Pico de Gallo

This is a knife-skill recipe. Begin with the onion: dice it very fine (3–4 mm), then place in a small bowl and rinse with cold water to reduce the harsh raw bite — squeeze dry in a paper towel. Core and halve the tomatoes, scoop out the seeds and gel with a spoon (this prevents the finished salsa from becoming watery), then dice the flesh into 5–8 mm pieces — not too fine or the salsa turns mushy, not too coarse or it won't coat a chip. Mince the jalapeño as fine as possible; start with only half if uncertain about heat level. Chop the cilantro coarsely — it will macerate and soften, so you don't want it minced to nothing.

Combine all the diced vegetables in a bowl. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Fold gently with a spoon — do not stir vigorously or the tomatoes will break down. Taste immediately: the lime should be assertive and the salt should pop everything forward. Do not under-salt; pico de gallo needs more salt than feels comfortable when tasting from a plain spoon because it is served with unsalted tortilla chips or plain corn. Let the pico sit for 10 minutes before serving so the salt draws out the tomato juices and they pool in the bowl, creating a natural light brine.