Sweet-Sour Slaw

By Meathead Goldwyn

In the South there are two kinds of slaw and the rivalry is as savage as Clemson vs. South Carolina: Sweet-sour and creamy. Sweet-sour is vinegar and sugar based. Creamy is mayo or sour cream or buttermilk based (or a blend of them). This sweet-sour is so simple and quick. And delish. 

Sweeet-Sour Slaw Recipe

Yield. 8 small servings

Prep time. 30 minutes

Let it sit. At least 1 hour in the fridge if possible

Ingredients for the dressing

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon whole celery seeds (not celery salt)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (corn oil or salad oil mix are good choices)

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar (not cider vinegar)

Ingredients for the slaw

1 pound green cabbage (about half a medium cabbage)

1 large carrot, peeled

1 small white onion

1/2 bell pepper, any color

Optional additions. Add 3 red radishes for a pinch of heat. Add white radishes if you like a jab of heat. Add a small jalapeño if you like a punch of heat. 

Method

1) In a bowl large enough for the whole shootin' match, whisk together the dressing. Don't skip the mustard. It's the secret ingredient that gives it life. And make sure all the lumps are whisked out.

2) Read my article on The Science of Slawsome Slaw. Decide how you want to cut the cabbage, carrots, pepper, and onions: Chopped, grated, or hashed and have at it. I like this recipe best when chopped or grated. Now that you've decided, do it.

3) Add the cabbage, carrots, pepper, and onions to the bowl with the dressing. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour if possible to extract the flavors from the celery seeds and the vegetables. They will give up some water, so don't worry if the mix seems a bit dry and strong at first. Mix it up occasionally so the dressing doesn't pool at the bottom and taste. You can now add more of the seasonings to your preference.

4) When you serve it, mix thoroughly and scoop from the bottom so the veggies have dressing on them.

Here’s the recipe from the Elote Café Cookbook by Jeff Smedstad:

Serves 4

2 cups hand-shredded Oaxacan cheese

½ cup diced onion

¼ cup chopped cilantro

4 radishes cut in half and thinly sliced (I left these out this time)

4 pickled jalapenos, sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

4 large vine-ripe tomatoes, slice thick

“Combine all the ingredients except the tomatoes and toss well.  Arrange on salad plates so that the salad mixture is layered between the stacked tomato slices.  Drizzle the vinaigrette remaining in the mixing bowl over the four servings.”

http://www.elotecafe.com/

1 head of Romaine lettuce – Per two people
Olive oil - The spray stuff is super handy for this.
Crumbled blue cheese (optional)…I have seen shaved parmesan used with other dressings.
Blue cheese dressing is our favorite – You can go with your favorite.
Cherry tomatoes, split in half
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

After washing and drying, slice the Romaine in two length wise. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, add a little salt (preferably ground sea salt), fresh cracked black pepper and you are ready to cook.

Toss the lettuce on the grill sliced side down as you finish up cooking the main dish, which is usually steaks or a slab of fish for us.

How long you leave it will depend on the temp of the grill. If you are doing a steak at 600 than it's not going to take long to heat up some oily lettuce. As soon as you see some of the exposed leaves wilt and turn brown… it's done. Maybe 90 seconds. If you are using indirect heat at 300 it can take 3 min or so. The key is to get the lettuce toasty, not turn anything into carbon, just get it hot on the grill side.

Set it on a plate cooked side up, add crumbled blue cheese and dressing to taste, toss on a few tomatoes and enjoy.

Notes

Number of Servings: 2 per head

Time to Prepare:

Instructions

Notes

Number of Servings: 8-12

Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

2 cups corn kernels (fresh, canned, frozen-thawed)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced

4 ounces feta cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Prep the first five ingredients and combine them in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified.  Add the vinaigrette to the salad a little at a time and toss until the dressing coats (but doesn't drench) the vegetables.

Notes

Number of Servings: 2-4

Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon Ginger

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes halved

1 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pine nuts

Instructions

Combine first three ingredients. Stir in remaining prepared ingredients. Cover and chill.

Notes

Number of Servings:

Time to Prepare:

2 lb ahi tuna
2 each, red, green, and yellow peppers
6 ribs celery
1 med onion
2 bunches green onions white and green parts (optional, I did not use at Waldorf)
1 cup golden raisins
BBQ rub (Dizzy Pig's Tsunami Spin is a favorite)

Instructions

Season the tuna with your favorite rub (DP, Tsunami Spin in this case) and cook (direct, raised grate at 325-400) with some smoke (I used apple and pecan), until the tuna is well done (145 F) and let cool to room temp.  Put in a zip lock bag and break up with your fingers to desired size chunks.

Chop all the veggies into 1/4" dice, mix in the tuna and raisins and add the mayo to the desired consistency (probably about 2 cups for this much).

Season the salad with additional rub to desired flavor and saltiness.  I am guessing I added a heavy tablespoon.  The truth is, I added some, tasted it and added some more. 

Notes

Number of Servings:

Time to Prepare:

Instructions

Notes

Number of Servings: 10+

Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

Instructions

Notes

Number of Servings: 3-4

Time to Prepare: 10 minutes

Instructions

Notes

Number of Servings: 3-4

Time to Prepare: 15 minutes