Secret to GO Cole Slaw

Just last week I met two very nice customers who loved their first meal at the GO. They especially loved our cole slaw, which I describe as a classic rendition.

"But there was something special in it..." the gentleman said.

Ah, I realized he had hit upon the secret ingredient -- our GO pickle relish. We drain our housemade pickles and puree them in the food processor to make a pickle relish that adds beaucoup deliciousness to our cole slaw, potato salad, and other dishes.

So, per this gentleman's request I am sharing the recipes for our cole slaw and housemade pickles to let you in on our little secret!


GO Cole Slaw
1 head of green cabbage
1 serving slaw sauce (see recipe below)
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Remove outer leaves from cabbage. Cut into quarters and cut out core. Cut each quarter in half (not lengthwise) and then thinly slice each of these chunks lengthwise.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; about 2 quarts

SLAW SAUCE
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

P.S. The slicing directions might seem a bit complicated, but we are trying to insure you end up with easily edible pieces of cabbage. At the restaurant we use an electric slicer, which makes things simpler! But this method should yield a relatively fine slaw.

P.P.S. You can go totally GO and make your sweet pickle relish from our Housemade Pickles recipe (see recipe below). Simply drain the pickles and pulse them in a food processor or blender until they are roughly pureed.


Housemade Pickles

My partner Chris refers to these as "Holy Crap Those Are Good Pickles." These pickles really are outstanding, and on top of that they are super easy to make. You should make these all summer long when local cucumbers are dirt cheap and delicious. At the GO we serve them as a side, and we also puree them for homemade pickle relish. The have just the perfect amount of sweetness to seduce the palate without overwhelming it.

10 cups sliced cucumbers, peeled on 3 sides and sliced ¾-inch thick (about 5 medium cucumbers)
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion (about ½ medium onion)
3/4 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1/2 medium pepper)
1/4 cup sliced carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds (about 1 small carrot)
½ cup kosher salt
4 cups cider vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon mustard seed
½ teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine cucumbers, onion, pepper, carrot, and salt in a large bowl or storage container. Let sit for one hour. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Return to a large bowl or storage container.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Pour liquid over vegetables, cover, and refrigerate. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

YIELD: About 2 quarts