Fourth of July Side Dish

This summer, as usual, we had house guests for the weekend of the Fourth of July. Like many years in the past, I smoked a pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches. I made some bbq sauce as well. My wife asked for her favorite side dish to that meal, cole slaw. She loves to stack the meat, sauce, and cole slaw on the bun. I admit I do as well.

Cole slaw is like potato salad. There are as many versions as there are families. In our family, we do not mess with broccoli or raisins. Our family version was stolen from Emeril and has a bite and a twang. Allow me to walk you through it.

Use a knife to shred one large head of cabbage.

Seed and large dice a Granny Smith apple. Toss them in lemon juice to keep them from browning.

Slice a large bunch of green onions into rings.

Grate a heaping cup of carrots on the large holes of a box grater.

Combine the vegetables and fruit. Mix together a round 1/4 cup of sugar, a 1/2 cup of cider vinegar, 1 and a half teaspoons of salt, and a teaspoon of ground black pepper. Pour it over the slaw and toss well.

Cover the slaw and let it pickle for 20 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, combine 1 cup of good mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tablespoons stone ground mustard, and 6 heaping Tablespoons of prepared horseradish. (I sometimes add even more if the horseradish is mild.)

When the slaw pickling time elapses, add the creamy mixture to the slaw and mix well.

I promise, this slaw is nothing like that insipid stuff slopped onto plates at bad diners or roadside bbq shacks. This slaw will slap you in the face and make you come back for seconds.