A friend of mine once told me that pico de gallo when translated directly means rooster’s beak. I thought that was a pretty interesting name for something that didn’t really resemble anything close to a rooster’s beak. After some quick fact checking it’s true, but don’t let that stop you from making it!
There isn’t really anything to change from a traditional pico de gallo recipe, and all of the standard ingredients are here, including tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro with some lime juice. There’s a serrano chili pepper to give it some heat, and a bit of salt to bring it all together.
Any time I’m having Mexican food I always whip up a batch of this pico de gallo. It’s so quick and easy, and most of the time I have these ingredients on hand already so it’s just a matter of minutes and it can be made while the other food is cooking.
It’s really just a matter of getting out the chef’s knife and getting to work dicing up the ingredients. Don’t use a blender or you’ll miss the best part of pico. It’s the bigger sizes of the ingredients that make it special, and help you taste each one separately and together at the same time.
The beauty of pico de gallo is that even though it’s borrowed from Mexican cuisine it can be used on a number of different foods. Basically if you have a dish that is lacking a bit in the flavor department, serve it with some pico on top or on the side. Whenever you want some extra flavor just take a bite of pico along with the main entree.
To make this extra Paleo you can be sure to use organic ingredients, like organic tomatoes and onions. Most major supermarkets will either contain an organic section or have an organic option right next to the conventional option. They may be a bit pricier, but for all of the chemicals you’re avoiding it’s worth it and it gets you closer to a caveman existence when everything was naturally chemical free.
One tip to enjoy your pico de gallo even more is to strain it right before you’re ready to use it. That’s because all of the ingredients that go into it are so watery. If you don’t drain the excess liquid you’ll end up with a watery mess, and when you put a spoonful on your food you’re going to water it down.
If you want to doctor up your pico de gallo, it’s easy enough to do. Some of my favorites include diced avocado, diced shrimp, and diced mango. These will change the taste and consistency of the pico depending on what you go with, and you can feel free to add in other ingredients as well. If you find one that works be sure to add it in the comments below.
