Govind Armstrongs Pickled Red Onions Recipes

GRILLED CHEESE WITH PULLED SHORT RIBS AND PICKLED RED ONIONS

Steps:

• For the sachet:
• For the sachet, wrap the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a small amount of cheesecloth and tie with butcher's twine.
• For pulled short ribs:
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Beginning with a large saucepan or braising pan with a lid, heat the tablespoon of grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Sear the short ribs on either side until caramelized and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the carrot and celery to the pan and cook for 5 minutes over the same heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook together until caramelized, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed. Add the short ribs back to the pan and deglaze with the red wine. Add the sachet and, stirring from time to time, allow the wine to reduce until almost evaporated, about 6 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and bring the braise up to a boil. Put the lid on and place in the oven for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
• After the first 2 hours of cooking time, remove the lid. For the next hour, baste the short ribs every 15 minutes, leaving the lid off. Cook for an additional hour, until very tender, for a total of 4 hours cooking time.
• Pull the short ribs from the oven and allow them to cool in the braising juices for at least a few hours. Carefully transfer the meat to a plate and strain the juices through a fine sieve, then allow the fat to rise. Remove the fat. Using a dinner fork in each hand, lightly shred the meat along the natural grains in a pulling motion from the center outward, and set aside.
• To prepare each sandwich, begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.
• Take 2 slices of bread. On the bottom slice, place a layer of cheese (you'll want approximately 1 1/2 ounces for each sandwich, just enough to cover the bread to the edges), then top with 1 teaspoon of pickled red onion, spread to the sides. Place 1/4 cup of the pulled short ribs on top, add another layer of cheese, and top with the second slice of bread. Brush each completed sandwich on top and bottom with 1/2 teaspoon butter.
• In a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon of the grapeseed oil and allow it to get nice and hot. Place 2 sandwiches in at a time and flip so they will absorb the oil on both sides. Weight them down with a small sauté pan. After 1 minute, flip the sandwiches, return the weight, and place directly in the oven.
• After 2 minutes, remove the weight. Flip the sandwich one final time, and cook for 1 final minute. Pull from the oven, slice diagonally, and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.

PICKLED RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Toast the coriander seed in a small, dry sauté pan over medium heat until its aroma is released, about 2 minutes. Add the mustard seed to the same pan and toast for 1 additional minute. Soak the onions in ice water, then drain and pat dry.
• In a small sauce pot, slowly bring the vinegars, sugar, bay leaves, and thyme to a boil. Adjust the flavor with water if too acidic. Pour this mixture over the onions in a medium, heat-proof bowl; allow to sit for 5 minutes. Drain off the excess vinegar, season with salt and pepper, then toss lightly with the olive oil. Store the picked onions in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready for use.

GRILLED CHEESE WITH PULLED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sear ribs on both sides until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove ribs from pan; set aside.
• Add carrot and celery to pan and cook 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 5 minutes more. Return short ribs to the pan and add wine and sachet. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
• Add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and transfer saucepan to oven; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.
• Uncover and continue cooking the short ribs for 1 hour, basting ribs every 15 minutes with the cooking liquid. Cook 1 hour more, for a total of 4 hours cooking time.
• Remove short ribs from oven and let cool in their liquid, 30 minutes. Transfer ribs to a plate, and with two forks, slightly shred following the natural grain of the meat; set aside.
• Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Top 8 slices of bread with about 1 1/2 ounces of cheese each. Add 1 teaspoon of pickled onion. Top with 1/4 cup pulled short ribs and a second layer of cheese. Top with remaining slices of bread to form 8 sandwiches. Brush both sides of each sandwich with 1/2 teaspoon butter.
• In a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add sandwiches to skillet, and immediately turn so that all the oil is absorbed. Weight down sandwiches with a small ovenproof skillet; cook for 1 minute. Turn sandwiches, return weight, and transfer to oven. Cook 2 minutes, remove weight, turn sandwich, and continue cooking 1 minute. Remove from oven, and slice sandwich on the diagonal. Repeat process with remaining sandwiches.

GOVIND ARMSTRONG'S PICKLED RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Toast the coriander seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds, and toast 1 minute more; set aside.
• Soak onions in a large bowl of ice water, about 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl.
• Place vinegars, sugar, bay leaves, and thyme in a small saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat; add reserved coriander and mustard seeds. If mixture seems too acidic, add a little water. Pour mixture over onions and let stand 5 minutes. Drain, discarding liquid, and season onions with salt and pepper.
• Toss onions with olive oil and store, refrigerated, in an airtight container until ready to use, 2 to 3 weeks.

PICKLED RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.
• Stuff onion slices into a pint-size Mason jar. Pour some of the boiling water over the onions. Let rest for 10 seconds. Pour out water through a mesh strainer, keeping onions in the jar. Repeat twice more to cook onions slightly.
• Measure vinegar into a bowl. Stir in salt and sugar until dissolved. Add peppercorns. Pour vinegar solution over onions. Seal and shake well.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving so that the flavor develops.

QUICK-PICKLED RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Place onions in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan; pour over onions. Let cool completely. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours and up to 1 month.

PICKLED CUCUMBER, RED ONION, AND RADISHES

Steps:

• Toss vegetables with 2 tablespoons salt in a large colander set over a bowl, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Rinse well, pat dry, and place vegetables in a clean glass jar or glass bowl. Bring remaining 2 tablespoons salt, the vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, mustard and coriander seeds to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour over vegetables, and let cool for 1 hour. Cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 weeks.

SACHET

Steps:

• Wrap all ingredients in a small piece of cheesecloth. Tie to enclose with kitchen twine.

QUICK-PICKLED VIDALIA AND RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Wash one glass 1/2-gallon jar with a lid in hot, soapy water, and rinse well. Toast coriander in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds and toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside.
• Combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar and salt have dissolved. Add reserved coriander and mustard seeds; remove from heat, and set aside.
• Fill jar halfway with either Vidalia or red onion slices. Add bay leaves and thyme; cover with remaining onion slices, packing them with the back of a clean spoon. Leave 3/4 inch of space beneath the rim. Pour hot liquid over onions covering them by 1/4-inch and leaving 1/2-inch of pace beneath the rim. Place lid on the jar, and let stand until cool. Store in the refrigerator, serve within a week.