Downtown Luxury Slum

I love condiments, in case you hadn’t noticed. But I hate onions. So liking this particular condiments came as a pleasant surprise when I first encountered it on a taco at Tacodeli in Austin. I don’t remember what taco – I want to say it was something with pork – but I remember they took it off their regular menu and it became the Wednesday special, but I also discovered I could just ask for pickled red onions to be added to any taco. And I was in heaven. I can’t see pickled red onions listed anywhere on their menu now, but that’s okay because I’ve been introduced to their wonder and am forever a better person for it.

Because now I know that they make a great crunchy, acidic taco topping, but they’re also great as a ramen topping, a garden salad topping, a salmon topping, or a sandwich ingredient. They can fill the gap in almost any meal that needs a little acid and crunch.

Oh, and for anyone that hates onions as much as me, try these anyway. The pickling process kills all the icky onionyness and turns them in to magic. Kinda like turning grapes into wine.

Anyway, here’s my recipe since I know that’s all you really want.

Ingredients:

• 2 red onions, thinly sliced – I use this mandoline
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 cups hot water

I kept this batch of pickled red onions simple, but we occasionally spice it up at bit with dill, peppercorns, garlic, orange peel, or whatever. Get creative!

Directions:

1. Pack sliced onions into a jar or container.
2. Dissolve sugar and salt in hot water. Add vinegar.
3. Pour liquid mixture over onions, fill to completely cover the onions. Extra liquid can be discarded or saved for another jar of pickles.
4. Let sit for at least and hour.

Here they are freshly packed into a soup container but after they’ve had a day or so to sit, everything takes on a classy pink color.

Stay safe and sane.

PS. Here are some other condiment recipes you might want to check out as well:

• Zhug – fresh Yemeni hot sauce
• Thai Dipping Sauce – sweet, salty, sour, spicy
• Oregano Feta Pesto – a Greek inspired dip or spread