By October 2023. Fall in Memphis, and I am 64, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.
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 39 years of marriage. Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew.
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.
The smoked turkey wings are the centerpiece — always have been, ever since Uncle Clyde ran his Friday stand — but no plate of BBQ stands alone, and after Walter Jr. and the grandchildren fill up that backyard with their noise and hunger, I need something cool and creamy and generous enough to feed everyone twice. This sour cream potato salad has been that dish for years: it’s the thing Rosetta sets on the table without being asked, the quiet anchor that lets the smoked meat shine. You don’t need a reason beyond that.
Sour Cream Potato Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for boiling
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onion tops, thinly sliced
- Paprika, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Place cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook 12—15 minutes, until potatoes are just fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain immediately and spread on a sheet pan to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until smooth and well combined.
- Combine. Add the cooled potatoes, chopped eggs, celery, red onion, and pickle relish to the bowl. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated, being careful not to break up the potatoes.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This resting time lets the flavors come together — don’t skip it.
- Garnish and serve. Just before serving, scatter the chives over the top and finish with a dusting of paprika. Serve cold, straight from the refrigerator.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 420mg