Cucumber Dill Pickle Spears and Chips

Processing your pickles in a hot-water bath rather than a boiling-water bath will give you a firmer texture. It follows that if you want pickles with real snap, don't process them at all. These dill-pickle spears—or sandwich chips, depending on how you slice them—can be processed, if you want, for long-term shelf storage, but first try making a batch to keep in the refrigerator. They will be crisp, and the flavor of raw cucumber comes through. The recipe can be scaled up.

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 6 cups lukewarm water
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 3 large flowering dill heads (4 inches across)
• 3 lb. Kirby pickling cucumbers
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups white-wine vinegar

Dissolve the salt in the water, and add the coriander, fennel, and dill. Set aside.

Scrub the cucumbers well, rubbing off any spines. Cut away a thin round from the stem and blossom ends, and slice lengthwise into quarters. Put the spears in a large bowl, and cover with the brine. Weight the cucumbers with a plate, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and set aside for 24 hours. If the bowl won't fit in your refrigerator, it's fine to leave it out at room temperature.

The next day, pack the cucumber spears into two scalded quart jars, saving the brine. Measure out 2 cups of the brine and reserve. Strain the remaining brine through a fine sieve to capture the aromatics, and divide them between the jars. Tuck a dill head and two cloves of garlic into each jar.

Mix the vinegar and the 2 cups reserved brine, and bring to a boil. Pour it over the pickles to cover. Seal the jars, and store in the refrigerator for a week before using. For long-term shelf storage, leave 1/2 inch headspace when filling the jars, then seal. Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes, or in a hot-water bath, between 180 and 185ºF, for 30 minutes.

Cucumber Dill Pickle Spears and Chips

Processing your pickles in a hot-water bath rather than a boiling-water bath will give you a firmer texture. It follows that if you want pickles with real snap, don't process them at all. These dill-pickle spears—or sandwich chips, depending on how you slice them—can be processed, if you want, for long-term shelf storage, but first try making a batch to keep in the refrigerator. They will be crisp, and the flavor of raw cucumber comes through. The recipe can be scaled up.

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 6 cups lukewarm water
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 3 large flowering dill heads (4 inches across)
• 3 lb. Kirby pickling cucumbers
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups white-wine vinegar

Dissolve the salt in the water, and add the coriander, fennel, and dill. Set aside.

Scrub the cucumbers well, rubbing off any spines. Cut away a thin round from the stem and blossom ends, and slice lengthwise into quarters. Put the spears in a large bowl, and cover with the brine. Weight the cucumbers with a plate, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and set aside for 24 hours. If the bowl won't fit in your refrigerator, it's fine to leave it out at room temperature.

The next day, pack the cucumber spears into two scalded quart jars, saving the brine. Measure out 2 cups of the brine and reserve. Strain the remaining brine through a fine sieve to capture the aromatics, and divide them between the jars. Tuck a dill head and two cloves of garlic into each jar.

Mix the vinegar and the 2 cups reserved brine, and bring to a boil. Pour it over the pickles to cover. Seal the jars, and store in the refrigerator for a week before using. For long-term shelf storage, leave 1/2 inch headspace when filling the jars, then seal. Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes, or in a hot-water bath, between 180 and 185ºF, for 30 minutes.

Cucumber Dill Pickle Spears and Chips

Processing your pickles in a hot-water bath rather than a boiling-water bath will give you a firmer texture. It follows that if you want pickles with real snap, don't process them at all. These dill-pickle spears—or sandwich chips, depending on how you slice them—can be processed, if you want, for long-term shelf storage, but first try making a batch to keep in the refrigerator. They will be crisp, and the flavor of raw cucumber comes through. The recipe can be scaled up.

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 6 cups lukewarm water
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 3 large flowering dill heads (4 inches across)
• 3 lb. Kirby pickling cucumbers
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups white-wine vinegar

Dissolve the salt in the water, and add the coriander, fennel, and dill. Set aside.

Scrub the cucumbers well, rubbing off any spines. Cut away a thin round from the stem and blossom ends, and slice lengthwise into quarters. Put the spears in a large bowl, and cover with the brine. Weight the cucumbers with a plate, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and set aside for 24 hours. If the bowl won't fit in your refrigerator, it's fine to leave it out at room temperature.

The next day, pack the cucumber spears into two scalded quart jars, saving the brine. Measure out 2 cups of the brine and reserve. Strain the remaining brine through a fine sieve to capture the aromatics, and divide them between the jars. Tuck a dill head and two cloves of garlic into each jar.

Mix the vinegar and the 2 cups reserved brine, and bring to a boil. Pour it over the pickles to cover. Seal the jars, and store in the refrigerator for a week before using. For long-term shelf storage, leave 1/2 inch headspace when filling the jars, then seal. Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes, or in a hot-water bath, between 180 and 185ºF, for 30 minutes.

Pan-Seared Skirt Steak with Warm Radish and Red Onion Pickle

The quick vegetable pickle is a bright, tangy complement to marinated steak. If there’s any left over, try it on a turkey sandwich.

For the steak:

• 2 lb. skirt steak
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pickle:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch red radishes (8 or 9), halved and thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

Marinate the steak: Trim any large patches of fat from the surface. If necessary, cut the steak crosswise into pieces 8 to 10 inches long. In a 9x13-inch baking dish (or similar), whisk 1/2 cup of the oil, the lemon juice, mustard, lemon zest, honey, pepper flakes, garlic, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Arrange the steak in the dish and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

Make the pickle: In a medium saucepan, stir together the oil, cider vinegar, honey, sherry vinegar, coriander, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the radishes, carrot, onion, and jalapeño and toss gently to coat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are wilted and the radishes are no longer crunchy but are still firm, 4 to 5 minutes. Give it one final stir and remove from the heat. Set aside, uncovered, while you cook the steak.

Cook the steak: Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Heat 1 Tbs. of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the steak to the hot skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until deeply browned on both sides and cooked to your liking—medium rare will take 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer the steak to a carving board and set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and cook the remaining steak as above.

Let the steaks rest for at least 5 minutes; then slice thinly across the grain and transfer to a large platter. Pour any accumulated juices over the steaks, top with the warm radish pickle, and serve.