What do fried chicken, ribs and burgers on July 4 have in common? Creamy, sweet, all-American coleslaw baby. Your stars and stripes barbecue won't be complete until you side it with the right slaw. Here are our top choices for a fill of the Independence Day classic, along with a special recipe from Chef Andrew Carmellini of The Dutch at W South Beach Hotel & Residences to make the dish on your own.
Shorty's Barbeque
Ah Shorty's, South Miami's guilty pleasure. The wooden shack-like establishment next door to strip club Bare Necessities is the place to go to get a face full of arguably the best ribs and pulled pork ever, and not get judged when you're left sitting there trying to resist the inevitable food coma, covered head to toe in barbeque sauce.
The coleslaw at Shorty's won't let you down: unlike at many barbeque joints, Shorty's respects the side as its own entity. The restaurant loads it with flavor to guarantee it doesn't get lost as a bland extra.
Roasters' n Toasters
At Roasters' n Toasters, they get right to it with the slaw. Upon sitting down, you're brought a plate loaded with creamy coleslaw and pickles. Here, even coleslaw haters have consented to admitting its yumminess. And even though service at Roasters' n Toasters is notoriously on the slow side, we're OK with sitting there if the slaw keeps a' comin'.
Joe's Stone Crab
Miami Beach staple Joe's Stone Crab is wildly famous for a couple things, coleslaw included (it even reads on the menu- "Joe's Famous Cole Slaw"). The restaurant needs no introduction, and the coleslaw, tangy, sweet, and not overdressed, is a perfect addition to the heavy, smoky barbeque you will unquestionably be wolfing down Wednesday.
The Dutch at W South Beach Hotel & Residences
C'mon, it's July 4th, don't you want to go all out and make the stuff yourself? Here's a recipe straight from top Miami chef Andrew Carmellini himself to follow at home.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
Slaw:
1 medium head green cabbage (about 3½ pounds)
2 or 3 small carrots, peeled
1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced thin
6 pickled jalapeños
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon ground celery seed
½ cup juice from pickled jalapeños
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
To Finish the Dish:
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Directions:
Slaw:
Using a large knife, slice the cabbage into quarters. Cut away the thick core on the inside of each quarter. Then slice each quarter right through the layers, so you end up with thin ribbons. Pile the sliced cabbage in a large bowl. Slice the carrots as thin as possible (some people like to shred them, which you can do, but I like slicing better - the bigger pieces make for better eating.) Add the carrots and red onions to the bowl. Cut the ends off the jalapeños; slice each jalapeño lengthwise, cut away the core, and remove the seeds. Then slice each jalapeño crosswise into small thin pieces. Add them to the bowl.
Dressing:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, celery seed, jalapeño juice, mustard, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Whisk all the ingredients together until they form a smooth liquid. Season the slaw with the salt and pepper, mixing it in with your hands. Then pour the dressing over the slaw right away, and mix everything together well with your hands, so all of the vegetables are coated. (Don't season the slaw with the salt and pepper too early: the salt will start to draw the liquid out of the cabbage, so that it goes limp and the sharpness gets pulled out.) Serve the coleslaw immediately. You don't want to keep this around too long; it's a same-day, serve-it-right-away recipe.
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