Hitsman’s Spicy Pico De Gallo (8 servings)
When I joined the band Mosely, one of the first things we decided to do was have a “taco party” – After making everything from scratch and taking our first bite, we all looked at each other in disbelief at how delicious our tacos were.
“I’m pretty sure this is the best taco I’ve ever had” – The Whole Band
This has now become a staple for all our special occasions. So when we brought Heavy Hearts & Still Life to Ottawa, clearly we had to share our favorite tradition with them.
As a guitarist with a beard, clearly my specialty is my tasty Pico De Gallo. (There is a connection somewhere…) While I don’t stick to an exact recipe (I tend to eye-ball measurements), I will share with you all, my secret recipe.
Ingredients:
3 Hot House Tomatoes (Diced)
Half a yellow onion (Minced)
Red Pepper (Minced)
1-4 jalapeños (Or dried Chipotles)
Garlic (Minced)
2-3 Limes (Juice)
Olive Oil
Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper
Cilantro
Tomatoes: Hot House tomatoes are important – and the more Ripe the better. When they are Ripe, they are a little less juicy – this makes a less water filled bowl AND less messy tacos
Before dicing, cut the tomatoes into quarters, and empty the seeds and juice into a garbage bowl (WHICH YOU WILL THEN COMPOST!) Using a serrated blade, dice them to your desired size and throw them into your Medium sized salsa bowl.
Onion: Definitely eyeball this till it seems right – You might need more than half depending on how big the tomatoes were. However, you don’t want too much onion or the Pico will taste mostly like onion. There should be A LOT more tomato than onion.
Red Pepper: Dice the whole dang thing. I used to not put this in, but when I started, it brought it to a whole new level. Yellow or orange peppers might work well too, but I’ve never tried.
Jalapeños: This is the secret ingredient. Eyeball depending on how spicy you want it. The secret is in charbroiling them.If you have a gas range, throw them straight into the fire until they are completely black. If not, you can turn your broiler on high and leave them inside the oven for 5 minutes or so per side (Highest rack possible). Then the skin should peel right off. Then chop off the top – take out the seeds (DO NOT RUB YOUR EYE!!!!! WHATEVER YOU DO!) Mince them and throw ‘em in the bowl.
Garlic: I used to use pickled garlic – While this works fine, but the best flavor comes from garlic cloves. I have no idea how much I put in…sometimes 2 cloves, sometimes 5 or 6. It really depends on how much garlic I feel like AND how large the cloves are.
Limes: This is where A LOT of the flavor comes from. Roll the Limes along the counter before chopping them open (This releases the juices and makes it easier to get the juice out). Chop them in two and CRUSH THEM WITH YOUR MIGHTY FISTS. Drain the juice into your hands before hitting the bowl to catch the seeds.
Olive oil/Chili powder/ Salt and pepper – This is another thing that is to taste. Drop in maybe ¼ cup of oil and maybe 1 tbsp of Chili powder – VERY important ingredients. Add salt and pepper and taste it to your liking. Salt and pepper will bring out the flavors of everything you have thrown in. Less spicy – You can substitute chili powder for Cumin if you want a little less spice; I have tried this, it’s not quite as tasty, but still yummy!
Cilantro: I couldn’t even begin to think of how much I put it. I throw it in until it looks like a good mixture. With this herb, you can include the stems. If you are one of those CRAZY people that can’t eat cilantro because your brain tricks you into thinking it tastes like soap – use Basil or Parsley – But it will be half as good cause cilantro is the god of all herbs.
Stir everything together and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow all the flavors to mingle and incorporate. Before serving, check to see if you’d like to add any more salt and pepper – just don’t go to crazy on it or it will taste like salt.
While taco’s are the best place to use this – consider it for nachos – bruschetta – chip dip – or simply a pico salad to eat on the side. It is relatively healthy lunch snack food! -Eric Hitsman
romaincrisis
dededos
blakekathryn
germansingergirl
turnnoffyourmind
andulkaphoto
yousharknotpass