There’s a recurrent theme in an old 1965 Western spoof – The Hallelujah Trail – (a longtime clan favorite) where the grizzled old mountain guide and soothsayer Oracle Jones can only foresee future events after several hearty pulls on the whiskey bottle.
Oracle Jones is masterfully played by English actor Donald Pleasence; when called on to predict the needed course of action he pops the cork on the frontier whiskey, tips it back for a long, gulping pull or two and proclaims “There…now I see it…”
I had that same experience back in July, during a period when we didn’t yet have a place to live due to She Who Must Be Obeyed’s quick turnaround to get down here; we were living in a hotel for a few weeks and eating out a bit.
We stumbled into one of the local BBQ joints (Full Moon, multiple locations, Birmingham original) and lo and behold there sitting in full glory right beside my pulled pork sandwich was a hearty scoop of mouth-puckering, mustard-based (the best kind) chow chow.
One taste of their chow chow and I was instantly transported back to childhood days, visiting grandparents along the Texas Gulf Coast and savoring chow chow right out of the canning jar, on greasy-spoon seafood platters and in local markets in Matagorda and Bay City.
Having spent the better part of the last 30 years in the West, where chow chow is only a dog breed and not the essential food group it is here in the South, it was nothing short of a revelation to taste it again.
Thereafter began a fairly earnest trial and error process to try and replicate the taste lodged in memory, a task somewhat complicated by the fact that chow chow recipes are probably much more the province of a legion of grandmothers’ memories than modern cookbooks. And that being the case, nearly every recipe has a different twist of one sort or another, not to mention the battle betwixt the venerated mustard-base camp vs. the more like a conventional commercial pickle relish camp.
It’s taken a number of small batch trials, but on the fifth (hey, green tomatoes won’t be around forever) this past week I finally had the there, now I see it moment with this recipe. It’s 98% the taste I’ve been searching for from childhood and damned tasty on a pulled pork sandwich or atop a pile of freshly shelled and cooked purple hull peas or even a bowl of pinto beans.
Try it; you’ll never buy another can of commercial pickle relish again. And if your grandmother did it better, share her genius in the comments.
1 medium cabbage, cored and finely chopped
3 lb. green tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
2 medium-large onions, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, cored and and finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, cored and finely chopped
3 tbsp. pickling salt2 and 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
Just under 3 tbsp. dry mustard
Just under 3 tbsp. celery seeds
1 generous tbsp. curry powder
1 generous tbsp. turmeric2 and 2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 and 2/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
Chop and brine. Wash and prep the vegetables, chop fine (we use a food processor with care not to over process) and combine in large glass or stainless bowel. Stir the pickling salt in well, cover and let rest in a cool place (70ish) for 12 hours (in the fridge is fine as well.)
When ready to can the next day, pour into a colander, rinse twice with cold water, drain and then press to remove excess water.
Get ready. Prepare your canner, jars and lids (pints or half-pints). There’s always a bit of variance in the final volume of chow chow each time; count on 7-8 (maybe more) pints when all is said and done.
Get things wet. In a large stainless or enamel saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, dry mustard, celery seeds, curry and turmeric. Whisk in the cup of water until smooth, then the two vinegars.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring all the while until the mixture thickens. Now pour in the vegetables, mix well, return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes (uncovered).
Fill and process. Ladle the hot mixture into the hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove the bubbles, adjust the headspace, wipe the rims and place the lids and rings; tighten to finger tight.
Process 10 minutes for half-pints and 15 for pints as per your routine. Cool to room temperature, check the seals and stow away.
Enjoy.
