Name: The Best Pico de Gallo
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 lb ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced; 1 medium white onion, finely diced; 1-2 jalapeño, seeded and minced; 1/2 cup, packed fresh cilantro, finely chopped; 2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice; 3/4 tsp, plus more to taste kosher salt; 1 clove garlic, microplaned

The Best Pico de Gallo

Prep

10m

Cook

Total

10m

Bigly says

Pico de gallo. Pico de gallo! This is a topic close to my heart, because the pico situation in this country is OUT OF CONTROL. People are buying it in TUBS. From the refrigerator section of the grocery store. Sitting there in plastic for six weeks, the tomatoes turning into pink water, the onions getting that sad gray look, the cilantro completely VANISHED — where did it go, what happened to it, nobody knows, it's a mystery, it's the lost civilization of cilantro — and people are paying SIX DOLLARS for this. Six dollars. For sad water with tomato chunks. A crime against the tomato.

Not anymore. Not on my watch. Pico de gallo is FIVE INGREDIENTS. Five. You can count them on one hand. Even if you've had a tragic accident and you only have four fingers, you can still count them on one hand, which is a beautiful thing about pico de gallo — it's inclusive that way. Ten minutes of dicing, and you have the best pico de gallo of your life. The greatest pico in the history of pico. Big tough people, contractors, plumbers, men named Dave — they will WEEP at the table.

The best pico I ever had was in a roadside stand outside Hermosillo. A guy named Ramón made it. He didn't speak. He just looked at me, nodded, and pushed a bowl across the counter that changed me as a person. And the secret — Ramón's secret, my secret, now YOUR secret — is salt. Salt early. Salt the tomatoes and let them DRAIN. The salt pulls out the water, the flavor concentrates, and suddenly your pico has SOUL. It has presence. It walks into the room and demands respect. Take my word for it.

Ingredients

1.5 lbripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced(Romas have less water than slicers, this matters)
1 mediumwhite onion, finely diced(white, not red, not yellow, white)
1-2jalapeño, seeded and minced(leave some seeds in if you want heat, you're an adult)
1/2 cup, packedfresh cilantro, finely chopped
2-3 tbspfresh lime juice
3/4 tsp, plus more to tastekosher salt
1 clovegarlic, microplaned(optional but it's not really optional)

Steps

1
Dice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces. Remove the seeds and juicy centers first — this is the difference between pico and tomato soup.
2
Place the diced tomatoes in a colander, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of the salt, and toss. Let them drain over a bowl for 10 minutes while you prep the rest.
3
Finely dice the onion and place in a small bowl. Cover with cold water for 5 minutes to mellow the bite, then drain well and pat dry.
4
Mince the jalapeño. Wash your hands afterward — and DO NOT touch your face. Trust me on this.
5
In a medium bowl, combine the drained tomatoes, drained onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and remaining salt.
6
Stir gently and taste. Adjust salt and lime until it tastes bright and balanced.
7
Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving so the flavors marry. Best within a few hours of making — pico does not improve overnight.

One more thing

This pico goes on EVERYTHING. Eggs in the morning. Chips at lunch. Steak at dinner. A spoon at midnight when you think nobody is watching — and let me tell you, the fridge light makes everyone look glamorous at midnight, that's a fact, I made it a fact. Just don't store it more than a day. Make it. Eat it. Make more. That's the rhythm. That's the way of the pico. Now go eat.

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The Best Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

Steps

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