Wade Elkins likes to mess around with the many ingredients in the Mimsy’s Craft Barbecue kitchen in Crockett. He opened the place with his wife, Kathy, in 2020. One day Elkins wanted a burger and a chicken strip for lunch, so Mimsy’s ended up with the Ranch House sandwich on the menu, which combines both on a bun with pimento cheese and ranch dressing.

The couple had served a basic mayo-dressed coleslaw since opening, but Elkins wanted to make it more memorable. “I saw the fried onions on the line and had the Carolina sauce on the block for the pulled pork,” he said. He threw it all together and liked it, and made another bowl for Kathy. “She tasted it, and said, ‘That’s our new coleslaw.’ ”

You can make the basic slaw recipe below and impress a crowd with its kick of Creole mustard, but to make it “crunk” requires more effort. (Not to be mistaken for the Southern style of rap, crunk sounds like a more fun version of crunchy, Elkins said, because crunchy slaw doesn’t sound all that appetizing.)

The benefit is that you’ll have extra tangy and sweet mustard barbecue sauce at your disposal. The fried onion strings (canned fried onions could work in a pinch) are what take it over the top and make it the best coleslaw I’ve eaten at a Texas barbecue joint.

The crunk slaw.

Mimsy’s Crunk Slaw

Mimsy’s Craft Barbecue has upped its coleslaw game by adding fried onion strings for a satisfying crunch and Carolina barbecue sauce for tang.
Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8 people
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 1 food processor

Ingredients  

Coleslaw

  • 1½ cups mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 large head of green cabbage

Carolina Mustard Sauce

  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ cup yellow mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Mimsy’s East Texas Rib Rub or your favorite sweet barbecue seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Mimsy’s Steak Night Seasoning or your favorite savory barbecue seasoning

Crispy Onion Strings

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • ½ tablespoon pepper
  • ½ tablespoon granulated garlic
  • ½ tablespoon granulated onion
  • ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon thyme powder
  • 1 large yellow onion finely sliced into rings
  • 2 cups buttermilk

Directions 

For Slaw

  • Core head of cabbage, then cut into quarter sections. Chop quarters on the bias before placing in food processor. Chop until fine. You may need to do this step in two batches.
  • Whisk the mayo, mustard, vinegar, and sugar together and dress cabbage to taste. We recommend making this part recipe the night before serving or at least for hours before serving. If it’s still a little dry, add more coleslaw dressing just before serving.

For Mustard Sauce

  • Place ingredients in a sauce pot over medium heat while whisking until sugar dissolves and all is blended. Let cool on counter before storing. If you’re near Crockett, Mimsy’s sells its mustard sauce by the cup, pint, or quart.

For Onion Strings

  • Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl to make a seasoned flour.
  • Brine onion strings in buttermilk for 30 minutes.
  • Dredge the onion in the seasoned flour and deep fry in the oil of your choice (Mimsy’s uses beef tallow) at 350 degrees F until golden brown.

To Assemble

  • Plate a scoop of coleslaw and douse in the Carolina mustard sauce.
  • Top with crispy fried onions and garnish with optional chopped chives.
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