Coleslaw Recipe: Amazing what you can do with a little cabbage and a little vinegar...

Coleslaw is one of the most common of the BBQ side dish recipes and is truly easy (and cheap!)

It's kind of funny to think of it also as one of the "vegetable" side dish recipes- but that's what it is. Each region puts its own spin on slaw, the dressing, and even how they cut the cabbage.

At the base level, slaw is a salad made from green cabbage, dressed with a vinegar-based dressing, that over time- 1/2 hour and up- allows the cabbage to wilt and give up some liquid, making it tender and adding to the dressing. Simple.

But before we go through some of the more classic slaw recipes, here is my out and out favorite:

Rey's Chipotle Coleslaw:

1 lb. finely shredded cabbage (mix green, purple and shredded carrots if you like for color)

3/4 c. mayonnaise

2/3 c. chipotle vinegar (see below)

1 Tb. sugar

Mix all ingredients except the cabbage together. Do not worry if it is a bit lumpy. It will all work out in the wash. Add cabbage, toss and let sit for at least 1/2 hour to get to know each other. Toss again just before serving. Keeps 24 hours nicely. After that, it loses some of its oomph but is still good.

Chipotle Vinegar:

1/2 gallon seasoned rice vinegar

1 can (7oz) chipotles en adobo

Puree in a blender or Cuisinart until blended. Keeps indefinitely in the fridge. Great on this slaw as well as for pickled onions for tacos. I'm dead serious, this simple little vinegar rocks!

Now back to the other BBQ regions and recipes:

As with other aspects of BBQ, the Carolinas tend to have a very distinct method of preparing coleslaw and other side dishes. This is probably due to the fact that this is one of the earliest settlements and so methods of preparation recall those beliefs.

Eastern North Carolina Slaw #1

1 pound green cabbage "mulched" - (chopped very fine a la Kentucky Fried Chicken) 3 Tb cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup mayonnaise

1 Tb mustard

celery salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except the cabbage together. Add cabbage, toss and let sit for at least 1/2 hour to get to know each other. Toss again just before serving. Keeps 24 hours nicely.

Western North Carolina (Piedmont) "Red Coleslaw"

1 Pound Green Cabbage chopped fine

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tb red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix all ingredients except the cabbage together. Add cabbage, toss and let sit for at least 1/2 hour to get to know each other. Toss again just before serving. Keeps 24 hours nicely.

Classic Creamy Mayonnaise Coleslaw:

1 pound Green Cabbage julienned

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

2Tb sugar

1 teaspoon celery seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except the cabbage together. Add cabbage, toss and let sit for at least 1/2 hour. Toss again just before serving. Keeps 24 hours nicely.

Debbie's chichi California Coleslaw:

1 pound Purple Cabbage julienned

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

2Tb sugar

1/2 bunch green onions chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except the cabbage together. Do not worry if it is a bit lumpy. It will all work out in the wash. Add cabbage, toss and let sit for at least 1/2 hour to get to know each other. 

Toss again just before serving. Keeps 24 hours nicely. After that, it loses some of this oomph but is still good.