Pico de Gallo Norteño

This tomato salsa is an example of a salsa fresca or salsa cruda, "fresh" or "raw sauce," meaning an uncooked sauce to be used as a condiment at the table or street stall. There are many variations on salsa cruda, but this simple version is known everywhere. Pico de gallo (rooster's beak) is what we call it in northern Mexico—but don't confuse it with the salad eaten under that name in Guadalajara and Mexico City. It can be served with almost any kind of dish—beans, eggs, tortillas and various antojitos, or meat, fish, or poultry. The two imperatives are that the tomatoes must be truly ripe and sweet and that the sauce should be eaten at once. If you must, you can hold it for up to two hours refrigerated and tightly covered, but it loses its magic fast. But all is not lost if some is left over; it can be quickly sautéed in a little lard, butter or vegetable oil to be served in a more durable reincarnation. In fact, it's probably the sauce I use most in this manner.

For the right slightly coarse texture, the ingredients should be chopped separately by hand. The only thing I sometimes do with the food processor is the chiles. Try to find fresh ones—canned jalapeños will work, but aren't ideal in a sauce supposed to be sparkling fresh.