# Slow roasted onions



## pmeheran (Jun 7, 2014)

One thing I have noticed about many cooks/chefs, they make recipes that are needlessly busy and complex.  Or else they put stuff in I would not on a bet.  That said, the mexicans in south texas have a nifty and simple way of preparing whole (1015 sweet onions) on the grill or charcoal grill.  They peel the onion and leave it whole, having a piece of foil laid down, they liberally rub the onion with (manteca de puerco)  ie. lard and salt and roll up in the foil and place on indirect heat for slow roasting.  However, me being a lazy gringo, I go for bacon drippings. It is really nice with all sorts of stuff.  If for instance you have a low class steak, it does good things for the taste.
I made some the other day and when I realized I had overcooked the burger, it made it eatable.


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## pacanis (Jun 7, 2014)

They peel it and wrap it up in foil?  
Way to complex for me...
I like to take a little cone out of the top and put butter and granulated beef bullion on top. I leave the skin on, as that helps add flavor as it caramelizes. The foil is just to keep it upright and held together. I like a little color on top.


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## pmeheran (Jun 7, 2014)

Yes I will peel the onion, but the idea of some of the other things do not appeal to me.  The accent is on peels. The idea of the roasted onion is a good one in that it produces a soft sweet onion that can be used a variety of ways. Your idea is not bad, but.

Pete~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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## Cheryl J (Jun 8, 2014)

pacanis said:


> They peel it and wrap it up in foil?
> Way to complex for me...
> I like to take a little cone out of the top and put butter and granulated beef bullion on top. I leave the skin on, as that helps add flavor as it caramelizes. The foil is just to keep it upright and held together. I like a little color on top.


 
Good idea, pac.  That looks mighty tasty.


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## pacanis (Jun 8, 2014)

They are, Cheryl. You don't need a sweet onion either. 
I used to make them in the oven, too. All I would do is cut the stem off and roast them until soft at 425. Then squeeze the onion out of the skin. Yummers.


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## Katie H (Jun 8, 2014)

Reminds me of how I sometimes cook Vidalia onions.

I peel the onions a little, scoop out the stem end with a melon baller.  In the "well" made by the melon baller I cram in about a tablespoon of butter and a whole beef bouillon cube.

Using one medium onion per serving, I place the onions in a baking dish, pour water in the dish about 1/4-inch deep.  Tightly cover with foil and bake at about 350F for at least an hour.  What results is nothing short of onion deliciousness.

Now that I've read through this thread, I might just HAVE to use some of my stash of bacon drippings instead of butter.  Sounds like a winner.


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## Cheryl J (Jun 8, 2014)

pacanis said:


> They are, Cheryl. You don't need a sweet onion either.
> I used to make them in the oven, too. All I would do is cut the stem off and roast them until soft at 425. Then squeeze the onion out of the skin. Yummers.


 
Like.   Pac, last week I stopped at one of the small fruit and veggie stands we have around here and bought a couple of "Candy" onions.  Very large, very white, and very sweet.  The taste is what I imagine vidalias would taste like.  They're delicious.   

This guy also grows tomatoes for sale, he has 2 enormous greenhouses on the edge of town.  I went to high school with him, so it's also fun to stop at his stands and chat.


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## Cheryl J (Jun 8, 2014)

Oh, yum, Katie! Sounds fabulous!   I'll have to try that.


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## Katie H (Jun 8, 2014)

Cheryl J said:


> Oh, yum, Katie! Sounds fabulous!   I'll have to try that.



They're fantastic, Cheryl.  They make a great side for a beef or pork roast.  The onion-flavored liquid in the bottom of the casserole dish is wonderful to dip meat in.


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## pacanis (Jun 8, 2014)

I've seen candy onions here starting a couple years ago, Cheryl. At a farmer's fruit stand. They aren't as sweet or moist as Vidalias.


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## Cheryl J (Jun 8, 2014)

Ok that's it.   Putting a note in my phone to get Vidalias next time I'm in the city.


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## Somebunny (Jun 9, 2014)

pacanis said:


> I've seen candy onions here starting a couple years ago, Cheryl. At a farmer's fruit stand. They aren't as sweet or moist as Vidalias.




Pac, do you get Walla Walla sweets out your way?  We get Vidalias here but the WWS are a Pacific Northwest treat!  You probably get them in Cali, Cheryl


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## pacanis (Jun 9, 2014)

I've heard of Walla Wallas, so I might have seen them at Wegmans at one time, Somebunny. I don't think I've ever eaten any though.


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## GA Home Cook (Jun 9, 2014)

Vidalias are the bomb.  We get them here in GA in the 25 lb bags.  Try them with Creole or Cajun spices in the well.  If anyone has a smoker, put them in with the meat and smoke them.  YUM.


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## CraigC (Jun 9, 2014)

Cipollinis would be great on the grill!


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## sparrowgrass (Jun 9, 2014)

I like to cut Vidalias in thick horizontal slices, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper, and grill until they are browned.  I don't cook them all the way done, I like them crunchy with a little char.


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## Kayelle (Jun 9, 2014)

I almost exclusively use the large white onions from our local Mexican market. It's hard to beat the cost at a quarter a pound! Even raw, they don't cause the indigestion of other onions, even the purple ones.  I'll have to try the ideas here about baking and grilling, as I haven't done that in a very long time.


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## Cheryl J (Jun 9, 2014)

Somebunny said:


> Pac, do you get Walla Walla sweets out your way? We get Vidalias here but the WWS are a Pacific Northwest treat! You probably get them in Cali, Cheryl


 
I used to live in WA and remember the Walla Wallas. Love 'em! We only have 2 grocery stores out here in the middle of nowhere, but if I checked at Whole Foods or a larger grocer down in the city, I bet I could find them. 

Kayelle, I love the big white onions too, and use them more than any other onion.  Can't get them for .25/lb though, that's a great deal!


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## Chef Munky (Jun 13, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> I almost exclusively use the large white onions from our local Mexican market. It's hard to beat the cost at a quarter a pound! Even raw, they don't cause the indigestion of other onions, even the purple ones.  I'll have to try the ideas here about baking and grilling, as I haven't done that in a very long time.



You to? Those markets are the only places here where they can be found.They've been just fine for recipe that I've used that needed sweet onions.

I'm trying another way to cook them now.Incorporating all of the fantastic suggestions here.Just trying another version of cooking them.Especially when it's a sole person (me who loves them)

Using the grill or smoker today=unsafe.Too windy. That's out.
Million things to do still today that I won't have time to watch the oven.

To simple size the options.

Crockpot them using the 1qt crock

Grab the biggest onion.Peel back the skin.Cut off 1/2" from the top.
Place it on an onion cutter.The kind for making blooming onions.Mine is the old William and Sonoma one.Black with stainless steel blades that stagger.It has a stopper to let you know where to stop.Great sturdy handles.
All I had to do additionally was to cut a little more off the bottom to keep it in an upright position in the crock.

Place it directly in the middle of the crock.
Drizzled a little Tuscan & Garlic infused oils over the top.
Sprinkled a little Kosher salt on with fresh Black pepper,Paprika.

Around the sides I added a few garlic cloves that a local organic farmer sent over for me a few days ago.I've been looking for an excuse to use them.

Turned it on.It has no high low setting.Let the condensation do it's thing.
We'll see how it turns out.It's certainly smelling good.
I might add an Italian sausage to it and have Bruchetta's for dinner.

Next time thought I'm going to try either Harissa or Chipole oils and see how it goes.

Munky.


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## Kayelle (Jun 14, 2014)

Chef Munky said:


> You to? Those markets are the only places here where they can be found.They've been just fine for recipe that I've used that needed sweet onions.
> 
> I'm trying another way to cook them now.Incorporating all of the fantastic suggestions here.Just trying another version of cooking them.Especially when it's a sole person (me who loves them)
> 
> ...



Munky, those huge white onions are now *5 *lbs for a dollar at the Mexican market here. Dang, that's nearly free. Last year I sliced around ten pounds of them and stuffed them into my crock pot to perfectly caramelize down after 18 hrs plugged into our patio outlet. Indoors one can only stand the smell of cooking onions for just so long! It's time to do more now at these prices as my freezer stash of zip lock bags is about gone.


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