I have dreams about the pickled red onions I had last time I was in Mexico. They took what were already the best tacos I’ve ever had into an out of this world realm of deliciousness. We seriously went to this taco cart ten separate times in our week long trip there – they were that good! I have been lusting after good pickled red onions ever since I had them in Cabo. Something about that mix of sweet and spicy that makes every taco without them inadequate and mundane. A year later I think I have finally recovered from taco overload… and am ready for more.
Blanching takes the oniony punch out while leaving the perfect level of sweetness and spice. The underlying hint of tangy lime is offset by orange and jalapeño creating a perfect balance of flavors that will leave you wanting more and more, unable to stop eating them. At least half an onion worth didn’t even make it to tacos because they were just too addicting to stop eating – plain! I am normally not a fan of raw onion, but after marinading overnight, these really didn’t have any of that bite that raw onion normally has. The crisp texture is the perfect addition not only to tacos, but also nachos, dips, sandwiches, wraps, and all kinds of foods.
After making these for dinner with tacos Thursday night, I really haven’t done much cooking. I went out for some fantastic food though over the past few days. Happy hour at Picnic House was absolutely great. I had some kind of rhubarb vodka cocktail with a sugar rim which I wish I had taken a picture of because it was just as visually appealing as it was delicious. The other highlight was these prosciutto wrapped asparagus drizzled in balsamic.
Saturday we went up to a ski event for the American Cancer Society on Saturday, Hope on the Slopes. Its a 24-hour ski-athon and unfortunately, it was raining and miserable, but I heard they hit their fundraising goals which is what it was all about. On our way back we stopped by the Skyline and got a delicious Brussels sprout bacon dish, brisket mac and cheese and a few other tasty little bites. Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I think I’m going to try to recreate both the asparagus prosciutto and Brussels sprout bacon dish sometime this week… both with a little twist of course. Stay tuned for those, but for now, get in the kitchen and make these pickled red onions!
- 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 2 sliced jalapeños with seeds removed
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- ½ tsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add onion and jalapeño to boiling water and quickly blanch for 30 seconds to a minute maximum. Remove from heat and run cold water over the onions. Mix other ingredients in a bowl to create marinade. Add onion and jalapeño and stir. Chill for at least an hour and preferably overnight.
[…] tenderloin carnitas tacos with whatever you want, but I highly recommend whipping up a batch of pickled red onion while you’re prepping the pork for the crock-pot the night before. They come together in 10 […]