Pebre (Chilean style salsa)

This is Chile’s most ubiquitous condiment. It is on every kitchen and restaurant table. They make it raw and fresh every day.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes (2 large any kind)
• Hot peppers (1 or more to taste any kind)
• Onion (1/4 cup any kind)
• Cilantro (1/4 cup fresh)
• Parsley (1/4 cup fresh)
• Oregano ( 2 tbs)
• Lemon juice or Verjus or Red Wine Vinegar (¼ cup)
• Garlic ( 3 cloves)
• Olive Oil (2 tbs)

Chop everything into as small a pieces as you can and mix together in a bowl. Add in the oil last. Chileans put this on meat. It sits on the kitchen table all day and Chileans will spoon it on eggs, empanadas, bread or crackers for a snack. Each Chilean has his own recipe. Most recipes on the net do not list tomatoes but when I was in Chile, homemade Pebre often had tomatoes. Chilean restaurants sometimes had store bought Pebre. I learned those were restaurants to avoid. Some people omit tomatoes and use red bell peppers instead. I make a big batch as it lasts 4 days covered in the fridge and I like to spoon it out as a side dish or put it on top of chopped vegetables and salads. This dish is my workhorse and I use excellent olive oil, fresh herbs and local garden tomatoes, peppers and onions. My version is more chunky and less soupy then most Pebres, with lots of tomatoes. Don’t let the simplicity of this dish fool you, if you make it with fresh local organic ingredients it will warm your cockles. Pebre always gives me a taste like I am back in the Lake District of Chile. Salud!