Mango Salsa

Summer!

…Summer is here, right? It better be because it’s pretty hot out there. It could be just as hot here as it is in Florida but I wouldn’t complain. I’d be able to find solace in the fact that the heat will only last a few short months rather than 10 straight months with a cool breeze the other 2.

And speaking of a few short months… I just wanted to make everyone aware of the fact that we are halfway through the year. Yeah, let that sink in… It won’t be long from now when we’ll all be talking about how cold it is again and how much we love fall and winter flavors while sipping on our overpriced Pumpkin Spiced Lattes.

I’m counting down the days. I’d rather be cold than be sweating from having to mow the lawn every week to stop my house from looking like we just started a game of Jumanji.

But if it were cold, there wouldn’t be a reason to enjoy refreshing things, like mango salsa!

I used to make a version of this at the hotel I worked at. Only that involved shrimp, pastry shells and about 500 more people. Mangoes were on sale so I figured it’s the perfect time to enjoy it. And you could enjoy it in numerous ways – straight up with chips, or you could fire up the grill and have it with chicken, or fish, or shrimp – or you could do like I did and plop it on a nice pork tenderloin.

Yeah, mango salsa is just dying to be had. So get on it!

Mango Salsa

4 each – Mangoes
1 each – Red Pepper
1 each – Red Onion, small
3 tablespoons – Fresh Mint, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon – Cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons – Fresh Lime Juice
2 tablespoons – Orange Juice
1 tablespoon – Fresh Lemon Juice
to taste – Salt & Pepper

Notes:

• If you’re a fan of mangoes, then odds are you know what you’re doing when looking for a good one. If you don’t, then just follow your instincts… or this link that will tell you when a mango is ripe.

• Basically, don’t follow the color since there are several different kinds of mangoes and they all ripen differently. Best ways to tell is by feel and by smell. Give the stem a good sniff since that’s where the smell is strongest. If you get a nice sweet smell then it’s ripe. The smell will remind you of how a mango tastes. Makes sense, yes? Yes. When you cop a feel, it should have some give. If it’s hard then it’s not ripe, but if it’s so soft that you puncture it when gently squeezing then it’s overripe. You’ll know the middleground when you feel it.

• The next obstacle would be cutting the mango. Now, I get it, it’s intimidating. Giant weird seed in the center, quite possibly one of the slipperiest fruits to ever exist (next to the Quenepa, as Alejandra from Always Order Dessert pointed out), how is there any proper way to dissect and eat this beauty?!

• Luckily, Alton Brown, a man who needs no introductions, just posted a hilarious video about how to cut a mango. And if you’ve never seen his other web videos he has posted recently, I definitely recommend a binge marathon. I’ve been meaning to bring them up in the Humpday Update but haven’t had a regular one lately.

• I like to rough chop my herbs in salsas. If you don’t then whatever, you won’t hurt my feelings.

• I’m not a fan of spicy kicks but I appreciate them, as much as that doesn’t make sense. Anyway, if you’d like you can add a diced jalapeno in there or even a scotch bonnet like Angie, a friend from Google+, recommended.

Alright, this is one of the most difficult recipes I’ve ever shared so hang tight!

• Listen to Alton and safely dice your mangoes while keeping all 10 fingers attached to your body.

• Chop your red pepper and finely chop your onion.

• Chop the herbs, throw them in the bowl with the red pepper, onion, and mangoes. Then add the juices, the salt and pepper, and mix.

• And you’re done.

Man, that was intense. Still with me? I hope I didn’t go too fast there.

See, it’s simple. And like I mentioned, there are a bunch of ways to use this salsa. But I made it specifically for a pork tenderloin I had. If you’re curious, I marinated the tenderloin in The Sauce for a few hours. Then I seasoned it with salt and pepper and rubbed it down with chopped garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Seared it in a pan and finished it in the oven for 20 minutes. I’m sorry, but that with the mango salsa was pretty effing amazing if I do say so myself. It’ll go perfect on pork chops too if you’re out there grilling it up at a BBQ.

So what I’m trying to say if you haven’t picked up on it yet is you need this in your life. There are too many ways to enjoy it so just make it happen already! Trust me, your mouth will thank me.