In Lexington BBQ country, if you served up some white cole slaw to go with your BBQ sandwich, you would be tarred and feathered then tarred again. Everyone, including Andy Griffith, Gomer and Aunt Bee, know that the only slaw that goes with BBQ is Red Slaw, often called Lexington Slaw.
The spicey slaw really goes with lots of southern-style foods including catfish and fried chicken. The tanginess of the slaw helps cut through the richness of pork and the crispy batters of fried foods.
We brought back a big bag of Red Slaw from our reunion to go with a big bag of Lexington BBQ I also came home with, and I have eaten it for nearly every meal, well at least lunch and dinner. It doesn’t go particularly well with eggs.
It’s easy to duplicate and if you serve it at a cook-out with some Northerners, you will be a hero. They have never tasted such great slaw.
Here’s how.
Red Cole Slaw (Big Batch)
4 C cabbage – very finely (important) chopped
2/3 C ketchup
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1/2 C sugar
1 t salt
1t pepper
A dash of hot sauce
Place chopped cabbage in a large bowl. Whisk together ketchup, vinegar, sugar salt and pepper. Pour dressing over cabbage and toss until well mixed. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to serve.