I know that there are some folks out there who will cringe at calling this 'salsa'; to them salsa is a tomato, onion, pepper mixture. It is savoury - never sweet. They would look on with an amused expression if someone started talking about a peach salsa . . . or a mango salsa . . . or a pineapple salsa.
Oh well, I have never been a big fan of dogmatic food purists.
Salsa entered English as the Spanish word for sauce. In this case it has a wide meaning.
This salsa is a simple one. You start with pineapple, peppers, and red onion - fruits and veggies which only improve with time over flames. After they were taken off of the grill they were diced and mixed with herbs, lime juice, and seasoned with some salt and pepper. The result is an amazing combination of sweet, spicy, and savory - all with a delicious crunch.
We served this with grilled ham steak but it would also be wonderful served with grilled fish or chicken.
Grilled Pineapple Salsa
1 large pineapple, skinned, cored, and cut into 1-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper
1 medium jalapeño
1 red onion, sliced into rounds and secured with toothpicks
1/2 cup loosely-packed, finely chopped cilantro
2 small limes, juiced
Kosher salt
Clean and oil the grilling grate. Light the grill and heat to medium-high. Place the pineapple slices, bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion slices on the grill.
Cook the pineapple until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, chop medium, and place in a medium sized bowl.
Cook the peppers until completely charred all over. Remove from the grill to a bowl. seal the bowl with plastic wrap to steam the charred skins from the peppers. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, remove their skins and chop the red pepper medium and the jalapeño finely. Add to the bowl with the pineapple.
Grill the red onion for about 2 minutes per side. Remove the onion from the grill and allow to cool. Remove the toothpicks from the grilled red onion, chop, add to the bowl with the pineapple and peppers.
Add the cilantro, and lime juice to bowl and toss until well combined. Season with salt to taste and serve.
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