Steak house quality onion rings

Hello my friends.  I found this recipe in an old Rachel Ray magazine.  These onion rings are the best I've ever made at home.  I don't do a lot of fried things but who doesn't love a good onion ring once in a while.  I'm also posting a recipe for a red ranch sauce that was in the same magazine article.  I made both last night with burgers and everything was sooo tasty.  I can see using these rings on po' boy sandwiches and steak.  The sauce can be used on all types of beef dishes as well as fish dishes.

Onion rings ingredient list

• Oil for frying
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I don't suggest using the "cheat" of regular milk and vinegar - get a carton of buttermilk - I used lite).
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I used lite and it was fine).
• 1 1/2 cups flour (it sounds like a lot for what you are making, but believe me you need it all).
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives or scallion greens (I did not have either so used dried Italian seasoning - it was okay but next time I will try the chives or scallions).
• 1 large onion or 2 medium cut into 1 inch slices and separated into rings.
• Salt and pepper.

Here's your recipe.
Start heating your oil in a pan or deep fryer.
Mix the sour cream and buttermilk in a bowl.  Mix your flour, salt, pepper, and chives/scallions in another shallow bowl.  You will start out dipping the rings in the wet mixture then dredging in the flour mixture.  Dip again in the wet and again in the dry.  Place a few rings in your oil and fry for around 4 minutes (until golden).  Place the cooked rings on a cooling rack.  DO NOT place them on a paper towel lined plate - they will get soggy on the under side.

Red ranch sauce ingredient list

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 large garlic clove either grated, pasted, or crushed (I did crushed).
• 3-4 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs (chives and parsley are suggested but as I had neither, I opted for dried Italian seasoning and it worked well).
• Salt and pepper
• Hot sauce to taste (I used Texas Pete about 1 1/2 tsp - a staple in my house).

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Here is how I served this with the burgers.

Place your burger on a bun, top with an onion ring.  Use the onion ring as a damn and put some chopped greens (whatever you like - I used Romaine lettuce) inside the ring, top off with the sauce, add your top bun and enjoy.

This was one truly delicious burger.

If you use the rings or the sauce for another dish - please share what you did with them. 

Happy eating
K