Pati Jinich Pickled Onion Recipes

BLACK BEAN CHORIZO CASSEROLE WITH PICKLED ONIONS

Steps:

• Make the lime crema: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and lime zest. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the pickled onions: In a separate bowl, combine red onion, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Let the onion pickle at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, toast the chiles for the sauce: Heat a very large skillet (or use a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat until hot. Lay chiles flat in skillet and toast until fragrant and pliable and color darkens, 10 to 15 seconds a side; do not let them burn and turn bitter. Transfer chiles to a large bowl, cover with hot water and let stand 30 minutes. Wipe out skillet.
• Make the bean-chorizo mixture: While chiles soak, heat 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Stir white onion into skillet and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Finely chop 1/4 cup cilantro stems and add to pan, along with cumin. Cook 1 minute.
• Return chorizo to pan. Stir in beans, 1 cup stock and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and cook gently 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• Make the chile sauce: Heat broiler. Place garlic cloves (in skins) on a baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until very tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Peel garlic when cool enough to handle.
• Drain chiles and place in a blender or food processor. Add peeled garlic and 2 cups stock. Purée until smooth.
• Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chile purée and simmer vigorously, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Add remaining 1 cup stock, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently, stirring often, until sauce reduces to 1 1/2 cups, about 25 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and remove from heat.
• Assemble the casserole: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a quarter of the chile sauce over bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place a layer of 6 overlapping tortillas on top of the sauce, followed by another layer of sauce, half the bean mixture and half the cheese. Cover with another layer of 6 tortillas, a layer of sauce, remaining bean mixture and remaining cheese. Spoon remaining sauce on top. Cover pan tightly and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until casserole is bubbly around edges and cheese is melted, 20 minutes more.
• Let casserole rest 10 minutes, then serve topped with dollops of lime crema, some pickled onion, pumpkin seeds and cilantro leaves.

PICKLED RED ONIONS A LA YUCATECA

Steps:

• Place the bitter orange juice in a mixing bowl along with the black pepper, allspice and salt; mix well. Stir in the red onions and bay leaves.
• Char or broil the pepper under the broiler, on the grill, on a hot comal, or in a dry skillet set over medium heat, turning once or twice, until the skin is lightly charred, 3 to 6 minutes.
• Add the pepper, without removing the charred skin, to the onion mixture and toss well to combine. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes to 2 hours, then store, covered, in the refrigerator.

COCHINITA PIBIL

Steps:

• Score the fat of the pork, evenly salt the meat and set it aside while you make the marinade. In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the garlic cloves until they're charred all over, then remove. In the same pan, add cumin, peppercorns, allspice, red-chile powder, cloves and cinnamon. Toast until you can really smell the cumin and pepper. Grind spices, and mix in a food processor until smooth with the oregano, charred garlic, achiote paste, all the citrus zest and about half the juice.
• Place two overlapping banana leaves on your work surface, and put the pork at the center. Rub the spice paste all over the meat, arrange the sliced white onion on top and roll the whole thing up, folding the sides like wrapping paper. (If it unravels, tie it closed with some kitchen twine.) Set the parcel in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.
• Heat oven to 300. Put the parcel on a rack, or a ring of scrunched-up aluminum foil, inside a heavy pot with a half cup of water at the bottom. Bake with the lid on until the meat is very tender and yields easily to a fork, about 4 hours. Meanwhile, mix the chopped red onion with remaining citrus juices, salt and habanero, and set aside.
• While the meat is still warm, carefully transfer the parcel to a serving dish. Use a fork to shred the meat, spoon over the cooking juices and mix well. Serve with pickled onions, warmed tortillas and halved limes.