Randy Red Salsa Dip

Call it pico de gallo, salsa fresca, or “randy red," this is the simplest Mexican condiment in the world: ripe diced tomatoes, raw onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, oregano, and a squeeze of lime. No cooking, no blender, no canning. Just sharp, bright, garden-fresh chunky salsa that gets better as it sits.

The technique here is all about the chop and the rest. Dice the tomatoes small (about ¼-inch) and use the freshest you can find. Salsa cruda lives or dies on tomato quality. The most important step is the rest. An hour at room temperature lets the flavors marry, the salt draws juice from the tomatoes, the lime juice tames the raw garlic, and the oregano blooms. Skip the rest and the salsa tastes flat and disconnected. Chips are obvious, but this recipe also suggests stuffed potato skins, oyster shooters, and grilled mushroom caps as more interesting vehicles.

Kitchen Tips

• Seed the tomatoes if they’re particularly juicy. Excess water dilutes the dip into pink soup.
• Use Mexican oregano if you can find it. It has a more citrusy, less mint-leaning flavor than Mediterranean oregano and pairs better with cilantro and lime.
• Taste before adding the full jalapeño. Heat varies pepper to pepper, sometimes wildly.
• Serve at room temperature, not cold. Refrigeration mutes tomato flavor.

Variations

• Add diced avocado or roasted corn for a chunkier salad-like dip.
• Char the jalapeño under a broiler before chopping for smoky heat.
• Substitute fire-roasted canned tomatoes when fresh aren’t in season.