Let Me Tell Ya How These Sides Happened
Okay so, yesterday I made a big batch of pork carnitas. Smelled amazing, shredded up real nice and crispy in the oven. But man, just serving that juicy pork on tortillas? Felt kinda plain. Needed some killer sides to make it pop.
I started rummaging through the fridge like a hungry raccoon. Saw half an onion, some limes rolling around, a bag of radishes… and bam! Idea hit me. Simple pickled onions and crispy radishes. Sounds basic? Trust me, they totally steal the show.
First up, the pickled onions. Grabbed my trusty cutting board. Sliced that half onion real thin. No fancy knife skills needed, just hack away carefully. My eyes started watering something fierce, but hey, totally worth it. Tossed all those thin slices straight into a little bowl.
Now the magic juice. Squeezed two limes into the bowl – caught the seeds with my fingers, super professional. Added a big pinch of salt. Like, probably more than you think you need. Then poured in some plain water until the onions were almost covered. Gave it all a good squish with my spoon. Covered the bowl and shoved it in the fridge.
Next, the radishes. Found my serrated knife – safer when dealing with small round things. Sliced those radishes up real thin, almost see-through. Didn’t bother with perfect circles, just got ’em sliced. Threw the radish slices into a different bowl. Big splash of cold water to cover ’em, nice pinch of salt again, stuck this bowl in the fridge too.
Left both bowls chilling there while I finished crisping up the carnitas. Maybe about 30 minutes? Enough time to set the table.
Pulled the bowls out later and… wow! Look at those onions! Turned this gorgeous bright pink color, all soft and tangy smelling. Drained ’em using my fingers as a strainer, dumped ’em into a serving dish. The radishes? Drained that water off too. Crunched one – perfect crisp bite with a hint of salt. Awesome.
Served the carnitas with warm tortillas, a scoop of those bright pink pickled onions, and a pile of those icy, salty radish slices. Let everyone build their own tacos. That tang from the onions? Cut right through the rich pork. The cold, crisp radish? Amazing crunch and freshness against the soft tortilla. Simple? Yeah. Freaking delicious? Absolutely everyone said so.
Key takeaways for next time:
- Don’t skip the salt in the lime water.
- Thin slices are crucial.
- Soak ’em while the main cooks – no extra work.
- Cheap fridge clean-out = superstar sides.
