Tacos? Yes. But with Pico de Gallo. And Wine.
PIco is often overlooked in favor of what type of tacos to have: carne asada, al pastor, chicken, chorizo, fish…The list goes on and on. What is common to all of them? Pico de gallo. It’s simple and endlessly complementary to food and wine. So say YES to making your own pico. And open a bottle of something while you are at it. You need something to do while it is resting!
How It Went
Making pico is a no-recipe recipe. If you insist on a recipe, try this. But you are making as much as you want and making it as spicy as you want. We judge by “the combo of colors looks right.” Ingredients are simple: tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. If you wish (and I wish), add pepper and garlic.
Tips
- Chop the tomatoes and then pre-salt them to get out some of the extra juiciness (less needed in winter). Never peel the tomato (too much work). I only deseed the tomatoes when they are at peak summer ripeness. Otherwise, it would just be too much liquid.
- Get spicy. Spicy is key for us. So typically with 3 tomatoes, I use 2 jalapenos and a Serrano (maybe 3 jalapenos if they are small).
- If you are wondering about the debate on the correct type of onion to use. Hmm. Search for it if you’d like – I’ve used them all and they are all fine. I like white the best, personal preference.
- There is one challenge. You must make it ahead of time. It needs time to mingle and settle in together.
For this post, we have homemade chorizo and green chile tacos. Chorizo has spice, so there’s no need to add much to it for a great taco.
Wine Pairing
Along with trusting yourself on the recipe, trust yourself on the wine pairing. And stay away from the big giant reds or oaky chardonnays you get with steak, or short ribs, or BBQ. They’ll fight with the pico, if not the taco itself. But any light white wine? Works. Any rosé wine? Great. How about light red wines like a Washington pinot noir? Absolutely. Again, it’s about what you love, not what others love.
Past Pairings
Homemade Mac and Cheese with Washington Chardonnay
What Makes a Great Pizza? (plus pair it with rosé)
Relax with Simple Spaghetti and Washington Sangiovese
Comfort Food: Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup, and a Washington Syrah (but try the alternate version with jalapeno!)
Leftovers Supreme Crunch Wrap and a Washington Petit Verdot
Jambalaya and a Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
Cashew Chicken and a Washington Red Blend
Mushroom Puff Pastry Pizza and Washington Sauvignon Blanc
Cheese and Charcuterie Edition
ICYMI: More ABR Wine and Food Pairings
And don’t worry. We’re spending the rest of our time finalizing everything needed to actually bring you these small production Washington wines. Soon, you can try them along with us.