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A Crisp Cookout Coleslaw




Source of Recipe


Internet


List of Ingredients




This simple salad goes with most any down-home dish, from steaks to po’boys.

Coleslaw is not just plain, it’s humble. Always a serve-along, never the main course, it wins the Oscar for best-supporting side dish. You can’t get much more modest than a head of cabbage.

Coleslaw is perfect with fried catfish and shrimp—and you really can’t have a true po’boy unless you load generous amounts of slaw between slices of chewy New Orleans sourdough bread. Coleslaw goes with almost everything—barbecued ribs, fried chicken, and thick grilled steaks.
For the best taste, I prepare only as much coleslaw as I need for a meal. It’s possible to keep it as a leftover, but not for long. Freshness counts.

A major issue with slaw is how you shred the cabbage. Some people prefer long strips, slicing it with a big sharp knife. I like to run it through my food processor. The smaller the pieces, the more easily they soak up the vinegar, giving a deeper taste to the slaw.
Sometimes I use purple cabbage. They call it red, but it’s purple. Purple cabbage gives a pretty result at first, but over time, it will turn your mayonnaise-and-vinegar medium a shocking lilac color.

One caveat, and a big one: I do not put onions in coleslaw. Cabbage and onion have combative personalities, and you do not want them in the same room together. I do, however, enjoy shredded carrot for the color and mellow flavor it gives, especially in green cabbage coleslaw. On occasion, I might add a sprinkling of dill or caraway seed if I am having a corned beef or pastrami sandwich.

After shredding the relevant vegetables, I put them in a high-shouldered stainless-steel bowl and toss the shreddings with fresh-milled pepper and just enough sugar to balance the vinegar. Tossing again, I douse the salad with dashes of vinegar. Not too much vinegar. You don’t want this slaw bringing tears to your eyes. Taste as you go.
A little tip: I prefer rice vinegar. Mild and sweet, it has plenty of kick, and it mingles with the other flavors nicely. Then I cover the mix and let it sit in the fridge while I fix whatever homey and comforting main dish we’re having.

I add the mayonnaise right before serving, first decanting the extra vinegar from my bowl. I don’t add the mayonnaise earlier because I don’t want it fighting with the vinegar and losing its body. I add just enough to bind the slaw together so that it will hold its own on a plate or inside a sandwich.

So, for a humble side that will make you proud, gather your friends around the table, breathe in the smell of grilled meat, and bring on the slaw.

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