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Side: Arkansas Slaw with Apples and Celery

Source of Recipe

From "BBQ USA" by Steven Raichlen


Recipe Introduction

"Skip Steele calls it the best coleslaw in America. That's no mean compliment, coming from one of the top barbecue guns in St. Louis—winner of a Memphis in May Whole Hog Championship and co-founder of Missouri's super-successful Super Smokers restaurants. Skip was born in Arkansas, and whenever he gets anywhere near his old stomping grounds he makes a pilgrimage to a cinder block barbecue shack in Devalls Bluff called Craig's. Its coleslaw is a masterpiece of balance: The tartness of the vinegar is offset by just the right touch of sugar, with an audible crunch supplied by cabbage, apple, and celery. Here's how I imagine Craig's makes it."

List of Ingredients

For the dressing:
â—¦ ½ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, or more to taste
â—¦ 3 tablespoons sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon celery salt, or more to taste
â—¦ 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the slaw:
â—¦ 1 small or ½ large head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 ½ pounds)
â—¦ 1 small onion, quartered
â—¦ 1 Red Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
â—¦ 2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces


Recipe

Make the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, celery salt, and pepper in a large nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Make the slaw: Finely chop the cabbage, onion, apple, and celery in a food processor by pulsing the motor (this is a chopped, not sliced or shredded, slaw). Work in batches so as not to overcrowd the processor bowl.

Add the chopped cabbage, onion, apple, and celery to the dressing and toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more vinegar and/or celery salt as necessary. Let the slaw stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. The slaw can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.

Serves 8






✰ Tip: The easiest way to achieve the fine-chopped texture of the original is with a food processor fitted with a chopping blade.