Cookin' With Leo

By Leocthasme

Uncle Bubba’s Tailgatin’ Quick Fix Hardy Redneck Salad

Well, I suppose we all got through them Holidays, whatever you wanted to call them, which I ain’t gonna’ name, since it might be sorta’ unconstitutional, un-American, or even un-Uncle Bubba, whichever. Don’t know if I ever mention Uncle Bubba very often, but then he is one of my ‘outlaw’ relatives, part of my first wife’s family. I sorta’ liked the guy as a kind of ol’ fart fun fellow that’s a real goof off. A swell ‘one of the guys’ type. Beside making good moonshine back in those hidden hills of North Carolina, and being a good driver who probably should have been a part of NASCAR, he also knew how to throw a great tailgatin’ party. And, he just loved to watch them Tar Heels womp up on some other southern team like the Gators or the Crimson Tide while whippin’ up a real ‘he man’ meal on the tailgate of his pickup. He could fire up a half dozen charcoal, gas, or whatever kind of grills on that tailgate and never ever peel the paint off the pickup. Anyway I used to watch him in amazement as he got all his stuff together and womped up everything from a salad to steaks to desert, all ready just in time for all them redneck cousins and buddies of his. He was another one who hated them sissy salads, and if he made a salad it was a real he-man type with a little more than just lettuce and tomato with a smotherin’ of dressing on top. So, I thought that all of you who are planning a playoff party or a super bowl bash might like this salad which is a bit more than lettuce. This is he man stuff.

So, let’s get it together. This is for the salad:

1 lb fully cooked, smoked beef sausage links. Cut into ½ inch slices.

2 tablespoons olive oil.

1 large sweet onion sliced into thin wedges.

4 red apples, cut each one into 12 wedges, cut out the seeds.

Packaged cole slaw mix, about 1 ½ pounds

Salt, to taste.

The Dressing:

½ cup apple jelly

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

½ teaspoon black pepper

Mix well in a bowl.

Puttin’ it all together:

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet with a cover. Add the onions and apples. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the slaw, and continue cooking another 4 minutes or until cabbage is crispy tender. Season with salt and set aside on a large serving platter.

In the same skillet add the beef sausage and heat and stir over high heat for about two minutes. Reduce heat and stir in the combined dressing ingredients. Cook until the sauce thickens a bit, about 2 minutes on medium heat. Spoon all that over the warm slaw mixture and serve immediately while warm...

This goes with them thick steaks and baked potatoes, and Mick or Bud.