By July 2025. Memphis summer, 66 years old, and the heat wraps around Orange Mound like a wet blanket that nobody asked for but everybody wears because that is the deal you make when you live in the South. The smoker calls louder in summer — something about the heat amplifying the smoke, the way humidity amplifies everything in Memphis — and I answer, because answering is what pitmasters do.
Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 41 years of marriage. Mama's absence still a presence in the kitchen — her recipes on the counter, her cast iron skillet on the stove, her voice in my head saying "more cinnamon" and "don't overwork the dough".
Smoked turkey wings this week — big, meaty, brined and rubbed and smoked at 275 for three hours until the skin crackled and the meat pulled clean. Turkey wings are the working class of BBQ: cheap, underrated, and transformed by smoke into something extraordinary. Uncle Clyde served them on Fridays at his stand, and I serve them on Saturdays in my backyard, and the tradition bridges the gap between then and now.
Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.
Every Saturday the wings come off the smoker and I need something on the table that can stand up to them — not get lost beside them. Rosetta has been saying for years that I lean too heavy on the meat and forget the sides, and she is not wrong, which is why I started making this cranberry coleslaw: it’s got enough tartness and crunch to hold its own next to smoke, and the color makes the whole spread look like somebody planned it. Mama would’ve approved — she always said a good side dish is what separates a cook from a pitmaster.
Cranberry Coleslaw
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus 30 min chill) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 6 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the slaw base. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the green cabbage, red cabbage, shredded carrots, dried cranberries, and sliced green onions until evenly distributed.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and celery seed until smooth and fully combined.
- Dress the slaw. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly to coat every strand. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Chill before serving. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the cabbage to soften slightly. Toss again before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 145 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 135mg