Pickled Ancho Chile Salsa

Makes 2 cups Preparation Time: 15 minutes, plus marinating time Keeps, covered and refrigerated, for up to 6 months

This marinated salsa—more like a pickle or relish—is sweet, mildly spicy, and beguiling. Versions of it are common in the northern states of Mexico. It is simple to make, since all you need to do is stem and seed the ancho chiles, cut them into strips with kitchen shears, and add the marinade.

Pair this salsa with grilled meat, chicken, or seafood. For an unusual appetizer, slather crostini or hearty crackers with soft goat cheese or cream cheese and top with the salsa. Give Tomato and Mozzarella Salad a lift by spooning some on top, or amp up your everyday deli sandwich—especially if it has avocado—with a generous dollop right in the middle.

• 6–8 ancho chiles (about 3 ounces), rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
• ½ cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grated piloncillo (see the sidebar) or dark brown sugar, or to taste
• 1½ teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste

1. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the chiles lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Cut the strips into ¼-inch pieces and place them in a medium bowl. Add the onion, garlic, oil, vinegars, piloncillo, and salt; toss to mix well. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
2. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: Don’t worry if the chiles seem stiff and brittle at first; they will soften as they sit in the marinade.

White Onions My paternal grandfather loved white onions so much that he would peel them and take bites from them like an apple, alternating with plain bread smeared with butter and sprinkled with salt. My grandmother used to complain that he depleted her necessary weekly provisions.

Onions are used in Mexican cooking in practically every meal, and white onions rule, except in the Yucatán Peninsula, where the red onion is queen. Other options throughout the country are scallions and an onion variety I have a hard time finding in the U.S., called the Texas scallion.

Lower in sulfur than yellow onions, white onions have a bright, clean, pleasant flavor that barely bites. Vidalia and Walla Walla onions are too sweet for the Mexican palate. Crisp and fresh when raw, the flavor of white onions flows to a warmer dimension when they are cooked or charred. Choose onions that show no signs of moisture, and peek into the outer layer to check for any signs of mold—which means they are likely rotten inside.