Nina’s Potato Salad
This recipe was developed by renowned pitmaster Matt Horn, owner of Horn Barbecue in Oakland, California. One of the restaurant’s first—and most popular—side dishes is their potato salad. This is Horn's take on the classic recipe that is a staple of summer cookouts. The recipe for the Horn rub makes more than you’ll need for the potato salad; use the leftover rub in other dishes, such as Matt Horn’s Mac & Cheese.
Ingredients
For the Horn rub:
- 4 Tbs. (2 oz./60 g) dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbs. coarse salt
- 1 Tbs. coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
For the potato salad:
- 2 1/2 lb. (1 kg) red potatoes, diced
- 1 1/2 cups (10 3/4 oz./337.5 g) mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) relish
- 1 Tbs. mustard
- 1 tsp. Horn Rub (recipe follows)
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (1 3/4 oz./50 g) chopped scallions, white and green parts (from about 4 scallions)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
Directions
To make the Horn rub, in a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne. You will need 1 tsp. of the rub for this recipe; save the rest for another use.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 2 inches (5 cm) of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, partially cover the pan, turn the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain the potatoes, rinse in cold water and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, Horn rub, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper until well blended.
Add the cooked potatoes, scallions and eggs and gently mix to coat and combined. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from Horn Barbecue by Matt Horn (Harvard Common Press, 2022)