Sweet Hot Mustard Slaw – It’s All About the “Cassage”

I'm not particularly picky about my coleslaws, and as long as they're properly made, I enjoy a wide variety of flavors and combinations, but this mustard slaw may be my fav. The combo of hot and sweet has a proven track record in palate pleasing, and that's especially true when we're talking about a cold salad.

Of course, how sweet, and how hot will be up to your personal tastes, as well as what you're going to serve this with. If I'm going to toss this next too some spicy grilled sausages, then I will tone down the punch, whereas if I'm topping a sweet, smoky pulled pork sandwich, I might be a little more aggressive, like I was here.

Regardless of what exactly you put in yours, the key here is salting, and massaging your cut cabbage first (aka "cassage"). This not only draws out water, which actually sweetens up the flavor, but it also produces a flexible, yet still crunchy texture, which I think is lacking in many other "chop and mix" recipes.

I realize we've done coleslaws where we skip this step, which is fine if you slice your cabbage thin, and serve it relatively quickly, but for what I refer to as "real" coleslaw, the extra ten minutes is well worth it. Plus, once preserved in this way, your coleslaw will not only last days, but maybe get even better.

By the time I'd topped my soon to premiere boneless baby back rib sandwich, this slaw had been in the fridge for almost two days, and had developed even more flavor, while still retaining it's raw crispness. So, stay tuned for that video, but in the meantime, I really do hope you give this great, hot and sweet mustard slaw a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 pound cabbage, cut in 1/2 inch slices
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For the dressing:
1/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoons Dijon
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
fresh chives to garnish
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