Pico De Gallo

Pico de gallo, translated, means 'beak of the rooster'. Since roosters are known for their vile, aggressive behavior we are probably referring to getting bitten by the beak of the rooster.

Why? Because it is traditionally an extremely spicy hot dish. It is a dip that requires no cooking and is composed mainly of hot peppers. It may be spicy but it is also a nice balance and blend of flavors making it worthwhile to make.

I got this recipe when working in Santa Fe from a coworker who had been making this all his life. I tried it and I was hooked!

To achieve the proper balance of taste in this recipe you must use serrano peppers and small yellow, banana peppers. To make this less spicy, clean out the inner veins and all the seeds from the peppers before putting into the dish.

In my recipes I use the following abbreviations:

't' refers to teaspoon
'T' refers to tablespoon
'c' means cup
'#' means pound
'oz' means ounce

Here it is:

Pico De Gallo
*From Patrick G - Santa Fe, New Mexico*

10 to 15 serrano peppers, chopped
6 to 8 yellow peppers, chopped
1 small onion or 2 scallions (green onions), chopped
3 tomatoes, coursely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t salt
1 t pepper
sprig of chopped cilantro
2 T Italian dressing
2 T water
4 ice cubes

Cut up and place in a mixing bowl, serranos, yellow peppers, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro. For the peppers, cut off both ends, slice down the middle from top to bottom, de-vein and de-seed.

Add salt, dressing and water. Mix well and place 4 ice cubes on top of the mixture, spread around and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour then serve.

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