The farther south you go, the less potato salads are dominated by mayo, sugar, vinegar and celery and more by mustard and pickles. South is big on barbecue, which is rich and comforting. You need the acidity and zest from pickles and mustard to cut through the richness of barbecue meat. There is no right or wrong when it comes to making a great tasting southern potato salad. I’ve been to quite a few BBQ joints in Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgi. Each place I visited had its own unique version of potato salad. Some potato salads were dressed in mustard only, while others, more often, had a combination of mayo and mustard, my favorite. I like the richness and the smoothness that mayo brings in and I love the brightness, spiciness and zest of mustard. Without a doubt, both are essential for a good southern potato salad, but the proportions can vary based on personal taste. To make a great potato salad, you need to keep things simple. Salt and pepper are all you need to season it. The dressing is a simple combination of mayo, mustard and chopped dill pickles. Homemade dill pickles are best and are easy to make. Oh, and my secret ingredient, chopped homemade pickled red onions. I always add them when I have them on hand. When I don’t, I add sliced green onions. I think they work in this salad very well. Adding plenty of chopped hard-boiled eggs is essential for creating a creamy, devilled egg-like texture. I go for two eggs per pound of potatoes. Mashing some of the potatoes helps to add to creaminess too. Just like when making guacamole, you want some chunks and some mash. This greatly improves the texture and enjoyment of the salad. This potato salad is my favorite side dish to serve with smoked beef short ribs, smoked brisket, smoked pork ribs, smoked turkey breast, roasted chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, smoked cured pork chops, and many other meats, grilled, barbecued, roasted or even cooked sous vide. You can’t go wrong with this salad.
