POSTED IN: Recipes , Sides
TAGS: Escabeche , Food , Mexican , Onion , Pickle , Pickled , Red , Salsa , Spices , Vinegar , Yucatan
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As promised, and right before the year ends, here is a recipe for pickled red onions or cebollas encurtidas or en escabeche, so you can try them with Pollo Pibil. Please do! You will see why it's no wonder pickled red onion has been Pibil's faithful and enlightened companion for centuries: they both taste great separately, but blissful when paired together.
Pickled red onions are also a permanent fixture at every single table in Yucatan. As they are mildly spicy, deliciously tangy and surprisingly crunchy they go well with so many things. These past couple weeks I learned first hand why they are such a fabulous pickle to have handy.
Since one of its main ingredients, the bitter orange, is hard to come by around here, I had 16 takes with different bitter orange substitutes. There are well-known versions for substitutes, but I am not crazy about any of them. 16 pickled red onion batches later: I found one I love! It is equal parts grapefruit, orange, lime juice and white distilled vinegar. Without the vinegar it's not acid enough and the pickle loses its color and crunch, it faints quickly.
But since I am not one to throw away tasty things, those 16 batches found their way into toasted sandwiches, on top of rice and cous cous, along tacos and quesadillas, as a capricious side to enchiladas and scrambled eggs in the morning, sprinkled on refried beans. The last batch, which was destined to complement broiled flank steak a couple nights ago was gone before I finished slicing the meat.And you will like this: takes 10 minutes to make them and they last weeks in your refrigerator. Just mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl, slice the onions (which some cooks like to quickly blanche in hot water or desflemar before pickling, I don't because the onion loses that strength that I like, but you can try...), then add one, or why not two, charred banana peppers, let it all sit and get comfortable together, and you are set.
There are banana peppers in many stores in the DC-MD-VA area, but if you can't find them, just substitute for Jalapeños. They work great as well.
The pickled red onions will be sitting in your refrigerator ready to give a spin to almost anything you may put together, no matter how fast or slow, simple or complicated. I am always amazed at how accommodating salsas and pickles can be.
So for this 2010, aside for hoping you all have a wholesome and sweet year, I hope you can always have a tasty pickled side handy to give you a bit of a spunk, whenever you need one. It has worked for me at times when I have needed some. And when I really need a kick, I leave the pickled onions aside and give that pickled pepper a big bite.
PICKLED RED ONIONS A LA YUCATECA
INGREDIENTS
1 cup bitter orange juice (or substitute: 1/4 cup each grapefruit juice, orange juice, lime juice and white distilled vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/4 teaspoon allspice, or pimienta gorda, ground
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt, or more to taste (I add more... but I am keen on salt)
1 large red onion, or 2 cups, thinly sliced (cortada en pluma)
1 banana pepper, guero or x'catik, roasted, broiled or charred (may substitute for Jalapeño)
2 bay leaves
TO PREPARE
Place the bitter orange (or its substitute or plain vinegar) in a mixing bowl along with the black pepper, allspice and salt. Mix well. Incorporate the red onions and bay leaves.
Char or broil the banana pepper in the broiler, on the grill, on a hot comal or dry skillet set over medium heat or directly on an open flame, for 3 to 6 minutes. Turn it once or twice, until its skin has lightly charred. Incorporate to the onion mix.
Toss well and let the mix pickle at room temperature anywhere from1/2 hour to 2 hours, cover and refrigerate. It will keep in the refrigerator in great shape for 2 weeks.
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subscribe to rssJust in time!! I'm going to make turkey pibil tomorrow (can't make it today because when I brought home my first fresh turkey it didn't smell fresh). So I hope to marinade turkey #2 today and cook tomorrow and eat with these yummy pickled red onions. I love these pickled delights!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe!!
So glad!! I think you are going to eat them on their own too...
Pati Jinich replied to comment from Tamara Belt | December 25, 2009 7:45 PM | ReplyPati
I live in Queretaro,many times here in Mexico you can't find ingredients, what is an allspice subsitue?
Thanks
Hi Tino, Allspice in Mexico is "pimienta gorda", look in the spice sections in the grocery stores or in the open markets. Let me know if you find it under that name... Sometimes it comes whole, and you just need to crush it...
Pati Jinich replied to comment from Tino Juarez | December 26, 2009 12:39 PM | ReplyHi, Pati. I enjoy following your blog. Can you please tell me what the Spanish is for bitter orange and what should I look for at my local Mexican market?
Mike Cronin | December 28, 2009 9:46 AM | ReplyHi Mike. I am so glad you like it! Thank you. The Spanish for bitter orange is "naranja agria" if you can't find it, you can substitute it for 1/4 each grapefruit juice, orange juice, lime juice and white distilled vinegar. You can read a bit more about it in the ingredients section, where I also posted a photo, so you can see how it looks... let me know if you have any other questions.
Pati Jinich replied to comment from Mike Cronin | December 28, 2009 9:07 PM | ReplyHi Pati,
Question. I have been looking for a comal, and have ordered one online. I was disappointed when it arrived. It has a very rough texture on the surface of the comal and when reading the other internet sites, they also describe their product (comals) as "rough". Aren't there any smooth textured comals out there????
Kathryn
Hi Kathryn,
Don't worry. Yes, the texture if you run over it with your hands is rough. The only ones that are smooth are the non-stick/teflon modern ones. If your comal is rough, that is a good thing! It will season with time as you use it. What you cook in it may stick a bit for the first couple times, but the more you use it the more it will "soften" and naturally become non-stick. It will grow on you, you will see!
