Traditional Tomato Pico de Gallo

Makes about 4 cups Preparation Time: 15 minutes Can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated

There are endless variations on pico de gallo, the trademark chunky raw salsa of Mexico. As you travel throughout the country, you will find picos made from vegetables like cucumber and jicama, all kinds of fruits, and even nuts and seeds. All are delicious. This traditional version is a combination of tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and chile with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and some salt. Sometimes I add the oil, sometimes I don’t. Try it both ways and see which you like best. Then consider this recipe a starting point and branch out from here.

Pico de gallo translates as “rooster’s beak.” Why? It’s a mystery to me, and to every Mexican cook and culinary expert I’ve asked.

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, halved, cored, and chopped (about 3 cups)
• ½ cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, halved, seeded if desired, and finely chopped, or to taste
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and top part of stems
• 2–3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste

1. Place the tomatoes, onion, chile, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil (if using), and salt in a bowl and toss well. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: Acidic fruits and vegetables taste much richer and more full-bodied when served at room temperature, so take the chill off any refrigerated salsa before serving.

Jalapeño or Serrano Chile? Many Mexican recipes call for using either jalapeño or serrano chiles. They’re common and generally accepted substitutes for each other, and they have several similarities: Both are usually used before their shiny deep green skins ripen to red, and both can be used raw, cooked, charred, or fried. You can tame their heat by removing their seeds and veins, but the seeds have a lot of flavor, so most Mexican cooks, including me, would rather use less of the chile and include the seeds.

How to tell the difference between the two? See the photo. The jalapeño, also called cuaresmeño in Mexico, is larger, rounder, and chubbier than the serrano. Its heat is milder and its flavor lighter. Serranos, also known simply as chiles verdes, are thinner than jalapeños, with a pointy tip; the Mexican cooking authority Diana Kennedy describes them as having the shape of a bullet. I think they have the bite of a bullet too. They are generally spicier and have a bolder and more fragrant flavor than jalapeños.