Easy Pico De Gallo

Got chips? Got guacamole? Now you just need some pico de gallo to enhance your fajitas, grilled fish, cooked eggs, or whatever it is you like. Pico de gallo, or pico, as we like to call it in Texas, literally means, "beak of the rooster." Why would a mixture of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and chili peppers have anything to do with a rooster? Well, a rooster's beak is pretty sharp and would hurt if it poked someone. Similarly, the spiciness of the pico will "poke" the eater's taste buds.

While the standard peppers used in pico are usually jalapenos or serranos, my family prefers to use a different kind of pepper: meet the chiltepin pepper. The chltepin grows wild in northern Mexico and south Texas. As a child, we would walk the fences of our ranch and pick these prized peppers right off of the bushes. The bushes grow along fences because they are a favorite food of birds (and you know what birds do when they sit on fences).

Chiltepin peppers burn extremely hot (50,000-100,000 Scoville units), but the heat does not last long. The flavor of these little peppers tastes amazing: they taste fruity (like citrus, almost) and fresh. Chiltepin peppers can take some getting used to because of their heat, but they are highly addictive! My father carries them around in his shirt pocket and adds them to just about every food.

These small peppers can be found at many large grocery or specialty stores. If your city has a large Latino population with fresh food markets, then chances are high that these peppers will be there. You will only need about ten fresh peppers for this recipe, or you can buy more and place them in the freezer. Like other peppers, they come in green and red varieties. The red ones are hotter, but the green ones work just fine. Here is a word of caution: these peppers look very appealing to young children because of their bright color and small size. They look like candy but are far from it! Keep them stored out of sight!

If you cannot find chiltepins, then you can always substitute jalapenos or serranos in the pico.

*A molcajete is important in the preparation of this easy pico de gallo. However, if you don't have one you can always use either a mini-food processor or even a mortar and pestle.

Here is my Mama's recipe for easy pico de gallo:

Gather the following items:

molcajete (see * above)
cutting board
chef's knife
1 clove of garlic
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 small white onion
8 Roma tomatoes
1 key lime (optional)
salt
10 chiltepin peppers OR 1-2 serranos OR 1-2 jalapenos

1. Peel and dice the onion into medium-small pieces.

2. Take 4 of the tomatoes and dice them into similar-sized pieces.

3. Wash and dry cilantro. Using the leaves only, rough-chop about 1/4-1/3 cup. IF you are using jalapeno or serrano peppers, then you will seed and devein them, then dice in small pieces, as well. Set aside the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro (and either jalapenos or serranos, IF using).

4. Take the remaining tomatoes and microwave them on HI for about 15-20 seconds. Carefully take them out and peel the skin off of them. Set aside the peeled tomatoes. Note: You can also use canned tomatoes for this part, as canned tomatoes are almost always picked and canned at the peak of ripeness; just use whole peeled, not stewed tomatoes.

5. Wash and dry 10 chiltepin peppers. Mash them in the molcajete or chop them in the mini-food processor until they are broken into very small pieces. Remember, you want the heat to permeate every bite of the pico, not just appear as a big chunk here and there.

6. Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt and one peeled clove of garlic. Mash in the molcajete to form a paste of garlic, salt, and chile.

7. Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters, add them to the mix, and mash everything together. If using the food processor, chop until chunky-smooth. This mixture is the base of your pico de gallo.

8. Add the diced onions, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and, if you opted for jalapenos or serranos, add them at this time. Squeeze 1/2 of the key lime (optional), and using a spoon, fold everything together and taste for more lime/salt.

If you used a molcajete to prepare the pico, it makes an amazing and authentic presentation. If not, then pour the pico into a festive-looking bowl and ENJOY the beak of the rooster.