American Coleslaw - Pilar Hernández's Chilean Kitchen
I've been wanting to share this classic American coleslaw recipe for a long time. It's a staple at barbecues here in the US and is almost always available as a side dish, even at fast-food restaurants. As you can imagine, being so common, there are many variations, but the key is the inclusion of mayonnaise.
- 1/2 medium shredded green cabbage (about 6 cups)
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade)
- 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of celery or poppy seeds
- 1/2 grated carrot and red cabbage, optional
- To grate cabbage, the easiest way is to cut it in half, without removing the core, and grate it with a mandoline or a carrot grater. You can also chop it with a knife; it shouldn't be as finely chopped as for Chilean salads.
- In a bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients and taste, adjusting the flavors.
- Add the cabbage, carrot, and red cabbage (if using) and mix well. It may seem like a small amount of dressing, but the cabbage will release water while it rests. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove from heat and stir well, let it cool to room temperature for about 15 minutes, and serve. You can garnish with more seeds.
In the US, it's very common to add celery seeds; in Chile, they're less common, so I opted for poppy seeds, which are also traditional but less common. Mayonnaise is essential; it's the key to the whole thing. And then there's the resting time, so the cabbage softens a bit and the flavors meld.
To give it color, coleslaw usually has a little red cabbage, it's really just a handful, because it tends to tint the mixture and can give it an unpleasant color, and a little coarsely grated carrot, both are optional in terms of flavor.
Coleslaw and potato salad are, for me, the ideal accompaniment to ribs or Texas BBQ brisket.
Description
One of my favorite salads.
- ½ medium green shredded cabbage (about 6 cups)
