There are very few foods that can’t be improved with a healthy dollop of salsa. Granted, you probably don’t want to mix classic mild salsa dip with coconut cream pie, cake, or other desserts, but as far as I’m concerned, desserts are really the only red zone. It’s this versatility that, according to Fox News, has made salsa the most popular condiment in the country — it even outsells ketchup.
Whether you like to slather your morning eggs with your favorite different types of salsa, huevos rancheros style, or you’re more of a chips-and-salsa traditionalist, you know that the key to an enjoyable experience is an authentic salsa. Unfortunately, even with all the different salsas lining supermarket shelves, tracking down a salsa that can be called authentic is often easier said than done. Fortunately, by learning how to make authentic Mexican salsa for yourself, you can avoid the issue altogether.
How to Make Authentic Mexican Salsa
- Stick to the Basics of Great Salsa
- Put Your Tomatoes First
- Don’t Take a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Prep
For the popular cooking site Epicurious, there are basics that need to be adhered to if you ever want to learn how to make authentic Mexican salsa. Authentic salsas balance hot, smoky, salty, and sour elements against each other perfectly. While Americanized versions tend to stress either heat, salt, or sweetness, authentic versions typically put the sweetness of the tomato in the forefront, accenting that wonderful flavor with the heat of a fresh chili pepper and the smokiness of a smoked pepper, typically chipotle. Remember, whether you’re going for heat or not, balance is crucial.
Let’s get this out of the way: authentic Mexican salsa is first and foremost a tomato-based condiment. If you want to put peppers first, go make a jam or a chutney. Subsequently, using the best tomatoes for salsa is absolutely essential to making something with the right flavor and consistency. As the online women’s health magazine SheKnows suggests, Roma and cherry tomatoes both make perfect choices for a truly authentic dip.
Too many people assume that because most salsas are served cold that they all have the same style of preparation — chop, mix, and chill. However, as written in The Santa Cruz Sentinel, some salsas require that simple cold prep, while others require heat along the way. As a general rule, pico de gallo dips are the only truly raw type of salsa. Others call for tomatoes to be heated and broken down, or blended, for the right consistency and flavor. It may seem like a small thing, but paying attention to these steps is crucial to learning how to make authentic Mexican salsa.
What do you do to make your pico de gallo salsa dips and other versions more authentic? Let us know in the comments below. Find more on this topic here: Sabra.com
