a bowl with the kosher salt sprinkled on top.
Next, cut your serrano in half and take out the seeds/pith. I generally do this with a small spoon. Be sure when you do this step to not touch your eyes or face… it will burn.
Finely chop the serrano, onion, and cilantro, then add them to the tomatoes.
Now, squeeze the lime over the top, add the lemon juice, and stir. You can either make it ahead and refrigerate it, or serve immediately.
All done!
SERRANO PICO DE GALLO
Servings: 6-8
Time: 10 mins
Difficulty: easy
INGREDIENTS
3 Large Tomatoes on the Vine
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
1 Serrano Chili
1 Lime
1/2 Tbs of Kosher Salt
1 Small Onion
2 tsp Lemon Juice (optional)
METHOD
1. Quarter the tomatoes. Scoop out and discard the seeds with your fingers and cut off any green parts from where the stems used to be. Then chop into small pieces (the size of your pinky fingernail).
2. Stir the tomato in a bowl with the kosher salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the onion, cilantro, spicy pepper, and lime juice. Refrigerate or serve immediately.