Pickled Vegetables For Composed Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Place cauliflower, onions, cucumbers and peppers in a large bowl. In another large bowl, mix ice water and salt; pour over vegetables. Let stand 4 hours., Rinse vegetables and drain well. In a Dutch oven, bring sugar, vinegar, celery seed, turmeric and cloves to a boil. Add drained vegetable mixture; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are heated through, 5 minutes., Pack hot vegetables and liquid into six hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot liquid. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight., Place jars into canner, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Steps:

• For the pork: Melt the lard in a large pot over medium heat. Squeeze the juice from the citrus fruits into the lard along with the skins. Add the pork shoulder, bay leaf, onions and salt. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot and cook the pork, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• In the meantime, for the pickled vegetables: In a non-reactive pot, bring the vinegar, chiles de arbol, salt and peppercorns to a boil. Take off the heat and add the green beans, wax beans, carrots, corn, garlic and jalapenos. Chill in the refrigerator to cool down, at least 1 hour. Will hold in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• For the cactus salad: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and grill the cactus paddles until soft and charred, about 10 minutes. Remove the paddles and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and grill the scallions until just cooked, about 3 minutes. After the cactus and scallions have cooled, dice them up and mix with the tomatoes, chile and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.
• After the pork has been cooking and is soft, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the cola. Cook until the pork caramelizes, 15 to 20 minutes.
• To assemble the carnitas, strain a spoonful of the pork from the fat and serve on a warm corn tortilla. Garnish with the pickled vegetables, the cactus salad and lime wedges.

Steps:

• Prepare the pickled onions: Set the sliced onion in a small heatproof bowl. Combine the vinegar, sugar, coriander seeds (if using), salt and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, then pour over onions. Stir to combine, let cool, then transfer onions and brine to a lidded container. Refrigerate until chilled. (Makes about 2/3 cup drained onions. Onions will keep up to 3 weeks.)
• Prepare the salad: In a medium bowl, combine the celery, carrots, olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• When ready to serve, add the lettuce, radishes (if using) and herbs to a large bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper and gently toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the celery and carrots to the vegetables in the large bowl, leaving the vinaigrette behind in the medium bowl.
• To the vinaigrette, add the mustard, 1/4 cup drained pickled red onions and 4 teaspoons of the pickled red onion brine and stir to combine; season to taste. Add vinaigrette to salad, toss to coat and season. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sesame seeds, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Scrape into a metal mixing bowl, and cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the vinegar, teriyaki sauce, black pepper, red pepper flakes, ginger root, and sweetener into the sesame seed mixture. Stir in the celery, green onions, carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, and onion into the sesame dressing until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate until cold before serving.