My family opened the first of it's many BBQ restaurants in NC in the 1930's. We were said to have invented this type of slaw, but I always wondered if the idea didn't come from kimchi or some other Asian dish, but the ingredients are basically what goes into Piedmont style sauce, or "dip" as most restaurants in central NC call it. We didn't use sambal or siracha but I'm good with both of these being included. Ours was salt, black pepper, sugar, cayenne, ketchup and apple cider vinegar. We mixed the dry ingredients in a food grade storage bin starting with 100# bags of sugar to give you a sense of scale. Our busiest stores would go through 500# (or more) of cabbage per day, so the dry ingredient batches were made about every other day. This video is pretty timely since I noticed it as I was throwing a 200# pound hog onto my cooker for a party tonight. In a couple of hours I'll be shoulder deep in a 75# pile of chopped cabbage mixing up a batch for family and friends. And yes, I will smell like ketchup and vinegar for the next couple of days. We used a buffalo chopper to process the cabbage and could go through 500# in about an hour, and we used the core. Growing up I spent my mornings processing cabbage, cutting onions for onion rings, and pulling shoulders off the wood fired pits that had cooked overnight. Friends at school either loved me or hated me depending on what I prepped that morning before school. Most of our locations cooked 2000#(raw weight)(yes, 1 ton) of pork shoulders per day, yielding about 1200# usable meat after skin/bone removal post cook, so enough for about 4500 sandwiches or some combination of sandwiches/trays/plates. We were Curtis Meat Packing company's largest customer for many years, and when we sold the last of our restaurants they ceased selling fresh meat.

@ibew1951

Жыл бұрын

Thank u for sharing !

@Just_Checkin

Жыл бұрын

I grew up in Charlotte. Live in Austin TX now. I need to introduce our red slaw to the TX pork BBQ scene. It would make the best sandwiches!

@geoffkeller5337

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing!

@JonO387

Жыл бұрын

As someone born and raised in Charlotte I have never heard of this, and I've eaten BBQ all over the state.

@jasonmiller9180

Жыл бұрын

​@@JonO387that doesn't mean that it isn't a thing. I grew up in this, didn't know there was a mayo based sauce until I was over 18.

You are the Tom Brokaw of your Carolina Red Slaw.

@matthewwhittington-jk9ep

Жыл бұрын

The dan rather and peter jennings of cold slaw for chef john.

@atlantisource

Жыл бұрын

🫡

@maunarose

Жыл бұрын

😂 Tom Brokaw ❤😂

@Guigen

Жыл бұрын

The ma and pa of your Carolina Red Slaw

I love this. Something other than the mayo based dressing!

@justme0910

Жыл бұрын

Look up Krautsalat! It's the German version of coleslaw, with a light, tangy vinegar dressing, green bell peppers, and (ideally) lots of black pepper. Light, refreshing and crunchy.

@gipsi2001

Жыл бұрын

Yep. I use olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Definitely no sugar

I’ve lived in north and South Carolina since 2002 and have ever seen this before

@JonO387

Жыл бұрын

Because it's not a real thing. Apparently it's the vinegar based slaw you find all over NC but for some reason they made it red, which I have never seen in NC.

@clarencegreen3071

9 ай бұрын

It's a thing, alright. I would like to invite you to the Lexington BBQ festival that is held each year in downtown Lexington. It's a big deal with many tens of thousands attending. It's scheduled for October 28 this year (2023).

@deb8911

9 ай бұрын

@@clarencegreen3071 adding it to my calendar NOW!

The shelf-life of this slaw is a mind blower! 🙏👍

As I am from the town that invented red slaw. I would say you are close but no bell pepper is to be used. Hot sauce recommended is texas Pete made in North Carolina also

Red slaw with my pulled pork sandwich at the Lexington Barbeque, heaven on earth!

Frer John, there is a very similar slaw that is traditional to the Alabama/Tennessee border region, i.e., the Tennessee River Valley area, that is used exclusively on hotdogs and burgers, as a topping. IF you are ever in the region, travel along the Tupelo Pike and sample the offerings in the various BBQ or Burger stands there. You won't be disappointed!

@chrishendley8652

Жыл бұрын

In Lexington NC we only eat red slaw on hotdogs with mustard and chili. And of course bbq sandwiches

Rocky River Springs Fish House in Norwood NC adds tomatoes to slaw. Just tomatoes, not a lot. It’s super addictive.

Kinda want to try this on a pulled pork sandwich next time I make some, but I'd definitely go for the jarred red peppers and maybe 50/50 ketchup and bbq.

@zombiTrout

Жыл бұрын

I love this slaw on a pulled pork sandwich. They were made for each other.

@natdatil6830

Жыл бұрын

Try it on a chopped pork sandwich. That's how they'd do it where this slaw comes from.

Every good Carolina boy knows you take those cores and salt them to snack on while making your Red Slaw!

@JonO387

Жыл бұрын

No.

@kfcfighter46

Жыл бұрын

I've been making this slaw for years and I'm from Gaston/Lincoln County,, never heard of that.. but to each their own my friend... too bitter for me.

As someone from the Piedmont and a chef, I approve of your variation. It is a very underrated and unknown delicacy of NC.

@DabsNanime

Жыл бұрын

What part of nc , born and raised never heard of this

@boogiedaddy3434

Жыл бұрын

@@DabsNanime I've usually encountered this variation in the western half of the state, from Winston-Salem and Statesville onward toward Asheville. Personally have only encountered it once east of Raleigh

@DabsNanime

Жыл бұрын

@@boogiedaddy3434 really that’s crazy my dad’s family born and raised in Asheville but I never heard of this , looks good i definitely need to try it

@majoroldladyakamom6948

Жыл бұрын

@@DabsNanime Helpful hint? A herd of cattle A herd of horses. A herd of bison. The word heard has the word "ear" in it. It's what we do with our EARS. ⚘

@DabsNanime

Жыл бұрын

@@majoroldladyakamom6948 clam down miss English major 😂😂

looks delicious, thanks for another great recipe!

After all, you are the Charles Babbage of that youngish green cabbage.

I made this with red cabbage and without the sugar, and it was delicious! I've never really liked mayo with cabbage, so using barbecue and tomato sauce has opened my eyes to new ways of making slaw. Thanks, Chef John!

It's refreshing to see someone besides me who hand cuts their cabbage for cole slaw.

I'm from coastal NC and have never heard of this. Amazing what you learn.

Incredible idea, you have done it again. Will definitely try this.

This looks so good❤

Thank You!!!! To match our red clay soil and because it is by far THE best cole slaw EVER!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Absolutely amazing recipe! I'm one of those lazy so & sos who always pulsed my cabbage in the food processor, but, thanks to you, Chef John, I am REFORMED! Now I will always meticulously hand-cut, salt, and drain my cabbage. What a difference! Thanks for helping me to see the light. I've always made my slaw the way mom did (with homemade thousand island dressing, so no ketchup snobs here), or sometimes with a spicy Memphis style dressing, but this is really some next level flavor. Excellent on "slaw dogs", and, my new favorite; piled onto a breaded chicken patty with a slice of melted cheese on a toasted bun (might have overtaken chopped Korean kimchi as my favorite topping, at least for summer). Sensational as a side, too! For anyone interested, trust me, make this exactly as written. It's already perfect. Thank you, Food Dad, for another winner! ❤

That specifically comes from Lexington, NC. Where I was born and raised, and still live. 57years. There is no ketchup in it. It's tomatoe sauce white vinegar red and black pepper, sugar and salt.

@andrewmcmillan229

Жыл бұрын

Ketchup is just tomato, sugar, vinegar, and salt anyway, so using ketchup vs tomato sauce doesnt really make a difference

@purpleshoespurp3462

Жыл бұрын

Did you see the person say they been all over the Carolinas and never head of this type of slaw? How do you profess to be a Carolina bbq expert and never been to Lexington lmao.

Reminds me of Stameys in Greensboro.

This was incredible! Tangy and really tasty. Do not skip the salting!

The pool hall in the town square of Fayetteville, TN had amazing slaw burgers. I bet this would be fantastic on a burger. Thank you Chief John.

I’ll prep this up right now, I think. I have the spare ingredients on hand anyways. I was wondering what to do with these. This turned out to be rather timely! Another great production, chef!

I have to try this!😊

A great recipe! I have to try it.👍👍

Hard to believe but I have never tried Red Slaw 😮 I love trying variations of recipes. This one will be on my menu this week. I’m glad it popped up on my playlist. Thank You

Looks so good!

I love coleslaw - and this is very exciting.

I could see making this and having it serve as the base for a salad topped with some shrimp and/or grilled chicken. :D

I know the prep on cutting the cabbage like this is going to improve my slow by 100%! I have the original NC bbq sauce recipe. Not like what you made but I never got the slaw right. I can make slaw like I grew up with now though.

I remember asking a family member in NC for a recommendation of a BBQ restaurant near them. They said they didn't have one. After investigation, I found out that there was one. They didn't like it and their entire opinion came from the red slaw. We went and had the meats and non-red slaw (they had both red and not-red) and found it to be very good. Now I'll need to send them this recipe to try and convince them it's good.

I just happened to be looking for a non-mayo coleslaw and this looks like the ticket!

I love your recipes and your voice!!👏💫

Printed and going to be used tomorrow night!! Yummy

I often substitute kohlrabi for cabbage in any kind of coleslaw because it's a smaller veg and more manageable for a two person household. I will try this one with kohlrabi.

This looks so good!!!! I'm not a big fan of ketchup on its own but your recipes always transform it in a way I really enjoy it!!

I use Heinz Chili Sauce for the ketchup and Cholula for the heat. Works very well with pork or fried fish.

@dianeladico1769

Жыл бұрын

Excellent, thanks.

My grandma always used a cheese grater. Sooo much easier and best "cut".

Ive never heard of this before. I will give it a try❤

Made this last night, had it with dinner (crab & crawfish étoufée and dirty rice) tonight. Sampled a little last night after it had been in the fridge an hour or two, and it was way more aggressively vinegar- and sugar-forward than it was tonight. Like Chef John says, it’s better if you give it time to let all the flavors come together and mellow a little, and the pre-salting stage allows you to do that without it getting soggy.

I am so trying this....thank you so much....= )

i've never had this and will have to try making it, but from the look of it, it reminds me a lot of Salvadorian slaw

I will,call lexington nc for this !

I have a couple of picky family members that refuse to eat anything with mayonnaise, including most slaws. This might just be the side dish to try this summer!

My grandpa loved a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on it.

Very nice! ❤

This looks amazing!

The core is the best part of the cabbage.

Hey, Chef John, can we get your angle on "sticky toffee pudding"? I had it recently at a british pub in florida and it was amazing.

I'm very tempted to use purple cabbage for this!

Looks delicious. Will be making this soon. I love the perfect green onion flower you made as garnish. Accidentally?

Nice! You can also call this a curtido. It’s a super easy way to prolong your salad.

@soulbot119

Жыл бұрын

hmmm, I make curtido and I would *never* dream of putting ketchup in it, but I will of course try this recipe because it's so simple and I usually like CJ's recipes

If you live anywhere near Gastonia NC, you know about R.O.'s slaw. I wish Chef John would take that on! I've been trying for years to replicate it since I live in SC now.

@JonO387

Жыл бұрын

Nah, most people anywhere near Gastonia avoid it like the plague.

I love Chef John and have been subbed for a long time, does anyone know of any UK KZread chefs like John? sometimes I find it hard to get the same ingredients in the UK but I don't want to lose the style of video many thanks in advance for suggestions

Hmm, I'm thinking that you could use the same process when making regular slaws. Also, I think that adding a little mayo to the recipe might be good as it tends to take the sharp taste away from any vinegar. Thanks for all the good recipes.

@ronshawver6880

Жыл бұрын

Nope! No mayo at all in this recipe. Don't even "think" about it!!! lol

That is trippy. I *want* to make some, but I'll have to wait for one of our groupings to justify it.

As a North Carolinian who's been to practically every bbq joint in both states... God only knows where this idea came from. It ain't nothing anybody around here's ever heard of.

@purpleshoespurp3462

Жыл бұрын

You never been to High point then obviously. Kepleys bbq has the best. It’s all over NC. Your missing out.

@jakematic

Жыл бұрын

@@purpleshoespurp3462 yep been to HP but never that place. I'll pass on fake bbq sauced slaw thanks lol

@andrewmcmillan229

Жыл бұрын

I don’t believe you are as much of a Carolina bbq expert as you think if you have never tried red slaw. And I’m sure “everyone around there” doesn’t appreciate you speaking for them 😅

@gregrowan843

Жыл бұрын

South carolina right here and I don't think I've heard of it either BUT I also don't like slaw

@jakematic

Жыл бұрын

@@gregrowan843 not a huge fan either but some places make it good. Was just thinking about the old haunts and how I want SC style now too

I like it

It's all about the rippin' and a tearin'.

That would be so good on fish tacos!

The Cuisinart food processor has a french fry cutter which is perfect for making coleslaw.

As someone who hates mayonnaise in every conceivable way I’m always looking for alternative ‘slaws. s might be the holy grail I’ve been looking for

I prefer using a food processor, so much easier! Plus I don't mind the clean up of it after. It doesn't take that long to do.

Fairly new to the Piedmont Triad here and I've been seeing this at a number of places nearby. I had just assumed they were making this out of the "dip" they served with the pork, but i have yet to try it myself. You can tell some of it goes pretty heavy on the cider vinegar...

Chef John, this is actually "Lexington Style Slaw". You're not gonna find this anywhere else in North or South Carolina, only in a very tiny town within the Piedmont. Everywhere else uses Mayo.

@michaelknight5382

Жыл бұрын

Partially true. I am from the Piedmont and you are correct that we own that style; however, as you move eastern NC the vinegar stays in most of the bbq sauces and even the cole slaw, just without the use of ketchup.

@htoddgriffin4787

Жыл бұрын

My family operated BBQ restaurants from Lexington to High Point/Greensboro, Burlington, Durham, Raleigh, all the way out to Wilmington. We served this slaw in all of them, but you're correct in that east of Greensboro all of our competition served either mayo or mustard based slaws, or even some with just a vinegar and spices. Stamey's BBQ in Greensboro/High Point, and Country BBQ in Greensboro still serves this type of slaw exclusively.

@ronshawver6880

Жыл бұрын

@@htoddgriffin4787 Hey there. What was the name of your restaurants if I may ask? Love Stamey's by the way. Been years since I was there.

@JonO387

Жыл бұрын

This is false. I am in charlotte and have never seen this before but I have had plenty of vinegar based slaws all over the state. I have just never seen anything red like this before.

@charlesneedham3118

Жыл бұрын

@@JonO387 Charlotte isn't the Piedmont.

I get mine nice and fine with a box grater. Way easier than chopping it.

I lived in NC for 15 years and never saw this. Surprising because the sauce is similar to the BBQ sauce used there. I guess I didn’t get out much. It’s also a fat free bbq side dish…

Well, I almost feel like making this slaw again because I can't believe it was so hot that it burned my mouth, thinking I must have made a mistake. I've been making your recipes for years and have never been disappointed so I took this dish along with your drunken baked beans to a picnic yesterday without tasting first. I am sorry to report there were plenty left at the end and after tasting, not only was the slaw uncomfortably hot in the mouth, but the beans were on the hard side and I just had to trash both. On a positive note, the cabbage was nice and crispy.

Mayo free! Definitely making this for the loved ones who don't like mayo.

@longlostsonicsfan

Жыл бұрын

They will be grateful!

@mcgee227

Жыл бұрын

This was invented in Lexington NC for use on pulled pork BBQ.

bruh that's cray cray chef jong

Greetings from Redondo Beach CA🌷🌷This recipe came right on time for my July 4 wish list to make. Your cooking method and video is very entertaining to watch with your great sense of humor, too.🥰

I have been hunting and hunting for your recipe for easy coleslaw making with tri color mix. Did you remove it? It is not coming up at all…I need that recipe. That is my go to recipe from your page!!!!!!!!

I need you on tiktok!!!

ohhh, mmm, yeah... topping a grilled chicken burger! I'm aslobberin' now.

YUMMMMM !

A version of many different types of nc slaw but i respect it 😎

So I have to tell you Chef, I made this today and when I had just finished it and it was at room temperature, it was unbelievably delicious. Easily a 5 out of 5. I was so excited. Then the longer it refrigerated, the worse/funkier it got. By the time I served, it had dropped to maybe a stinky 3 out of 5. Any idea what could have caused this from a food perspective??

Had to laugh at "really do want to use something nice" for ketchup 😂

I make slaw with a boiled dressing, essentially pickling the vegetables which keeps them nice and crunchy and lasts for ages. Since my hubs loves slaw, it is very useful to make a huge batch that will last for a week or even two. I would like to try this but hubs hates ketchup! Maybe he won’t notice in the final product?

😋 😋 😋

This is by far my favorite coleslaw

This is the only Carolina red slaw recipe on yt….me thinks you made it up

I love your channel, and your recipes, despite not being a fan of cayenne (or anything with that sort of heat, to be honest). I'm not a picky eater whatsoever, but other than the cabbage and the red bell pepper, there is really nothing I like in this salad. I'm still interested to taste it, though. I wonder how it would taste with less ketchup, and less of the hot sauce, sriracha, cayenne, etc...Oh, and definitely less sugar, as I really cannot deal with how sweet Southern cole slaw is. I bet there is a variation on this that I would really enjoy, though. Something different.

@dianeladico1769

Жыл бұрын

I'm sure your version will be great for your tastes.

Thank you for making a non Mayo coleslaw

On the wider technique of using salt, if I was making a different coleslaw with multiple types of veg (say, cabbage plus carrot and onion) should I use the salt technique on all of the veg together, or still keep it just for the cabbage?

It came out amazing,,I added just a teaspoon of ranch powder ,goodness gracious 😂

BEST way to cut cabbage ultra fine is with a mechanical "ice crusher"......it's a round tube with a rotating razor blade at the bottom with a plunger plate at the top........I found out how they did it from a local BBQ joint that has the best coleslaw I've ever had........the only problem is it's very hard to clean as it doesn't really come apart.

i dont like ketchup , but i will try it as is . see how i like it . Ill also add some carrots and maybe some other crunchy veggies

❤❤❤

Ketsup? Nonway, José.

There’s something about this guy’s narration. I could listen to him read the phone book. (For the young people reading this, the phone book was the original doxing book, before anyone cared about doxing, lol). It also doesn’t hurt that his recipes are pretty easy to deal with, and are very dee-lish.

What are your thoughts on using a mezzaluna?

I don't know why I do it, but sometimes I like to look up the menus of pubs in England. I guess English food used to be bad, but the stuff I see on the menus now looks pretty amazing. One common thing I see is a side dish that I don't know what it is. It looks to me like it's cole slaw, except it exclusively looks like it's made from purple cabbage, and the dressing looks extra thick and creamy. And I see it in lots and lots of pubs. Brit watchers, is my guess right? Is it substantially different that the American version? If so, you have a recipe?

The very best slaw, ever. Lexington (NC) barbecue is terrific.

Cabbage core is my favorite part.

Born and raised in Lexington - generally this isn’t referred to as “coleslaw” but rather “slaw” or “bbq slaw”. Around here if you say “coleslaw” you’re getting the typical mayo-based stuff. But, I don’t know what’s up with all the Charlotte folks saying this isn’t a thing, because red slaw is the default slaw you get at any bbq place between Greensboro and the mountains unless you specifically say “coleslaw” which means you want the white mayo sauce instead.

@clarencegreen3071

9 ай бұрын

Agreed! I've lived in Lexington for 40 years, within a mile or so of Lexington BBQ. I would add that the real-deal bbq slaw is not spicy (hot) nor does it taste sweet or like ketchup. What really turns me off is mayo-based coleslaw that is sweet. It's an outrage!

Heads up the AllRecipes article says South Carolina -- this is a North Carolina food :)