Ideas in Food authors Aki Kamozawa and Alex Talbot have superb pickling and freezing ideas. Michael Natkin goes a step further in his cookbook, Herbivoracious, by combining the two methods into what he dubs “cryo-pickling”: freezing and thawing food in pickling liquid, a technique that results in a more concentrated flavor. Natkin gives his cryo-pickled onions a jolt of Japanese flavor. But being that it’s grilling season, we’re using his freeze-and-thaw trick to beef up a bulb destined for a burger. To make barbecue cryo-pickled onions: Combine 1/3 cup of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of your favorite barbecue rub in a bowl. (For a dash of local flavor, use Vernon’s BBQ rib or beef rub. $5: 6 oz., available at Vernon’s BBQ) Thinly slice half of a medium-size yellow onion. Place the onions in a freezer bag and pour the seasoned vinegar over them. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Shake the bag a bit to make sure the onions are covered in vinegar. Freeze for at least 12 hours, thaw in the refrigerator, then pile them high on a burger fresh off the coals. Once thawed, the onions will keep for about 3 days.
This article appears in June 2013.