Cooking by the seat of our pants

Texans are aware of one truth of life that other states are just now figuring out. We’ve known for a long time that salsa goes with everything Y’all. No joke. It’s good on just about anything you can think of. Of course chips, but have you tried it on a hot dog? How about over pasta? Yeah, it goes anywhere.

Salsa is the second most popular condiment in the US. (Believe it or not, mayo is #1 by a very large margin.) Salsa beat out ketchup as America’s favorite tomato based mealtime accessory in 2006 and shows no signs of giving up its place at the top. When the folks at Truco Enterprises, home of On The Border restaurant’s retail line offered us a chance to try out their new all natural Cantina Style salsa, we jumped at it.

Before I get to the review, first the disclaimer. The chips and salsa being reviewed were provided to me without charge by Truco with the understanding that I would give an honest review and have  the opportunity to give one lucky reader the same samples that we received. All opinions are my own and those of my family.

And it’s a good opinion. Oh yes. It’s a very good opinion.

A few bullet points about the new Cantina Style Salsa from the Manufacturer:

1. It is vinegar free—you can cook with it—unlike other salsas on the market
2. No preservatives
3. All natural
4. Totally thin chip dip-able

All true. I’ve looked at the label. Just salsa ingredients. That’s a good thing.

Aside from being all natural, what makes this salsa exceptional is that it’s a more traditional style thin salsa. Thin salsas have the advantage of not causing thin chips to break, but they also have a much more even heat distribution. Chunky salsas have chunks of jalapeños. In a thin salsa, the peppers are chopped much finer, so no surprise blasts of super-hot peper in every few bites. This makes the Cantina Style salsa ideal for cooking, especially when you need to moderate the heat levels.

Just take a look at the salsas pictured below. On the left is On The Border’s Traditional Style salsa, and the Cantina Style is on the left. you can tell just by looking at them that the Cantina Style is thinner:

So you ask “Thin is good, but how does it taste?”

That’s a good question, and our collective answer is: “It’s fantastic!”

If you love lime and cilantro, this is the salsa for you. It’s sweeter than other salsas, but has no less tang or zing. It’s subtly smoky with just enough heat to keep my very jaded taste buds happy. There’s no risk of getting to the end of a bowl o find only a few large chunks of jalapeño and onion. Just like a certain brand of coffee, this stuff is good to the last drop.

But hey, don’t take my word for it. One of you lucky stiffs have the opportunity to try it for yourself. Leave a comment here before Jun 27th 2013 for your opportunity to win a sample pack of On The Border Salsa and chips to go with it. (Continental U.S. Only, please!)

The winner will receive:

• 2 Bags of On The Border Cafe Style tortilla Chips
• 2 Bags of On The Border Cantina Thins tortilla chips
• On The Border Original Salsa in both mild and medium heat
• The new All Natural Cantina Style Salsa in both mild and medium heat

That’s enough chips and salsa to handle your own fiesta!  You’ll have the chance to try the salsas side by side and see the difference for yourself. Trust me, you want to. So leave a comment!

Of course, if you don’t want to wait that long, go grab some and give it a shot while you wait to see if you’ve won.  You’ll want to win even more if you do, because you’re not going to be able to stop with just one. I’m serious. It’s that good.

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