To qualify as salsa. 90% of the mixture must, I believe, consist of a chopped up mix of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and hot peppers, seasoned with fresh chopped cilantro, salt, and lime juice.
Some points to discuss:
If it comes from a can, or a jar… It is not salsa, it is something else. The pasteurizing necessary to preserve the ingredients ruins it. The essence of salsa is its freshness. Preserved it becomes something else in the same way that attempting to preserve a perfectly cooked prime rib destroys the essential prime ribiness and turns it into something else like Salisbury steak or beef jerky, or some such.
Salsa needs to be chopped. If you put it into a food processor, or a blender you have made some form of mush that at best might be called a dip. Salsa is chunky.
I don’t mind experimentation and variety, but if you are going to put crab, or black beans, or other such worthy ingredients into your dip you are venturing down a slippery slope. Should these things disturb the perfect marriage of tomatoes onions, hot and bell peppers overmuch than it is no longer salsa. It is done form of dip, and you should just call it dip. It can be delicious and amazingly good dip. Be happy with that. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not salsa.
The ratio is important, but I don’t think it’s crucial. Your salsa can emphasize the tomatoes or the onions, or peppers, it’s up to you. However, I believe the perfect mix is something like 4 cups skinned chopped vine ripened non hothouse heirloom tomatoes. They should still be hot from when you picked them. You should use two cups of chopped onions. I used mostly sweet vidalias with with a little bit of Spanish white onion thrown in for bite. You should use one cup of chopped bell peppers. I then use chopped cilantro to taste (some cilantro is stronger than others. ). One finely chopped jalapeño, and the juice of one lime. I like to add a heaping teaspoon of fresh chopped garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and a dash of Tabasco. I stir and let it rest for half an hour in the refrigerator, and it’s ready to go. It’s good with chips, on grilled chicken, as a side, or the ultimate condiment. Sometimes I just like to eat it as a salad, or snack on it with a beer.
I’ve tried using other citrus as a substitute for lime, orange juice, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple what have you. These are interesting and I’m not prepared to say they turn salsa into dip, but why mess with perfection? Lime juice is perfect.
I’ve tried all kinds of other things with the free 10% that my latitude gives me. Crab meat works well, but I question my integrity when I use fish. Have I lost my salsa ness and become and stepped into some purgatory or no mans land between salsa and ceviche? I avoid the confusion and restrain myself these days.
Some times a little pickled relish just elevates things to an amazing level. It’s a fine line, because the barest smidgen too much and it’s an inedible monstrosity. I don’t understand why this is true, but I hypothesize that it something like titrating a solution where one drop can suddenly turn a gallon of fluid from blue to red or something. Any insights into this would be appreciated.
I’ve noticed that salsa has some awesome properties. When I was a young man and dating, I would occasionally invite a date to meet me at my residence before we went out. I would strategically have the salsa about 80% done when my date arrived. Together we would finish making the salsa and have a few bites with some tortilla chips and a light beverage before we went out. For some reason this seemed to elevate my charm, good looks, sexiness or general worthiness in my date’s eyes to a surprisingly large degree. Fresh simple salsa that you make with somebody else is always good, and it’s a good excuse to incentive your date to come back to your residence after the movie or show. My wife and I chop and eat salsa together, and I’m surprise by how often things turn out well for me later that evening. The fresh earthiness of salsa is a natural aphrodisiac. To me, salsa is the essence of hot sex after you’ve gotten back from the beach and taken a shower but your skin is still hot and just very slightly burned from the sun. Mmmmmmm.
Back in the day, if I was chopping salsa with a member of the opposite sex, it was all over except for the moaning. I am pretty sure that this had nothing to do with me, it’s just the natural power of salsa. Try it, I’m not kidding.
Salsa cures hangovers.
You can eat salsa and then go play tennis, run, golf, eat a big meal, or whatever physical activity you desire. It ruins nothing but accentuates everything.
If you are on a diet, and you forego the chips you can eat an infinite amount of salsa and still lose weight.
If you eat too much ham you get a Hamover and feel sick. Too much meat, cheese dairy, beer, or almost anything else has all kinds of ill effects. However, you can’t OD on salsa. It’s just good and good for you.
Questions? Thoughts? Debate? Disagreement? You have a better methodology? Salsa memories.
I like salsa.