My wife bought some delicious all-natural hot dogs and I was looking for something extra-special to top them with. I love hot dogs, but I love topping them with quality condiments even more. I spent much too long in the condiment aisle at the local grocery store, so I thought–sod it, I will just make my own. Here in Northwestern CT, we have a few famous hot dog vendors–Frankie’s and Blackie’s. I can eat way too many of them. Both of these haunts are equally famous for the pepper relish they serve. One other topping that comes to mind when I visit them is the onions on the side–at Frankie’s, they serve them from a big container alongside the relish. Not sure what they brine them in, but I thought I could embellish.
Enter this onion relish. I am very excited to share this recipe with you. It is like crack. Since searching for ideas on an onion relish recipe and coming up with my own variation, I leave a bunch in the fridge to put on potato salads and other cold dishes. The ingredients are strikingly simple. Many recipes I found called for sugar. We generally avoid sugar in the house, so I left it out entirely. My wife also happened to bring home a bunch of fresh jalapenos, so I added those in for extra kick. Now I put them in everything!
I coupled this with some Kosciusko mustard, and man oh man, a little bit o’ heaven on a bun.
I hope you enjoy! I welcome your comments and feedback.
Homemade Onion and Jalapeno Relish Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 onion sliced and diced thinly
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, sliced and diced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- coursely ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the onion into slivers. Have a look at the image. Slice crosswise as thin as you can, and then slice the slivers crosswise. It helps to do a quarter of the onion at a time.
- Repeat the slicing with small slivers until you have diced the onion completely. Transfer to a bowl.
- Repeat the process with half of a jalapeno pepper. Rinse the pepper, slice in half lengthwise, and then remove the seeds and ribs.
- Add the diced jalapeno bits to the relish. (You can skip the jalapeno or lessen the amount if you really do not like spicy foods, but both onions and jalapenos have great anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant qualities). Add to the onions. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and salt.
- Finish by adding the 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Put in the fridge and chill for 1 or more hours. This is one dish that pays to make ahead. You can store in the fridge for several days–the longer it sits, the better the flavors meld. Serve anywhere your normally would add relish. You will find it very refreshing without all the preservatives and sugar often found in prepared foods.
