Recipes all have much too much sugar. And the cabbage treatment seems like too much time to spend for just the outside leaves. I'll pass. Another disappointing Food section. RIP Pierre Franey and Craig Claiborne.
The 1/2 teaspoon of sugar per serving reminds me why I gag on cole slaw at restaurants, delis, and barbecues. Skip it, or at least add it to taste after stirring in the already-sweet mayo.
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I thought this story might ultimately have a smoking gun.
These look awesome, I can't wait to try them!
To my taste the best slaw uses fresh cabbage, crisp and tasty, not grilled! Smoke or carbo will interfere with the delicate taste of fresh cabbage IMO.
The challenge of making great slaw is the delicate balance of vinegar, mayo & sugar with just enough salt, pepper and celery seed to make it tasty! I do like a tad of green pepper diced small. If I want wilted cabbage then i stir fry it in olive oil. Charred or smoked is not for me. I do enjoy crisp cabbage done w/o mayo in a salad. Heated coleslaw=yuk.
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A heated coleslaw by any other name would smell and taste as sauer/sour—and be called sauerkraut.
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Not true! Try sautéing it—a revelation!
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@Steve Griffith: Sauerkraut is not cooked. It is cabbage that has been fermented using only salt, perhaps a bit of caraway.
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Serving smoked/charred cabbage along with smoked meats would seem to be a bit 'one note'. The contrast between the hot smokiness and the cold, tart crispness is one of the beautiful things about slaw........BUT, I will say that Mr. Raichlen's recipes alone sound pretty yummy and worth a try even without the smoke.
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Cole is also an older English word for cabbage.
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Chopped apples with skin in Midwest mayonnaise-based cole slaw. Don't forget to use plenty of salt. De rigueur with a Friday night fish fry.
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i love coleslaw but i get annoyed at how watery it can get, even if you salt the cabbage to try to get some water out of it. my new secret ingredient is xanthan gum. an eighth of a teaspoon mixed with the sugar before dumping the dressing on the cabbage will tighten it right up. too much will give the slaw a funny mouthfeel, but it's a cure for wateriness.
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@David xanthan gum. ugh.
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Coleslaw is wonderful and one of my favorite summer things. This makes me wonder if we are gilding the lily. Smoky meats and chilled coleslaw are terrific as is.
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I live by the mantra "Say no to tortured food" voiced many times by a mentor who inspired my cooking.
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On behalf of my wife, who loves cole slaw or Sauerkraut, I thank Mr. Raichlin for the historical reference to the US love affair with cole slaw since 1796.
As for me, I am for barbecued meat without any grilled vegetables, and "truth in simplicity".
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