Todd Jackson is the owner and operator of Oklahoma’s locally made El Rancho Salsa. He is also the lead singer of the hard-grunge two-piece Brother Gruesome, who just released a new album. Jackson was kind enough to chat about the ins and outs of his DIY salsa game.
Oxford Karma: So hot, medium or mild?
Todd Jackson: Definitely hot. My favorite El Rancho flavor is Verde. It’s our hottest but still isn’t hot enough for me. Working with salsa and peppers for so long has got my heat tolerance up pretty high.
OK: Do you think someone could live on a chips-and-salsa-only diet?
Jackson: I had a friend who tried once to survive only on El Rancho and chips at a three-day camping music festival. She was always hitting my camp up for some real food. I think it’s possible, but not a very good idea.
OK: When did you start making salsa?
Jackson: I have made my own salsas at home for years, starting from when I was really young, and enrolled in a summer cooking class. It’s such a versatile medium that you can really make it a lot of ways. Until I started working on El Rancho back in 2011, I had never canned salsa. I love fresh salsa, cooking salsa to temp, and making sure it’s preserved properly and shelf-stable is a totally different process.
OK: Where do you make El Rancho salsa?
Jackson: The community kitchen that is inside the Urban Agrarian storefront in the Farmers Market District.
OK: How do you not cry when you cut onions and peppers all day?
Jackson: There is an onion hack that I recently learned. Apparently if you rinse it with cold water after peeling it won’t make you cry. I haven’t had a chance to test this out yet. I have been crying for years working with onions in various kitchen jobs.
Photo: Ethan Hickerson
OK: Do you eat onions whole?
Jackson: I like eating raw onion, but as far as taking a bite like an apple, hell no.
OK: Tell me about this Bernie Sanders salsa?
Jackson: It’s an art project and charity fundraiser designed and created by some creative highly motivated friends of mine. It started as a fun hypothetical idea they came up with. They decided to follow all the way through with it, print labels and use the Extra Hot variety of salsa that I make. They have a website, where it can be ordered and they challenge people to “feel the Bern” and make videos of themselves consuming the salsa and to vent whatever issues are burning them up inside. It is also available at The Earth and Forward Foods in Norman and Urban Agrarian in downtown OKC. All profits will be donated to All of Us or None, an organization fighting against the discrimination that people face every day because of arrest or conviction history. They’re fighting the good fight. No money will be given to any political candidate or campaign.
OK: Do you consider salsa a condiment?
Jackson: No, it’s a way of life.
OK: What typical ingredients go into a jar of El Rancho?
Jackson: Tomatoes, jalapenos, salt, garlic, cumin. Extra hot gets cayenne pepper. We like to keep it simple; that’s what makes it so good. Many jarred salsas like Pace, Tostitos, and virtually all other mass-produced salsas contain distilled vinegar and/or lime juice as a preservative. El Rancho does not, and contains cumin, giving it a classic Tex-Mex flavor. That’s what sets it apart.
OK: When you go on tour with Brother Gruesome, how much salsa do you take?
Jackson: We took some cases to New Mexico when my big van was still working and sold some at our merch table in Albuquerque and Taos. I try to travel with at least a case to give to friends we stay with. Touring in a Honda Civic with gear luggage and two people doesn’t leave much extra room.
OK: Would you say that you have a passion for peppers?
Jackson: Yes, almost to a fault. I wreck myself sometimes eating raw serranos or habaneros. My friends constantly razz me about it.
