Printable Version (Recipe Only)
Sometimes, one little tweak in technique or process using the same set of ingredients makes a noticeable difference in the result.
Juicy, tangy, fresh tomatoes on your salad are one flavor experience quite different from the mellowed, sweet flavor of the roasted or stewed ones on your pasta. The marinade that's grilled and caramelized on your steak or pork chop is a totally other, yet complementary, thing to the raw marinade used as a dipping sauce...
And pico de gallo - with the separate bits of savory onion, hot chilies, zesty tomato, and fragrant cilantro, all steeped in the refreshing juice of fresh lime - transforms into a luscious, piquant salsa suitable for dressing, dipping, or marinating, when blended and emulsified with a little bit of oil.
While this blended version is not necessarily superior to the chunky stuff, I've found that one advantage to blending/emulsification is that the stuff keeps its flavor and integrity longer than pico de gallo, which sweats a lot of liquid within hours of making, throwing off the flavor balance and altering the texture of the individual components in a way I don't enjoy as much.
And sometimes, you just like smooth better than chunky. ;)
Blended Pico de Gallo Salsa
Makes 1.5 Cups
Time: 20 minutes
Printable Version
- 1 cup chopped tomato that's been seeded with pulp removed OR 1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes
- 15 to 20 whole stems of cilantro, cut or hand-torn into 1-inch segments
- 1 small clove garlic, rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional for me - some days I'm feeling it, others not so much)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 to 2 jalapeños or serranos, rough chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice to start
- 1+1/2 Tablespoons neutral flavored oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1. Throw it all in a blender, pulsing a few times at first to pull the ingredients into the blade, then blending for a minute or so until it's nice and smooth, no chunks left.
2. You may want to add a little salt at this point if your produce is specially juicy (or if you just like thinks saltier). Maybe a pinch more sugar if the tomatoes and lime gave a little too much tang for your liking. Or perhaps another squeeze of lime juice if your tomatoes are a little flat.
If you do adjust the seasoning, don't forget to give it another quick (15 to 20 seconds) whirl to ensure all the seasonings are evenly incorporated.
3. That's it! Enjoy as you would any salsa. :)
Sometimes, one little tweak in technique or process using the same set of ingredients makes a noticeable difference in the result.
Juicy, tangy, fresh tomatoes on your salad are one flavor experience quite different from the mellowed, sweet flavor of the roasted or stewed ones on your pasta. The marinade that's grilled and caramelized on your steak or pork chop is a totally other, yet complementary, thing to the raw marinade used as a dipping sauce...
And pico de gallo - with the separate bits of savory onion, hot chilies, zesty tomato, and fragrant cilantro, all steeped in the refreshing juice of fresh lime - transforms into a luscious, piquant salsa suitable for dressing, dipping, or marinating, when blended and emulsified with a little bit of oil.
While this blended version is not necessarily superior to the chunky stuff, I've found that one advantage to blending/emulsification is that the stuff keeps its flavor and integrity longer than pico de gallo, which sweats a lot of liquid within hours of making, throwing off the flavor balance and altering the texture of the individual components in a way I don't enjoy as much.
And sometimes, you just like smooth better than chunky. ;)
Blended Pico de Gallo Salsa
Makes 1.5 Cups
Time: 20 minutes
Printable Version
- 1 cup chopped tomato that's been seeded with pulp removed OR 1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes
- 15 to 20 whole stems of cilantro, cut or hand-torn into 1-inch segments
- 1 small clove garlic, rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional for me - some days I'm feeling it, others not so much)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 to 2 jalapeños or serranos, rough chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice to start
- 1+1/2 Tablespoons neutral flavored oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1. Throw it all in a blender, pulsing a few times at first to pull the ingredients into the blade, then blending for a minute or so until it's nice and smooth, no chunks left.
2. You may want to add a little salt at this point if your produce is specially juicy (or if you just like thinks saltier). Maybe a pinch more sugar if the tomatoes and lime gave a little too much tang for your liking. Or perhaps another squeeze of lime juice if your tomatoes are a little flat.
If you do adjust the seasoning, don't forget to give it another quick (15 to 20 seconds) whirl to ensure all the seasonings are evenly incorporated.
3. That's it! Enjoy as you would any salsa. :)
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