Chef notes
In the mountain South, we make chow chow relish seasonally, in large batches. Traditionally, it uses up the last bits of home-grown vegetables that are far too precious to toss but not plentiful enough to produce a substantial dish on their own. The resulting product is a beautiful medley of sweet and sour relish that always makes its way to a meal. Because of the bounty of chow chow that exists in many kitchens here, this pickled delight is easily and readily shared whether passing a jar around the table or in party snacks like this one.
Ingredients
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups green tomato, small dice
- 1 red bell pepper, small diced
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 (3-ounce) bags plain pork rinds
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 2-3 dashes hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lemon, zested
Preparation
For the green tomato chow chow:
1.In medium bowl, combine cabbage, green tomatoes, bell pepper, shallots and salt.
2.Place mixture in a colander or perforated vessel with a bowl set underneath to catch moisture.
3.Place a clean kitchen towel over the cabbage mixture and weigh down with canned goods. Set aside, allowing to strain overnight. Discard any residual liquid.
4.In a small pot, add sugar along with remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat, allowing sugar to dissolve.
5.Add strained cabbage mixture and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
6.Once cooled, carefully pack chow chow into glass jars, taking careful to pour over enough liquid to cover the cabbage in each jar. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
For the pork rinds:
1.Preheat oven to 250 F.
2.Open bag of pork rinds and set aside.
3.In a small bowl, whisk together butter and remaining ingredients. Pour butter mixture into bag with pork rinds.
4.Fold the bag over once and hold to seal. While still holding shut, shake bag generously to ensure pork rinds are evenly coated.
5.Pour pork rinds onto a baking sheet and spread in an even, single layer. Bake in oven 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
6.Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet.
To serve:
Place rinds on a serving platter. Top each rind with a couple spoonfuls of chow chow, garnish with additional black pepper and lemon zest and serve.
