Rouses Magazine - The Grilling Issue by Rouses Markets

SUMMER 2022

t u n a Pe ter But

RECIPE INSIDE

GRILLED POUND CAKE WITH PEACHES

BURGER BASICS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

double ad wednesday Our sales flyers overlap on Wednesdays, so you get double the deals. Sign up to get our weekly ad sent directly to your email at www.rouses.com/subscribe.

rouses brand

Our own Rouses Markets private label brand is guaranteed the best quality at the best price. These are products we believe in and want to share with you.

budget friendly brands Always Save, Best Choice and Clearly by Best Choice, which is an organic line, are store brands priced lower than any national brand.

rouses shopping app Save time and money! Shop our weekly specials and everyday low prices on the Rouses Shopping App. There is no curbside pickup fee on orders over $35, and you pay the same price for groceries that you pay in our stores.

everyday low prices

We have Everyday Low Prices on more than 4,000 items up and down our aisles. An Everyday Low Prices EVERYDAY tag designates a LOW PRICE consistently low price, which means you regularly save money on that product Look for every time you shop.

the logo!

digital coupons

Digital Coupons are saved to your account — you don’t even need a smart phone, all you need is a phone number. You can redeem them at any register. We also partner with Ibotta and Fetch for even more digital savings.

weekend sales

Weekend Sale prices are so hot that we can only offer them for a limited time.

monthly sales flyers Look for longer running deals in our Monthly Sales Flyers.

check out all the ways to save!

Rouses Low Price Commitment Higher gas prices and higher prices for goods and services are what everyone is talking about right now. You can be confident you’re getting the best value at Rouses Markets every time you shop, no matter how you shop. We are committed to keeping our prices low. Our Weekly Ad features hundreds of items on special. These are the items most important to your family, like beef, pork, chicken, seafood, fresh produce and everyday groceries. You can view our Weekly Ad online anytime; we’ll even email it directly to your inbox. You can sign up for that at www.rouses.com/subscribe. And don’t miss out on Double Ad Wednesday. Our Weekly Ad prices run Wednesday to Wednesday, which means we have double the deals on Wednesdays when the two ads overlap.

PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

price, which means you get a great price on it every time you shop without having to wait for a sale. We are able to

You can also get extra savings with our Weekend Sales.

get Everyday Low Prices on products you buy the most

These are prices so hot we can only offer them for a

because we can take advantage of volume discount pricing.

limited time. You’ll find longer-running deals — and some new things to try — in our Monthly Sales Flyer, which includes natural and organic, authentic Italian and specialty items you can only get at Rouses Markets.

Our own Rouses Markets brand is also a great value, and I personally guarantee each item offers the best quality at the best price. These are products we believe in and want to share with you; we set higher standards while keeping

Make sure you also check out our digital coupons. They

the prices low. They are usually the top-selling brand in a

are a great way to help you save even more on store brands,

category, so we know our customers love them. I am also

as well as your favorite national brands. You can select

a big fan of our store brands — Always Save, Best Choice

and save digital coupons in-store — we identify them

and Clearly by Best Choice, which is an organic line.

right on the shelf next to the products themselves — or

These save you money compared to the national brands,

online from our website. Digital coupons are saved to your

and are equal to or better than the national brands.

account; you don’t even need a smartphone, all you need is a phone number. You can redeem them at any register.

Of course, you don’t have to shop in-store to get all of our savings. With our new Rouses Shopping App, you can

Of course, you don’t have to wait for a sale or use a

shop our weekly specials and everyday low prices online

coupon to save every day.

from wherever you are. There is no curbside pickup fee on orders over $35, and you pay the same price for groceries

You have probably noticed our Everyday Low Price

that you pay in our stores. You can download the Rouses

tags on our shelves. We have more than 4,000 of them

Shopping App on the App Store, or get it on Google Play.

up and down the aisles, so they are hard to miss. Our

You’ll love how easy it is to order online — and save.

Everyday Low Price tag designates a consistently low

— Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation

W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

Coﬀee Bourbon BBQ Sauce INGREDIENTS

• • • •

GRILL BEST WITH THE

Sweet, tangy and saturated with savory flavor, this coffee bourbon BBQ sauce made from our Signature Blend coffee makes the perfect addition to your next get-together.

• • • • • • • • • • •

1 can tomato sauce (15-ounce) 1 can tomato paste (6-ounce) 3 garlic cloves grated or minced ¾ cup brewed Community® Signature Blend coffee ½ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon mustard powder 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup bourbon

DIRECTIONS 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the tomato sauce and paste. 2. Mix in the garlic, Community® Signature Blend coffee, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dark brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder and salt. 3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer until the mixture thickens, stirring frequently to avoid burning. 4. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon until blended. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

2022 Community Coffee Company

Table of Contents Marketing & Advertising Director Tim Acosta

Creative Director & Editor Marcy Nathan

Art Director, Layout & Design Eliza Schulze

Illustrator Kacie Galtier

Creative Manager McNally Sislo

Marketing Coordinator Harley Breaux

Copy Editors Patti Stallard Adrienne Crezo

Culinary Editor marcelle bienvenu

Advertising & Marketing Amanda Kennedy

In Every Issue

Barbecue

1 Donny Rouse

29 The BBQ Trail: Pit Stops Along the Gulf Coast

5 Letter from the Editor by Marcy Nathan 7 Cookin’ on Hwy. 1 with Tim Acosta 9 Ali Rouse Royster

12 Where There’s a Grill There’s a Way by David W. Brown 27 Nathan Richard Answers Your Burning Questions by Sarah Baird 51 A Fresh Take on Grilling by David W. Brown 59 The Grate Outdoors by Liz Thorpe 60 Where There’s Fire, There’s Smoke

Twice Baked Potatoes

Food & Culture

Alabama White Sauce

37 Block Party by Poppy Tooker

Burgers 47 Spread the Word by Sarah Baird 49 Melts in Your Mouth by Marcelle Bienvenu

Desserts

54 Cherry on Top by Sarah Baird

Stephanie Hopkins Nancy Besson Taryn Clement SUMMER 2022

Mary Ann Florey

Design Intern Peyton finch

Food Prepared By Shantrell conerly

COVER PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

t Peanuer Butt

flip t o page 46vfeorr t he co e! recip

RECIPE INSIDE

GRILLED POUND CAKE WITH PEACHES

BURGER BASICS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

23 Smoked Chicken

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings 25 Grilled Boston Butt Pork Shoulder Roast Grilled Artichokes Roasted Brussels Sprouts Dark Coffee Rub

52 Just Peachy by Sarah Baird

61 The Gouda Stuff by Liz Thorpe

22 Hwy. 1 Ribs

32 Marcelle Bienvenu ‘Ques You In

34 Something for the Corn-ivores by Susan Langenhennig Granger

Grilling & Smoking

Recipes & Cooking

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT When it comes to cooking with fire outdoors, you have three main options: Grilling usually means cooking something hot and fast. Smoking involves cooking low and slow over indirect heat. Barbecuing usually means cooking low and slow over an open flame, usually directly, though sometimes indirectly.

Grilled Vegetables with Tahini Dressing 26 Grilled Salmon 36 Chef Fredo Nogueira’s Elote Aioli 43 Smash Burger 46 Elvis Burger 49 Patty Melt 50 Grilled Pound Cake with Peaches Grilled Banana Split 55 Auguste Escoffier's Peach Melba Auguste Escoffier's Cherries Jubilee 60 Gouda Luck Dip

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Contributors SAR AH BAIRD Sarah Baird is the author of multiple books, including New Orleans Cocktails and Flask, which was released in summer 2019. A 2019 Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, her work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Saveur, Eater, Food & Wine and The Guardian, among others. Previously, she served as restaurant critic for the New Orleans alt-weekly, Gambit Weekly, where she won Critic of the Year in 2015 for her dining reviews.

MARCELLE BIENVENU Marcelle Bienvenu is a cookbook author and food writer. A native of St. Martinville, in the heart of Cajun country, Bienvenu wrote Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux? and Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine with Eula Mae Dora, and other books and cookbooks. She also coauthored five cookbooks with Emeril Lagasse.

A True Story, a rollicking adventure about a motley band of explorers on a quest to find oceans on Europa, is in bookstores now. Brown lives in New Orleans.

SUSAN LANGENHENNIG GR ANGER Susan Langenhennig Granger is editor of Preservation in Print magazine and director of communications and marketing for the Preservation Resource Center in New Orleans. Prior to that she was a news editor, reporter and feature columnist for The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com.

David W. Brown is a freelance writer whose work appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Scientific American and The New Yorker. His most recent book, The Mission:

Poppy Tooker is a native New Orleanian who has spent her life immersed in the vibrant colors and flavors of her state. Poppy spreads her message statewide and beyond via her NPR-affiliated radio show and podcast, “Louisiana Eats!”

WOMEN IN GROCERY: AN UPDATE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Jennipher Landry, who was featured in our recent Women in Food issue, has been promoted to Store Director at our Clearview Market in Metairie. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Donna Madere-Dickerson was named Store Director of the Year by Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG), the country’s largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets and grocery stores. Donna is the store director at our Burbank and Lee market in Arlington Creek in Baton Rouge. This prestigious award recognizes exceptional store directors who generate sales growth, provide great customer service and are a vital part of the communities they serve. In 2018, Cary Robinson of our Denham Springs market was named AWG Store Director of the year. 4

R O U S E S S U M M E R 20 22

During college, my best friend and I spent a summer as hostesses at Lilette on Magazine St. in New Orleans. They had a seasonal grilled peach that we ate every single day! The spoonful of whipped goat cheese on the side was perfection. I would still have it every day if I could! – Mary Ann Florey, Graphic Designer

LIZ THORPE Liz Thorpe is a world-class cheese expert. A Yale graduate, she left a “normal” job in 2002 to work the counter at New York’s famed Murray’s Cheese. She is the founder of The People’s Cheese, and author of The Book of Cheese: The Essential Guide to Discovering Cheeses You’ll Love and The Cheese Chronicles.

POPPY TOOKER DAVID W. BROWN

Great on the Grill

If you're looking to take your grilling to the next level, look no further than Rouses Chicory & Garlic Coffee Rub. You may be thinking “why coffee?” — but it truly compliments a variety of proteins. I always sprinkle it over pork chops before grilling to add a craveable crust and depth of flavor. – Kacie Galtier, Designer & Illustrator

I brought home the extra cherries jubilee from our photoshoot (recipe on page 55) and made a delicious makeshift pie. The leftover possibilities are endless with the recipes in this issue! I imagine that leftover grilled peaches would be excellent in a pie as well... – Eliza Schulze, Art Director

I’m a huge fan of grilling! Any excuse to light a fire and get that delicious flame-broiled taste on whatever I’m eating, I’m taking it! Personally I’ve only mastered toasting marshmallows, but my boyfriend’s ribs are so good you’ll want to cancel the cookout so you don’t have to share. – McNally Sislo, Creative Manager

Letter from the Editor By Marcy Nathan, Creative Director When I first started working for Rouses Markets, I told Tim Acosta, our advertising and marketing director (and anyone else who would listen), that my family owned Nathan’s.

“M

y great-grandfather was one of the first hot dog vendors on Coney Island,” I claimed whenever someone at Rouses Markets mentioned hot dogs or July 4th. Every time another hot dog brand was in an ad, or on display in-store, I jokingly complained.

There I was, Mira Sorvino (and Lisa Kudrow), lying about inventing Post-It Notes in 1997’s Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. But in my case, I got away with it. I stuck with the lie, July 4th after July 4th, even going so far as to have a Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand at a birthday party. I got an old Lucky Dog cart that been repainted and repurposed; the vendor wore a crisp paper Nathan’s hat and a Nathan’s apron, which the company graciously sent me after I reached out. There were boozy snowballs at the party, too, which is something I highly recommend. My grandfather — not my greatgrandfather — really did own Nathan’s. But it wasn’t Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs; it was Nathan’s men’s clothing, in Shreveport, Louisiana. Family-owned retail stores started by Jews who settled in the South were very popular in small towns. My great Uncle Sol owned Nathan’s, a women’s clothing store, in Jackson, Tennessee, which is near Memphis, and Nathan’s general store in Cotton Plant, which is the 261st largest city in Arkansas. Uncle Sol kept a taxidermy collection at the Cotton Plant store. When my Aunt Mildred’s dog died, Sol had the dog stuffed and mounted and displayed in the store. Really. The real Nathan’s Famous founder’s first name — Nathan — is my last name. Nathan

PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

Handwerker, a Polish-Jewish immigrant, came to the United States from Poland when he was 19. He opened his first nickel hot dog stand on Coney Island in 1916, and quickly became a boardwalk legend. Today there are Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, condiments, pickles and chips — even a line of restaurants. Nathan’s hot dogs are primarily manufactured by Smithfield, which also makes high-quality pork products. They make it using the same original recipe cooked up by Handwerker himself over 100 years ago. Hot dogs are the first thing most of us put on the grill at a cookout. They are as American as baseball and apple pie. Nathan’s Famous is even the official hot dog of Major League Baseball — not to even mention that it’s the most famous hot dog in the world. (Okay, so I mentioned it. I can’t help it; I’m proud of my would-be forebears.) And then there is the July 4th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which is broadcast live on ESPN. Two million viewers tune in to see competitive eaters like Joey Chestnut compete for the famed Mustard Belt. Chestnut broke his own world record in 2021, eating 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, to win his sixth straight title. It was his 14th win overall. We put on the Rouses Markets World Crawfish Eating Championship for years, and I hope we bring it back soon. Our emcee, Richard Shea, is the co-founder and president of Major League Eating, the governing body behind the annual hot

Image courtesy Nathan's Famous, Inc.

dog eating contest, along with his brother, George. George is the contest’s longtime master of ceremonies. Before the first round of the crawfish contest, Richard would bring me on stage and introduce me to the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen…the Queen of Nathan’s Hot Dogs herself, Marcy Nathan.” I just smiled and gave the crowd my royal wave, knowing no one was the wiser.

W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

F O R E S T RY

get real O

PA R T M E N T

R I C U LT U R

REAL LOUISIANA GOODNESS IS EASY TO FIND. Look for the Certified logos in Rouses Markets to support Louisiana businesses and families, and keep your dollars at home. MIKE STRAIN DVM, COMMISSIONER

certifiedlouisiana.org

LOADED TO THE LAST BITE

PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

Cookin’ on Hwy. 1 By Tim Acosta, Advertising & Marketing Director

very time I light my grill, I add a couple of links of our Rouses Markets Pepper Jack Boudin. On Sunday mornings, I sometimes light my grill so I can have boudin for breakfast. Though boudin is normally served steamed, I think it is particularly good when grilled, because then you get a crispy skin. Boudin is also perfect for filling in those spots on the grill between the steak, chicken or chops. Think of it like throwing hot dogs on the grill when you are making burgers.

When you grill boudin, you want to use medium heat. If you put it on a too-hot grill, the casing will bust right open. I grill it over indirect heat — that will keep the casing from splitting — somewhere around 350◦F. Grill each side of the boudin for 10 to 15 minutes to heat it up. The skin will also get a nice, crisp brown. Boudin is one of Louisiana’s most celebrated sausages. But as any Cajun will tell you, boudin is not really sausage. It’s just another way to eat rice, which we eat and grow a lot of here. Louisiana is America’s third-largest rice-producing state. We plant more than half a million acres in the southwestern and northeastern parts of the state. Our own Rouses Rice is grown and milled in Crowley, Louisiana. Boudin is made with cooked pork, rice, seasonings and spices — without the casing, it resembles rice dressing. Sausage is meat-based, with seasonings and spices, and sometimes other delicious things, but not rice.

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

Our butchers make our fresh sausage in-house, daily, as needed. Fresh sausage should be grilled over direct heat at up to 400◦F for 30 minutes. Turn fresh sausage occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn. In May, we have a limited-time Taco Sausage made with fresh pork, cheese, salsa and our own Chef Nino’s Make It Mexican seasoning. You’ve probably met Nino before at one of his popular cooking classes and demos held at Rouses Markets locations all over the Gulf Coast. Or maybe you’ve seen him on our cooking segments on TV stations like WALA in Mobile, Alabama. Chef Nino is a bit of a ham, which is perfect for sausage. I like smoked sausage, too, because it has a delicious smoky flavor and smell. Smoked sausage grills differently than fresh because, for one thing, smoked sausage is already cooked in a smoker, so you are really just heating it up. Different brands cook differently. Some have a higher fat content. Conecuh (pronounced Cah-NECK-ah) sausage is made with pork shoulder and bacon trimmings, and when it’s cooked, that extra fat translates into a juicer sausage.

Conecuh also has a higher sugar content, which helps the sausage char and crisp well. I recommend grilling Conecuh over indirect heat to avoid flare-ups, or putting it higher up on the grill, turning often to get a crisp and crackling casing. Double D is another one with a higher fat content — 14 grams per serving — so keep it away from the flames. Smoked sausage is a must for several Cajun dishes — gumbo, jambalaya, white beans — and so is rice, by the way. We make our Rouses naturally Smoked Sausage with premium pork butts. It’s a denser sausage. I also like the local smoked sausages we carry. You know Best Stop for their boudin, but you should also try their andouille and smoked sausage; both are delicious. Lil Butcher Shoppe, which is out of Mississippi, has so many unique flavors. I go way back with brothers Tommy, Bobby and Steve Yarborough of Manda Fine Meats. Their grandfather and his brothers combined their Sicilian background and Cajun influences to start the company in 1947 — in much the same way Anthony J. Rouse, Sr., founded Rouses Markets in 1960. W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

Bring home a little taste of Italy.

As the saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire! And where there’s fire, I surely hope there are firefighters around. My hometown of Thibodaux has an amazing, large, all-volunteer fire department. The volunteer fire service has a long and proud tradition in the United States. Thibodaux Fire Company No. 1 was officially organized in 1843. It may be the oldest volunteer fire department in the entire state of Louisiana. My great-grandfather, John Barrilleaux, and my grandfather, Carroll Barrilleaux, were longtime firemen in the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department, Protector Fire Company No. 2, which was formed in 1867. I grew up going to see Santa at the fire station and riding on the company float with all the kids in the Firemen’s Parade, which is a part of the annual Firemen’s Fair that takes place every spring. As luck would have it, I married a volunteer fireman who is in the same fire company as my grandfather and great-grandfather. I also have great friends who are very active in our fire department, including my buddy and classmate from K-12, Nathan Richard (see Page 27 for his grilling tips). The camaraderie, the brotherhood of the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department is something special, as I would imagine it is in many fire stations and emergency service centers in small towns and cities around the country. They meet regularly, cook and eat and have fun, but they also take their roles seriously. They do so much training and education behind the scenes. It takes a level of commitment that is not for everyone. And while I reserve the right to gripe a little or roll my eyes when there’s too much fire department “shop talk” at dinner — though Billy puts up with my grocery “shop talk” for that matter, but that makes sense since we both work at Rouses! — I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I am so proud of Billy, Nathan, and all the men and women in volunteer fire departments all across the Gulf Coast, who give so selflessly to keep our communities safe.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BRANDS AT WWW.ROUSES.COM

- Ali Rouse Royster, 3rd Generation W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

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rhyme to help you remember: Case or two? Smoke or ’cue. Six-pack to kill? Go for the grill. “You grill steaks, chicken, sausage and burgers,” says Tim Acosta, advertising and marketing director of Rouses Markets, and the best backyard chef you’ll ever meet. “Grilling is an active process. You get your grill up and running, and cook over direct heat with a medium-to-hot fire, and you’re not walking away. From start to finish, you’re turning things around pretty quickly. You’re tending to the things on the grill.” Smoking, though, is a different animal entirely, and you’re going to have to make some time for it. “It’s low heat, and it could be anywhere from several hours to 10, 12, 16, even 18 hours, depending on what you’re smoking,” he says. Some of the best meats for smoking include ribs, pork butt, beef brisket and beef short ribs. CHARCOAL GRILLING 101 Propane grills are a pretty straightforward affair: They’re clean-burning and fuelefficient, and you can get the grill ready at a moment’s notice. It’s the most stove-like of the backyard cooking arsenal. Charcoal grills, on the other hand, need a bit of TLC to cook at their best.

By David W. Brown Summer is here and with it comes yard work, (more) mosquitoes, baseball and — best of all — cooking over an open flame. And though I have no solution for mosquitoes, haven’t been to a baseball game since an altar boy field trip over 30 years ago, and have hated yard work for at least that long, if you want information on cooking outdoors, you have come to the right place. By which I mean, I have asked the experts at Rouses Markets, and am sharing their responses here. (I don’t even have a backyard.)

R O U S E S S U M M E R 20 22

irst, we need to define some terms, and then talk options. When it comes to cooking with fire outdoors, you have three main options. You can grill. You can barbecue. You can smoke. They aren’t the same thing! Grilling usually means cooking something hot and fast. Think hot dogs. Smoking involves cooking low and slow over indirect heat. We’ll talk more about that in a moment. Barbecuing — or “barbequing,” when you are feeling fancy — usually means cooking low and slow over an open flame, usually directly, though sometimes indirectly. For that, think about Memphis-style ribs, which spend around five hours on the grill with the sauce-slathered meat practically falling from the bone. The choice of technique depends mostly on how much time you have and how much beer you plan to drink. Here is a little

First, you have to pick your fuel source. Usually, it comes down to natural lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes. Practically speaking, the primary difference between the two is temperature: The natural lump charcoal burns hotter, and will burn longer as well, if you are diligent with the air intake for your grill or smoker. A good burn that lasts longer is essential when used in a controlled environment such as a Big Green Egg, an American-designed “kamado” grill (which is, in turn, a stove typically fueled with wood or charcoal, first developed by the Japanese and in use for centuries). Lump charcoal is made from 100% hardwood, with no additives. Charcoal briquettes, on the other hand, are not natural, but were developed with the environment in mind. They were invented in the early 1900s as a way to recycle all the scrap wood from the manufacture of Model T cars in Henry Ford’s assembly lines. The idea for such a product was concocted on a camping trip taken by Ford, Thomas Edison and Ford’s relative, Edward Kingsford (for whom the famous Kingsford Charcoal is

named). Briquettes are cheap, versatile and, best of all, you can use them to build a fun little pyramid, douse it with lighter fluid and ignite a flame they can see from the International Space Station. For style points, however, never use a charcoal lighter fluid to start natural lump coal. I mean, you can do it — you could set your car on fire with lighter fluid, too — but my parole officer tells me that’s not what it’s made for. Lighter fluid is the exclusive domain of charcoal briquettes in a regular barbecue grill. Lump coal has its own special needs. Rouses sells natural starters that use paraffin wax to get a natural lump coal going, and you can adjust the ventilation of your grill to do the rest. THE HEAT IS ON Regardless of which type of charcoal you use, once you get a good flame going in your grill, ventilation is also how you regulate the temperature before or during cooking. After the coals get good and hot, the first step is to use a metal grill spatula to spread the charcoal in an even layer. If your grill is large enough, it’s a good idea to leave a little spot somewhere in the pit with no charcoal beneath that portion of the grill. That way, if you find you are overcooking a piece of meat, you can move it to a “cool zone.”

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

The choice of technique depends mostly on how much time you have and how much beer you plan to drink. Here is a little rhyme to help you remember:

Case or two? Smoke or ’cue. Six-pack to kill? Go for the grill.

After your charcoal is evenly spread and smoldering, you’re going to want to track how hot it is. When reading recipes, keep in mind that the surface temperature of a grill is not the same as the internal temperature of your meat. (Again, it seems obvious, but half of you are going to blow yourselves up next Thanksgiving by deep-frying a frozen turkey. I’m trying to save you, reader.) Eventually, you’ll develop an instinctive feel for how hot a grill is based on the ambient and radiating heat and the condition of the coals, but until then, a grill thermometer can take a lot of guesswork out of the equation. Medium heat is about 350◦F. High heat is 450◦F or higher. If you want to get your grill hotter, open the vent at the bottom to increase its ventilation. If you want it cooler, close the vent at the bottom. (One of the advantages of propane grills is the ability to be very precise in your heating. To make a propane grill hotter, turn the knob to “high.” To make it cooler, turn the knob to “low.”) Cook times and temperatures are going to vary based on what you are cooking and how thick it is. According to the U.S. W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

flip t o page 22 for t his! recipe

R O U S E S S U M M E R 20 22

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

Department of Agriculture, steak, lamb and pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145◦F. Poultry should be 165◦F. A meat thermometer, which is usually stabbed into the interior of meat, will take the guesswork out of all this, and can save you from the bracing thrill of botulism. As for choosing the meat you plan to cook, Rouses team members who work in the meat department are trained to help you find the perfect cut of the perfect animal at the perfect price, and can give you advice on seasonings, sides and cook times to turn out the best backyard grilling experience imaginable. SMOKING 101 At its simplest, a smoker is a type of grill that uses a relatively low, indirect heat to slowly bring out the fullest flavor of a meat, and different types of smoking woods to imbue flavor into the meat. (See the sidebar on Adding Flavor to Your Smoker for tips and when to use them.) Grills excel at cooking flavorful foods quickly, and for getting a good, strategic char on certain meats, fruits and vegetables. Smokers, though they take time, have historically been the domain of backyard kitchen connoisseurs. The low heat of a smoker allows ample time for smoky flavors to insinuate themselves into meats being cooked, and for the tissue and collagens in meats to soften and tenderize into gelatin. The fat in the meat keeps it from drying out. All this makes smokers the best way to cook particularly tough meats. (You aren’t limited to tough meats, of course! It takes about an hour to smoke hot dogs, and 30 minutes to smoke hamburger patties.) Tim recommends using a Big Green Egg for smoking meats. This kind of grill looks like a big green egg. As the company’s website explains its success: “In the beginning, there were wood, dry leaves, lightning and eventually, fire. Early man soon learned the flavor benefits of cooking meat over this exciting discovery, which quickly gained acclaim as far superior to gnawing on raw Tyrannosaurus ribs!” While I would dispute the sentiment overall — tyrannosaurus tartare and stegosaurus sashimi are no-brainers, quite frankly — you cannot argue with the popularity and proliferation of Big Green Eggs. Their advertisement style is word of mouth. You go to a friend’s house, sit outside, smell the meat smoking slowly, and then finally taste it…and the next day you go to the store and buy your own.

That’s how it happened for Tim. “A friend of mine got a Big Green Egg and I went over to his house the night he first got his, and it was great. I said, ‘I have got to get me one of those,’ and my wife bought me an extralarge one!” That was quite a few years ago, he says. “Now I have three — an extra-large, a medium and a small one as well.” Believe it or not, you can even prepare your charcoal grill in such a way that it can be used as a smoker, though it takes a little effort up front, and for best results, sometimes requires you to brine your meat in advance. HOW TO MAKE A SMOKER To get the effect of a smoker without the expense of buying one, the first step is to soak wooden smoking chips in water. You’ll want to use a good amount of said wood chips for this — at least one cup. You’re doing this because the water that the chips soak up will create more smoke than if they were dry. Meanwhile, get your charcoal grill going as normal. Once they’re good and hot (it takes about 30 minutes), spread the charcoal as you normally would, but leaving half the grill with no charcoal at all. Because you do not want to cook your meat directly over the coals, when you spread the charcoal, do so off to one side, leaving half the pit bottom clear. Next, get a fireproof metal pan — a thick, disposable pan is perfect — and fill it with warm water. To regulate the heat of the grill, you’re going to place it carefully, wearing fireproof mitts, on the clear side of the grill, adjacent to the coals. After they’ve soaked for an hour, drain the water from the wood chips and enclose them in an envelope or sachet made from heavy-duty aluminum foil. Poke some holes in the aluminum pouch and set it directly on the coals. Note that you can use a propane grill as an improvised smoker as well. The process is pretty simple: Only turn on one half of the burners, let the grill get good and hot, don’t worry about the pan of water, and set the wood chip packet on the hot side of the pit, beneath the grill. In both cases, you want the grill to be at the appropriate low temperature, so be sure to get a grill thermometer if you don’t have one. When those wood chips start smoking and the heat is just right, you are ready to begin cooking by placing the meat on the non-flame half of the grill. Bear in mind that smoking can take all day, and the packet will have to be replaced every

ADDING FLAVOR TO YOUR SMOKER ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT When it comes to using your smoker, natural lump charcoal is going to give you a good smoky flavor, but you can really up the ante by adding smoking wood chunks to the heat to complement and highlight the flavors of the meat being cooked. If you are smoking pork, add chunks of applewood to imbue the meat with a certain sweetness. Smoked chicken, meanwhile, is just begging for pecan wood. Smoked beef does best with a heavier smoke and hickory wood chunks. Smoking a boneless leg of lamb? Get yourself some cherry wood and cook the lamb low and slow for six hours. The goal is to tinker with your flavor profiles to enhance the taste of meats. Flavored woods come in chip and chunk varieties. Chips are great for any grill, but if you are cooking with a smoker — which can take all day — consider using the chunks, which burn (and release the flavors within) a little more slowly.

two to three hours. Soak more chips while your food is cooking so that you can replace the packet at the appropriate times. COOKING WITH SMOKE For beginners, says Tim, pork spareribs are a great meat to start with if you’re going to use a smoker. The key is to first lock your smoker into a low temperature — somewhere around 225◦ to 250◦F — and understand that, unlike with a grill, you will be cooking on indirect heat. (Different smokers have different ways of getting your temperature dialed in for the long haul. If you threw away your instruction manual, Google can help.) Flavor- and texture-wise, says Tim, “The longer period of time you cook, the better off W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

you are.” If you’ve never cooked with indirect heat before, you might be surprised by how much it will elevate your backyard cooking game. (“It made me a believer,” Tim says.) For spareribs, the first step is to peel away the membrane from the back of the ribs, which makes it easier to cut the ribs at the end, once you have finished cooking them. Rinse them, pat them dry, and rub some yellow mustard on them. The mustard imparts a subtle flavor, but more important, it helps the dry rub stick to the meat, which is the next step in the process. Add your dry rub to the ribs — both on top and underneath — and do so generously. “You don’t want it too thick, but you want it everywhere, and rubbed well into the meat,” says Tim. Get your smoker to 225◦F, and be ready to smoke for about three hours before fiddling with the meat. At that point, pull the ribs from the smoker and spritz them with apple juice before wrapping them with foil, then back into the smoker they go. Let them smoke for another two hours. Next, unwrap them, and put them back in the smoker, uncovered, for one final hour.

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

“I don’t like to use barbecue sauce or anything like that,” says Tim of his ribs. Instead, he reaches for Rouses Honey. “I squeeze honey onto the ribs, and brush them to spread the honey out.” In that last hour of cooking, the honey forms a glaze on top of the ribs. To take the flavor of the spareribs to the next level, apply the mustard and dry rub seasoning early in the morning — 6:30 a.m. or so — and let them rest in the refrigerator and really soak up the flavors. After a few

hours, remove the ribs from the fridge and let them come down to room temperature. Then put the ribs in the smoker around noon. Around 6 or 6:30 p.m., dinner is served. That’s a pretty short day compared to some items you cook in the smoker. Boston butt will require between eight to 10 hours in smoke. Beef brisket is next-level — 14 or even 16 hours in the smoker, and it can even go overnight on low heat. So plan accordingly. If you’re making it for a party, make sure everyone brings pajamas.

THE TEX AS CRUTCH ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT AnyTEX die-hard fan of the deep-smoked arts knows the time-tested THE AS CRUTCH connection between on the pit and tenderness the plate. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Any die-hard fanpatience of the deep-smoked arts knows theontime-tested Many of home barbecue’s showcase cuts — Texas brisket, Carolina connection between patience on the pit and tenderness on the pork ribs — need plenty of time on thebrisket, pit to slowly plate.shoulder, Many ofMemphis home barbecue’s showcase cuts — Texas absorb flavorful smoke and break down tough connective tissue that Carolina pork shoulder, Memphis ribs —the need plenty of time on makes cuts economical to begin with.and break down the tough the pitthe to slowly absorb flavorful smoke connective tissue makes to begin with. Done right, a lotthat of time onthe thecuts pit ateconomical low, obsessively controlled temperatures yield the home grail — controlled smoke-infused Done right,will a lot of time on thepitmaster’s pit at low, holy obsessively meats with a dark, spicythe “bark” crust) and temperatures will yield home(outer pitmaster’s holymelt-on-the-tongue grail — smoketexture. infused meats with a dark, spicy “bark” (outer crust) and melt-onthe-tongue And whiletexture patience pays off, there’s a bit of a problem — extended timeAnd over the low fire evaporates the meat’s surface while patience pays off, there’s a bit precious of a problem — moisture. By the timetime the middle the fire meat cooks to the extended over theoflow evaporates thedesired meat’s tenderness, precious the outer layers can dry jerky-like texture. surface moisture. Byout theto time the middle of the meat cooks to the desired tenderness, the outer layers technique can dry out to jerky-like texture. Enter the Texas Crutch — a clever popular competitive Enter on thethe Texas Crutch — a clever technique popular on barbecue circuit barbecue that the competitive circuit that gets you the best of both gets you worlds — smoky bark and tenderness throughout — with minimal compromises. In other words, a perfect hack for the home pitmaster. The Texas Crutch involves wrapping a partially smoked cut of meat (usually a brisket, pork shoulder or other roast-like hunk) in

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the thick best ofaluminum both worlds — foil tobark concentrate heat, smoky and tenderness accelerate—cooking and minimize throughout with minimal compromise. In evaporation. other words, a perfect hack for the home pitmaster. Add a little liquid to the mix (beer always works) and let The Texas Crutch involves wrapping a partially smoked cutitofsit for a(usually spell. Ina basic kitchen theor essential crutch technique meat brisket, pork terms, shoulder other roast-like hunk) in thick turns a dry-cooking methodheat, (smoking) into acooking wet-cooking method aluminum foil to concentrate accelerate and minimize (essentially a braise). evaporation. Thea“wrap and rest” youworks) addedand control Add little liquid to thetechnique mix (beergives always let itof sit for a internal temperature and overall moisture. Youtechnique might loseturns a little spell. In basic kitchen terms, the essential crutch a drycrunch method on the surface, butinto biteaafter savory bite, the deep-down cooking (smoking) wet-cooking method (essentially a meaty tenderness is definitely its own reward (and, usually, the braise). reason you’re deep-smoking in the first place). The “wrap and rest” technique gives you added control of internal temperature and overall moisture. You might lose a little crunch on the surface, but bite after savory bite, the deep-down meaty tenderness is definitely its own reward (and, usually, the reason you’re deep-smoking in the first place). — P. Johnson, Rouses Magazine, March-April 2017.

Steaks Nick Acosta, meat director for Rouses Markets — and incidentally, Tim’s son — started at Rouses as a teenager stocking shelves and wrangling buggies in the parking lot. The job tided him over until he could get a job in the butcher shop, where he really wanted to work. After college, he rejoined the company, where he has been for the last 16 years. Rouses Markets maintains a robust stock of choice and prime beef as graded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Those are the best grades of beef out there,” says Nick. Grades are determined by marbling (fat spread throughout the beef), tenderness and cattle feeding practices. “USDA grading is different from U.S. mandatory meat inspections,” Nick explains. “Other grocery stores will sell you ungraded beef that has been U.S. inspected, but I seriously doubt it will be as flavorful or tender as our USDA graded beef.” Rouses also carries Australian Wagyu beef, and has its own dry-aged beef lockers in most of its stores. Grill-wise, he says, the best all-around steak is the ribeye. “It has got good marbling in it. You want a little fat in there, and it produces an outstanding flavor.” It is cut from the loin along the rib cage, and is well marbled with a lot of fat throughout. As such, it yields that textbook steakhouse flavor. Because of all this, the ribeye will cook evenly throughout, and will get that classic, crispy texture. T-bones are also great for the grill — if you don’t mind dealing with the bone. Boneless New York strip steaks, sirloin and beef tenderloin can also leave your grill thanking you for the pleasure of cooking it. The strip steak is a lot like the ribeye, found along the same muscle. The strip is nearer to the back of the cow, while the ribeye is found at the front. This is “middle ground” steak; not tender like the filet mignon, and not as marbled as the ribeye.

Nick, Tim and Chris Acosta PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

“Any of those steaks are great when firing up the grill in the afternoon,” says Tim. All you need is olive oil, kosher salt, fresh-cracked black pepper and butter. (A little thyme or garlic can also take things up a notch.) They can be seared first in a cast-iron skillet, but that’s not necessary for a life-changing experience. HOW TO GRILL THEM The first step to grilling a perfect steak is to unwrap it and bring it to room temperature. “You don’t want to take your steak directly from the fridge and put it straight into the barbecue pit,” says Nick. You want to let the meat reach room temperature before cooking it. “If it’s still cold when you put it on the grill or cooktop, it will burn by the time you reach your desired doneness.” Meanwhile, get your grill at a good medium-to-high heat — around 375◦F to 400◦F. Apply the olive oil and sprinkle the steak with kosher salt and pepper on both sides. Grill on each side until you reach the desired doneness. If you have an internal thermometer (and if you don’t, you can grab

one at your local Rouses), use that to best determine how cooked the steak is. An extrarare steak is seared on the outside and red, cool and soft in the center, ready to pull from the grill at an internal temperature of 115◦F to 120◦F. A rare steak is ready at 125◦F, with a three-quarters red interior and slightly cool center. A medium-rare steak is good to go at 135◦F in the center, which is about half-red. Medium steaks are 145◦F on the thermometer, pink in the center and have a firm, springy exterior on the touch. Medium well is 150◦F and pretty much cooked throughout. A well-done steak should be taken from the grill at 160◦F with a brown center, and usually comes with angry looks from the chef.

Chicken If you are using a grill, whether propane or coal, you can go from nothing to dinner in 45 minutes flat. A boneless, skinless chicken breast is among the easiest things to slap on a grill. Season it or let it marinate for an hour, then cook and enjoy. W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

Next-level grillers might consider grilled chicken wings, which take about 45 minutes on a medium-hot grill to reach an internal temperature of 160◦F. Doing this on game night? Marinate them first in Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce. (Frank’s was founded by Louisiana friends Adam Estilette and Jacob Frank of New Iberia, and has been in the hot sauce game for over a century.) Get your grill going while the wings sit for 45 minutes in the sauce, then cook. Smoked chicken is where the action is at, though. For that, grab a couple of whole chickens from Rouses and brine them just as you would a turkey on Thanksgiving. A traditional wet brine involves adding a cup of kosher salt and a cup of brown sugar to a gallon of water. If you have some favorite herbs and some peppercorns, add them to your liking. Two splashes of bourbon wouldn’t hurt either. (One for your mouth, one for the brine.) Let your chickens soak overnight. The next day, pull the chickens from the brine, dry them with paper towels, and put them in a pan and back into the refrigerator, where they can continue air-drying. Once they are dry through and through (a few hours should do it), pull them from the fridge and apply a dry rub to their briny bodies. At that point, it’s time to put them in the smoker. Whole chickens generally take two-anda-half to three hours in a smoker at 250◦F. They are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160◦F. If you want to smash the orthodoxy, rather than do a wet brine, you can do a dry one. For that, mix two parts kosher salt with one part each of rosemary and thyme, and rub the mixture generously onto a dried whole chicken. If you have extra seasoning at the end, rub it inside the chicken as well. Really get to know your chicken. “To me, chicken that has been dry brined comes out a little better,” says Tim. “It is dryer than a wet brine because it hasn’t been submerged in liquid, but the skin tends to become crispier and it produces a really great flavor.” If you love chicken, and also love breaking things, you might consider smoking a spatchcocked chicken. This is a pretty grisly affair that begins with brining the chicken overnight, or soaking it in a marinade of your choice. Next, you’re going to remove the neck parts and gizzards from the chicken’s cavity. Then cut along the entire length of the chicken, tail to neck, on both the left and right sides of the 18

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chicken’s backbone. (Kitchen scissors work great for this.) Pull the backbone out. At this point, the chicken will just fall open. You’re not done yet, though. Now you get to break its breastbone, which involves pressing down on both halves of the splayed chicken until you hear a crack. Because there’s no going back now, you should next cut the wingtips from the chicken, which you can’t eat and which are just going to burn anyway. The smoking process is pretty much the same as a fully constituted chicken, though for a shorter time: About an hour, though you should let the internal temperature of the chicken be your guide. The downside of this process is that now you are going to have to live with what you have just done.

Briskets Among pitmasters, brisket is considered the ultimate smoked meat because of its supple flavor, and the time and challenge necessary to get it just right. “Brisket is the largest cut of meat most of us will cook at home,” explains Nick. “The cooking times are eight to 12 hours, and sometimes longer.” He says that advanced grillers can try making burnt ends, a specialty of barbecue pitmasters that involves separating the “point” and the “flat” — the two muscles that make up a brisket. Between them is a layer of fat that should be cut away. The point end is then seasoned on both sides and smoked at 250◦F for about five hours. Afterward, it is cut into one-inch cubes, placed in a pan, and slathered with barbecue sauce. The pan goes back into the smoker for another hour or so, until the sauce is caramelized. If that sounds a little beyond your skill level, Nick still has a plan for you. “We grind brisket for burgers, too.” Beef short ribs are another go-to items for backyard chefs. “My dad calls beef short ribs ‘brisket on the bone,’” says Nick, explaining that the texture of the meat is similar to a brisket. Short ribs are cut closer

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Be sure to check out the new Rouses Bayou Bombs, which are cream cheese stuffed jalapeños encased in fresh, in-house Rouses Cajun Sausage, then wrapped in bacon — grill-ready and delicious

to the front shoulder, which is right by the brisket. “You can get a good heavy smoke on it in a shorter amount of time because they are smaller than a full brisket,” says Tim.

BBQ Shrimp The best grilled barbecued shrimp of your life is only a few minutes away. To do it properly, you are going to need a pan that can go on the grill. Peel, devein and clean your shrimp. Next, add them to your fireproof pan and pour in a bottle of Wish-Bone Italian Dressing. Add some Cajun Power Garlic Sauce, some Worcestershire sauce (all available at Rouses, naturally), as well as chopped onions and some fresh-cut squeezed lemons. Add some Abita Beer (this pan is getting full, but man, those shrimp never had it so good) and put the pan on a grill that’s rolling along at 350◦F. After that, finish the rest of your pack of Abita and just let the grill go until the shrimp are cooked.

Twice-Baked Potatoes The steps for making backyard twice-baked potatoes couldn’t be easier. You’re going to want to use the top rack of your grill if it has

one. If it doesn’t, use a part of the grill with indirect heat. (If it is a charcoal grill, for example, we are talking about the part of the grill with no charcoal beneath it. For a propane grill, just turn off one of the burners.) Put the potatoes on the grill for one hour or, depending on what you’re cooking, a bit earlier. Just let them cook alongside your meat. You can wrap them in foil, which protects them from 5G, but if you’re using the top rack you don’t need to use foil. After one hour, they should be cooked all the way through. When you pull them from the grill, be sure to make a joke that they are “hot potatoes” just to see how good your friends and family are at faking a laugh. (Now you know.) Next, cut the potatoes in half and scoop out their insides with a spoon, moving them (that is, the insides) into a big bowl. Season the bowl of potatoes with any or all of your favorite seasonings (salt, pepper, Tony’s, herbs, etc.). Add some sour cream for sour creaminess, and mix it all up until you get a pleasing mashed potato-type consistency. Now add some shredded cheese and chopped green onions. If you are feeling wild, fry up some really crispy bacon and break that into the potatoes as well. Mix, mix, and mix some more. Now for the fun part. Take the potato mix and scoop it back into the potato skins you first got them from. By now, the potato is hoping desperately that you make up your mind, but things are about to get a lot worse for the spud, because after you top each reconstituted potato with yet more shredded cheese, it’s back onto the grill they go. Let them cook for 15 minutes, or long enough for everything to melt nicely. Plate alongside your grilled meat, and serve.

Rouse In-House Most meats are going to do best after hours of absorbing any number of rubs and marinades you can make at home or buy at Rouses Markets. If you are reading this from work and need to cook dinner in an hour, however, they might not be much help to you. Enter the Rouses Butcher Shop, here to save the day. Rouses sells pre-marinated meats of every variety and with every seasoning. Check out the beef kabobs in standard and mesquite flavors, or try the Rouses Bayou Boys Burger, loaded with jalapeños, cheddar cheese and bacon — or try the Green Onion and Bacon Burger. Pork is seasoned, wrapped and ready to go, not only as kabobs, but also as mesquite country style ribs and steaks, and Cajun-seasoned steaks and ribs. Chicken comes as kabobs and mesquite kabobs, but also as buffalo chicken wings, mesquite chicken drumettes and every part imaginable, seasoned and shrink-wrapped: wings, boneless breasts, boneless butterflied chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs and drumettes. For something a little different, Rouses Butchers make stuffed mushrooms with Cajun sausage, green onion sausage and Italian sausage, as well as jalapeño sausage green onion poppers. (Indeed, if poppers are your thing, don’t miss the cheddar cheese poppers and boudin poppers.) Lastly, be sure to check out the new Rouses Bayou Bombs, which are cream cheese stuffed jalapeños encased in fresh, in-house Rouses Cajun Sausage, then wrapped in bacon — grillready and delicious.

How to Cook Brisket ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT GET THE MEAT Figure out how big a brisket you’ll need for your crowd and your hunger level. Since brisket loses a lot of water and fat in the slow-smoke process, you’ll need to estimate one pound of raw brisket per person, which will yield a half-pound of juicy smoked goodness on the plate. (When in doubt, go a little heavier, as barbecue leftovers rarely last long.) Ask your Rouses Markets butcher to trim the fat to ¼-inch thickness. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT START THE FIRE Stoke your fire and bring the smoker’s temperature to 250°F (the optimal temperature for indirect heat). Add hickory wood chunks during the smoking time for additional flavor. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT WORK THE RUB Make a dry rub using equal parts kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (or to simplify things, use Rouses Markets Chicory & Garlic All Purpose Rub.) Starting with the fat side down, coat the brisket with yellow mustard. Get the surface just wet enough for the dry rub to stick. Pour the rub directly on the brisket, gently and evenly pressing the rub into the meat as you go. Repeat the mustard/ rub routine on the brisket’s fatty side. Allow the brisket to rest at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before smoking. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT LOAD THE SMOKER AND WAIT Place the brisket in your smoker fat side up. Leave undisturbed for the first four hours of the cook time, or until the thickest part of the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. By this point your brisket should have a deep mahogany hue and a consistently crunchy-looking outer later (called the bark). ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT WR AP FOR MOISTURE, WAIT AGAIN Now it’s time to wrap the brisket in foil for tenderness’s sake (see the sidebar on The Texas Crutch). Return the foil-wrapped brisket to the smoker and let it cook until the meat’s internal temperature approaches 185°F, about five hours. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT REST, THEN SLICE Pull the brisket from the pit and allow it to rest in the foil for at least another 30 minutes, or up to an hour. This process allows the precious juices to redistribute and settle back into all parts of your delicious brisket. Slice brisket against the grain when serving. Slice the flat (fatty part) and point (lean part) separately so you have a combination of deep-smoked meaty textures.

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HOW TO GRILL AVOCADOS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. Brush with olive oil; season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Place the avocado on the grill, cut side down. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes until grill marks form.

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

HWY. 1 RIBS Serves 6+ You never want to put honey or sauce on ribs until the last hour of cooking, because it will burn and get bitter if you put it on too soon.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: For the Ribs: 2 (or more) racks of St. Louis-style ribs Dry rub (recipe below) Yellow mustard ²⁄₃ cup apple juice Honey Barbecue sauce of your choice, like Big Mike’s or any Rouses Markets BBQ Sauce For the Rub: 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons paprika powder 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon dry mustard HOW TO PREP: Soak a handful of applewood chunks in water. Remove the ribs from the package and rinse under cold water. Pat dry or set on paper towels to dry. Remove the membranes on the hollow side of the ribs by inserting a thin knife or other sharp object between the membrane and the rib. Release the membrane and pull it off by hand. Repeat with the remaining ribs.

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Advertising & Marketing Director Tim Acosta shared his mouthwatering rib recipe with us for this issue. His recommendation? Spritz the ribs with apple juice before wrapping them with foil, and slather them with honey for the last hour of cooking. Ca cʼest bon!

Mix together all ingredients for the rub. Coat the ribs with the yellow mustard to create a sticky base for the rub. Sprinkle the ribs on both sides with the rub and rub it in a bit, making sure you have full coverage. Place in fridge for a couple hours or overnight. Set up your smoker for cooking with indirect heat at about 225◦F and add the soaked applewood. (If your smoker has a drip pan, use it.) Once the smoker is ready, place the ribs bone side down on the smoker grate. Smoke the ribs for 3 hours, unwrapped. Remove the ribs from the smoker and place

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the first rack on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and pour ¹⁄₃ cup of apple juice over it. Wrap up the ribs well. Repeat with the remaining rack. Put the packages of ribs side by side on the smoker. Close the lid and leave the ribs to cook for 2 hours. Take the foil-wrapped rib packages from the smoker and carefully remove the foil. Baste the meaty side of the ribs generously with honey. Place the ribs with the bone side down on the smoker, close the lid and leave to cook for 1 hour, opening every 20 minutes to baste with honey. Take the ribs out of the smoker, and slather them with barbecue sauce before serving.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES Makes 4 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 4 large russet potatoes 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil Kosher salt, to taste 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened ½ cup whole milk ½ cup sour cream ½ cup grated Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, or both Black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops or chives HOW TO PREP: Preheat a grill or smoker to 250°F using hickory chips. Scrub the potatoes clean and pat them dry. Poke holes all over them with a fork. In a large bowl, toss them with the oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Place the potatoes directly on the preheated grill grates. Close the lid and cook for about 75 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Use tongs or oven mitts to transfer the hot potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet. Let the potatoes cool slightly, around 5-10 minutes. Slice the top third lengthwise off the potatoes. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a ¼-inch border of potato on the skin, and transfer all the flesh to a medium bowl. Scrape the potato tops of all flesh, and add the flesh to the bowl too. Lay the hollowed-out grilled potato shells back on the baking sheet.

2 cups mayonnaise 1 cup distilled white vinegar ½ cup apple juice 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish 2 teaspoons ground black pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon hot sauce HOW TO PREP: In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar, apple juice, lemon juice, horseradish, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and hot sauce (or use a blender, to make it quick and easy). Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Serve with grilled or smoked chicken.

GARLIC PARMESAN CHICKEN WINGS Makes 4-6 servings

Mash the potato flesh with a fork or potato masher. Add the butter, and stir until smooth. Add the milk, sour cream and cheese, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the green onion tops or chives. Fill each potato shell with a quarter of the filling. Place the baking sheet with the stuffed potatoes on the grate of the grill or smoker, and cook until the potatoes are just warmed through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

SMOKED CHICKEN Makes 4 servingss

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 gallon of unsweetened tea, or water ¾ cup salt ²⁄₃ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup soy sauce 3½- to 4-pound whole chicken, brined Dijon mustard Rouses BBQ Rub Salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste HOW TO PREP: Prepare the brine: In a large pot combine 1 gallon tea or water, salt, sugar and soy

sauce, and bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring to help dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature. Place the chicken in a deep container large enough to hold it and the brine. Pour the cooled brine over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Set up your smoker for cooking at 250°F. Remove the chicken from the brine, and pat the skin dry with paper towels. Slather the chicken with mustard, getting the surface just wet enough for the rub to stick. Coat the top, sides and bottom of the chicken with the rub, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the chicken on the grill grate of your smoker, breast side up. Cook until breasts reach an internal temperature of 165°F, and thighs 175°F, about 2 hours.

ALABAMA WHITE SAUCE Makes 4 cups This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 4 pounds fresh chicken wing portions Vegetable or canola oil Drago’s Butter Garlic Charbroiling Sauce We Dat’s Garlic Parmesan Seasoning Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish HOW TO PREP: Use a pair of kitchen shears to snip through the center of each chicken wing joint. Separate the drummettes and flats, and discard the tips. Toss the drummettes and flats with a little oil to keep them from sticking to the grill. Heat a charcoal or gas grill; the fire should be moderately hot and the rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat. Leave one side of the grill cooler for indirect cooking. Put the wings on the cool side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook, checking and turning the wings once or twice, until most of the fat has been rendered, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest area of the wing reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the wings to a large bowl and toss with Drago’s Butter Garlic Charbroiling Sauce and We Dat’s Garlic Parmesan Seasoning. Taste for seasoning, adding more garlic parmesan seasoning as desired. Transfer the seasoned wings to a large platter and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately. W W W. R O U S E S . C O M 2 3

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PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

GRILLED BOSTON BUTT PORK SHOULDER ROAST Makes 12-16 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: ¾ cup apple juice ½ cup water ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup salt 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 whole Boston butt pork shoulder roast, fat trimmed to ¼-inch thickness Vegetable or canola oil Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 8 to 10 garlic cloves, smashed Cajun Blast Garlic Butter Basting Sauce

GRILLED ARTICHOKES Makes 4 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 2 large fresh artichokes 1 lemon, quartered 3⁄4 cup olive oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper HOW TO PREP: Snap off the tough outer leaves near the stem of each artichoke. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, and working one at a time, trim the tops and ends of leaves from the artichokes, cut in half lengthwise and use a melon baller to remove the hairy choke. Squeeze a bit of lemon immediately on the trimmed artichoke halves to prevent browning. If preparing artichokes ahead of time, place them in a bowl of lemon water until ready to boil.

HOW TO PREP: Make the brine: Bring apple juice and water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the sugar, salt and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until dissolved and remove from heat. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, about 1½ hours.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.

Place the pork roast in a baking dish just large enough to hold it.

Add artichokes to boiling water, and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain well.

Draw the brine into a marinade injector and inject it into the center of the pork roast all over, inserting the needle at 1-inch intervals and drawing it out slowly as you depress the plunger, until you’ve used all of the brine.

Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges into a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Generously brush the artichokes with a coating of the garlic sauce, and place them on the preheated grill.

Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium, about 350°F to 375°F. Brush the grate with oil to keep the roast from sticking to the grill.

Grill the artichokes for 5 to 10 minutes, basting with dip and turning frequently, until the tips are a little charred. Serve immediately.

Lightly oil the roast, getting the surface just wet enough for the garlic to stick. Liberally season with salt and pepper, and rub with smashed garlic.

Makes 4 servings

Place the pork roast on the grill’s grate, fat side up. Grill, turning occasionally, and spraying with Cajun Blast Garlic Butter Basting Sauce from time to time, until the meat is browned through and the skin is sizzling, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 150°F, about 3 to 4 hours. (The temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.) Make sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone when testing for temperature. Let rest, tented loosely with foil, at least 20 minutes before slicing.

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 pound brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt, to taste Black pepper, to taste Lemon, to taste HOW TO PREP: Preheat oven to 400◦. Trim the Brussels sprouts, discard any stalks, and peel any withered leaves off the bulbs. Halve the sprouts lengthwise, and toss with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20

to 25 minutes, until golden brown, slightly charred in some spots, and a little crispy. Season with additional salt and pepper. Add a few squeezes of lemon.

DARK COFFEE DRY RUB Makes about 1 cup This rub is great for dark meats like beef, chicken thighs, duck and lamb, and is especially good on steak.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: ¼ cup fine ground dark-roast coffee ¼ cup chili powder ¼ cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed 2 tablespoons smoked paprika 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin HOW TO PREP: In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients thoroughly, massaging the mixture with your fingers to combine. If you have one, this can be mixed in the blender quickly.

GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH TAHINI DRESSING Makes 6 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 medium red onion, peeled 1 medium white onion, peeled 4 assorted color bell peppers 1 pound zucchini 1 pound yellow summer squash 2 medium eggplants Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Tahini dressing, see recipe HOW TO PREP: Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to mediumhigh heat. Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove stems and seeds, and discard. Slice each half in two, making eight pieces. Brush lightly with olive oil on both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Cut zucchini, squash and eggplant at an angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush slices with olive oil on both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Cut onions into 1/2-inch slices. Keep them together (instead of separating the layers into onion rings). Brush slices with olive oil on both sides, and season with salt and pepper. W W W. R O U S E S . C O M 2 5

Set onion slices carefully on grill. Start peppers skin-side up. Bell peppers and onions should take 4 to 5 minutes per side. As they are done, remove to a serving platter. Grill zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. As they are done, remove to the serving platter. Drizzle tahini sauce over the vegetables. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TAHINI DRESSING Makes about 11/2 cups Tahini, also called tahina, is a ground sesame butter or paste that can mixed with other ingredients to make savory sauces. It adds creaminess and a nuttiness to hummus and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: ¼ cup tahini, well stirred 3 tablespoons lemon juice Pinch of ground cayenne 2 garlic cloves, grated or pounded to a paste 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek-style yogurt) Pinch of kosher salt

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HOW TO PREP: Put tahini, lemon juice, cayenne and garlic in a small mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in olive oil, yogurt and salt. Stir, taste and adjust salt and lemon as needed.

GRILLED SALMON Makes 6 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 4 center-cut, skin-on salmon fillets, about 6 to 8 ounces each Olive oil 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1 garlic clove, finely chopped Kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Fresh lemon slices, to serve Freshly chopped parsley, to serve HOW TO PREP: In small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic to make the marinade.

Place the salmon in a shallow glass or plastic dish. Pour the marinade over the salmon. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 hour. Heat coals or a gas grill to medium. Once hot, lightly oil the grate of the grill. Remove salmon from the marinade; reserve marinade. Place salmon, skin side down, on grill. Cover and grill over medium heat, basting 2 or 3 times with marinade, until salmon is cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 120°F, about 12 minutes. Let the salmon rest for a few minutes before serving to allow for some carryover cooking. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot, garnished with lemon slices and chopped parsley.

Nathan Richard Answers Your Burning Questions By Sarah Baird To the untrained eye, firefighting and professional cooking might not seem to have anything in common as careers: One involves potentially running into a burning building, the other involves running perfectly plated dishes to eager diners. But for esteemed chef and longtime volunteer firefighter Nathan Richard, there are plenty of similarities between the two.

y cooking career started about the same time as my firefighting career, 20 years ago. I joined the volunteer fire department in Thibodaux at the age of 18, and then started cooking when I was around 20,” says Richard, who has shown off his fine cooking skills in kitchens across the Southeast, from Fig and Husk in Charleston to Commander’s Palace and Cochon in New Orleans. “It’s one of those things where people don’t realize it, but they kind of go handin-hand because of the fire element, especially when you’re cooking outdoors. People can cook on electric stoves, people can cook on gas stoves, and people can cook over live fire, which is more of a technique than anything. It’s pretty cool to be at home and you have a fire pit cooking, or you’re out camping in the middle woods with your kids, and you have that opportunity to eat a gourmet meal in the middle of nowhere. Knowing how to use fire outside to cook is a great advantage.”

Of course, with that great knowledge comes great responsibility — and understanding of limitations. Richard, who is now the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department captain, shares key tips to stay safe while cooking outdoors, whether you’re flipping sausages on charcoal in the backyard or grilling fish over a wood fire underneath the stars. Using green wood for an open fire? That’s a (dangerous) rookie mistake. “A sure way to spot a rookie campfire is excessive smoke billowing from it, and that’s the result of using green and fresh wood,” says Richard. “In order to create a nice fire to grill on, you have to use dry, seasoned wood. I like using pecan, white oak and hickory.”

PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

Having the proper tools is critical. “Always have the right tools for the job, whether it’s a pair of tongs, spatula, basting brush or grill brush—and be sure to keep your tools ready,” says Richard. “As a chef, I try to keep my mouth shut and just enjoy the atmosphere, but there’s a lot of times at barbecues when people are using tongs to try and pick up a piece of fish instead of using a spatula like they should, and the filet of fish is breaking apart. It’s like, ‘You had a nice, beautiful piece of fish, but now it’s in three pieces!’” And no matter how low-key your outdoor cooking setup might be, Richard stresses that having a fire extinguisher nearby is a must. And don’t forget your meat thermometer!

There’s also a common misconception that when cooking over an open flame, the food should be placed directly over the fire itself. Unless you want to eat a charred dinner, that’s not good technique. “We’re not roasting a hot dog or marshmallow directly over an open fire like we show our kids. Unfortunately, placing food directly over the open flame is a great way to get a burnt and crisp meal. Build a fire on one side of your grill and use the other side primarily to move hot coals and cook your food.”

“Make sure you cook your protein to the right internal temperature. For a home cook, get a digital meat thermometer. It’s going to be accurate, and it’s going to tell you more than what your finger pressing the meat can do to see if it’s done. There are a lot of meat thermometers out there, and I just keep one in my pocket. It’s simple: I put it in the meat, and I pull it out, and it tells me the internal temperature.”

And, as with all good things, have a little patience. “Just because you see flames doesn’t mean that your fire is ready for cooking. A good fire can take 30 to 45 minutes to burn down to the right conditions. You have to be sure you have a bed of glowing coals for roasting, and continue to feed your fire.”

When it comes to avoiding grill flare-ups (and potentially singeing off your eyebrows), keep a close watch on how much oil or fat you’re using: low and slow is the name of the game. “When people marinate their meat, they sometimes think the fattier, the better. But that’s going to cause a big flame-up, and the flame-up is going to ignite.”

Monitoring your fats will keep flare-ups down.

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PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

Richard also says that many of the “shortcuts” home cooks try to use while grilling outside can result in disaster. “Some people try to use non-stick spray on their grill, but they don’t realize how flammable it is. If you do decide to use it, turn the flame off or spray your pan away from the fire. And for heaven’s sake, keep the spray can away from the heat. It will blow up and scare the you-know-what out of you.” Understand the technology you’re using. It might sound simple, but reading the owner’s manual for your grill is a necessary first step for grasping the nuances of the cooking firesource you’re operating — not just making assumptions. “People get in their confidence zone and forget that safety is a key priority. Things change, technology is always evolving — and so are new barbecue pits. You might’ve had this old classic barbecue pit, but now you have an electrical barbecue pit, or you go from electric to gas ... it's it’s not going to cook the same. A lot of times, people might not tighten the gas lines up enough, or they might forget to put some piece of tape on there or something, and it starts a gas leak, then the gas could ignite. Really, every pit is different.” Never cook too close to your house. One of the most common runs that Richard makes as a volunteer firefighter is to homes where people have been grilling too near their house or underneath an overhang, like a carport roof. “The reason apartment complexes don’t allow people to barbecue on their second story is because there’s no room to pull that pit out. Many times, people are putting their grill against a back wall. It might not flame up, but guess what? That heat is going to transfer — whether 2 8 R O U S E S S U M M E R 20 22

it’s to siding, vinyl or whatever it is, and sooner or later it’s going to start melting. Once it starts melting, now it’s going to start smoking and going to set fire. It happens a lot of times more than what people think.” Always make sure your fire is completely out. One of the most important, and potentially life-saving, rules of outdoor cooking is to always make sure your fire is completely out. It’s not safe when it just looks like it has burned out, or in the absence of a flame, but when it’s so completely cool you could stick your hand in the coals. “People have campfires and walk away from that camp thinking the fire’s out, but the wind picks up and rekindles that fire and nobody is there. They didn’t properly extinguish the fire, whether with a fire extinguisher or pouring water. Now you have a big wildfire.” This doesn’t happen only with outdoor cooking in the woods, though. “We see it a lot during Mardi Gras, too. People barbecue and have a good time. They get drunk, they finish cooking, they need to get rid of these coals, they throw them away in the dumpster. Guess what? It catches the trash can on fire. People don’t let the fire, or the coals, die out. There’s still heat generating in there and all a fire needs to rekindle is oxygen or wind. They need to be cool to the touch. You ought to be able to put your hand in there and not burn yourself. I always tell people, ‘If you have a couple of extra bottles of water, dump it. Dump it on the fire.’ It’s a constant thing where common sense ain‘t common anymore.”

Mississippi THE SHED BARBECUE & BLUES JOINT, OCEAN SPRINGS

Rouses Markets 64 STORES ACROSS THE GULF COAST ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Some of the South’s best barbecue is found right here on the Gulf Coast, including in our own stores. From pulled pork and smoked sausage to St. Louis-style ribs, we make our own delicious barbecue at Rouses Markets every day. We also have smokehouse baked beans, gourmet macaroni salad, twice-baked potatoes and three kinds of potato salad. And that’s just the

1954. The breakfast at its current location on Hwy. 90 Westin Tillman’s Corner is as good as the barbecue. Biscuits are made from scratch every 15 minutes.

MEAT BOSS, MOBILE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The brisket, pork butt, chicken, ribs and sausage are served with your choice of six Boss Sauces. They’ve also got smoked rib meat that has been caramelized with sweet Boss sauce, brown sugar and honey, which they call Rib Candy. Don’t forget the Brunswick stew.

beginning of what you’ll find in our deli.

COTTON STATE BBQ, MOBILE

Alabama

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT They use a deli slicer to cut smoked pork, chicken and brisket into thin slices, which are piled high on a lightly toasted sesame seed bun and served with barbecue sauce on the side.

DREAMLAND BAR-B-Q, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Hickory fire-grilled ribs and white bread were the only things on the menu at Dreamland for more than half a century. But as Dreamland has expanded into more cities —now boasting locations in three states — so has its menu, which now includes all sorts of barbecue and sausage, and a delicious Nilla wafer banana pudding. The original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa was inducted into the inaugural class of the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame.

DICK RUSSELL’S FAMOUS BAR-B-Q, MOBILE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This is one of the only BBQ establishments in southern Alabama to be inducted into the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame. The original Dick Russell’s opened in Prichard, Alabama, in

MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT North Alabama white sauce, a tangy mayo-based sauce frequently spiked with horseradish, is a specialty of Tuscaloosabased Moe’s Original Bar B Que. USA Today named this Alabama chain one of the Top 10 BBQ Joints in America.

HOT WILD BEACH BBQ, GULF SHORES ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Slow-smoked meat, sides and sandwiches, including the Nasty G, which takes surf and turf to a new level with chopped ribs, chicken, pork, buffalo shrimp, white BBQ sauce and coleslaw.

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This legendary barbecue joint and live blues music venue has been twice crowned Grand Champion of the world-renowned Memphis in May barbecue competition, America’s most prestigious barbecue cooking competition — in 2015, and again in 2018, when it also took first place in the Whole Hog and Hot Wings categories. Make sure you get the ribs, which are fall-off-the-bone tender. The Shed has its own sauce and rub line, which are available at Rouses Markets. Later this year, owner Brad Orrison and family will open a new location of The Shed in Baton Rouge on Burbank.

MURKY WATERS BBQ, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The burnt ends made from smoked brisket at this restaurant and blues club rival anything out of Kansas City. Wings are smoked then flash-fried — and ridiculously good. The double-decker barbecue sandwich features smoked chicken and pulled pork on a sourdough bun with a middle piece of Texas toast; it is one of a kind.

Louisiana PAUL’S RIB SHACK BARBECUE, LAKE CHARLES ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT In 2017, after pitmaster Paul Pettefer brought his food truck to the Lake Charles music festival, Live at the Lakefront, he was quickly dubbed Bishop of BBQ. Pettefer followed with a brick-and-mortar spot on Nelson Road with a bustling patio shaded by magnificent oak trees draped in festive lights. Brisket and beef ribs are standouts, and some of his best sellers, but don’t sleep on the excellent pork ribs, pulled pork and turkey. And be sure to save room for the blackberry rum sauce bread pudding; it’s some of the best in Louisiana. House-made pastrami piled on rye bread and dressed with Russian sauce and sauerkraut is served on Fridays only. W W W. R O U S E S . C O M 2 9

JOHNSON’S BOUCANIERE, LAFAYETTE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT With Cajun recipes and barbecue and smoking meat techniques passed down through generations, you can’t go wrong no matter what you order. The brisket and pulled pork are slow-smoked for 12 to 14 hours.

CIT Y PORK, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Somehow, these restaurants blend fine dining — and cheese and charcuterie — with the casualness of barbecue, which they incorporate into a range of creative and delicious dishes.

TJ RIBS, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Restaurateur TJ Moran made baby back ribs a Baton Rouge must-order when he opened in 1986. The baby backs here are still some of the best, and you can get seriously delicious smoked St. Louis-style.

BRQ SEAFOOD AND BARBEQUE, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This restaurant from Michelin-recognized Chef Justin Ferguson has consistently been named Best BBQ in Baton Rouge by 225 Magazine. Don’t fill up on the pickles and chips because you will want to eat everything. BRQ’s pulled chicken easily rivals the pulled pork. BBQ brisket meatballs are served with 3 0 R O U S E S S U M M E R 20 22

creamy mashed potatoes and hot sauce fried onion rings. And all-in options include combos and platters.

SONNY’S BBQ, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The Baton Rouge outpost of this Florida chain has been slow-smoking favorites like pulled pork, ribs and brisket since the 1970s.

JAY'S BAR-B-Q, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This long-time local favorite is known for its thin barbecue sauce, made with ketchup and vinegar, for sweet and savory in every bite. A must-try.

HANNAH Q SMOKEHOUSE, PR AIRIEVILLE AND BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The 18-hour smoked brisket is king here, but don’t sleep on the buttermilk fried chicken.

COU-YON’S BBQ, PORT ALLEN ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Great barbecue and fried fish, but it’s the smoked Idaho potatoes loaded up with pulled pork that really make this restaurant worth the drive from anywhere.

LA 23 BBQ, BELLE CHASSE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This smokehouse on LA Highway 23 just outside of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base is a great spot for Texas-style barbecue.

The menu has brisket with just the right amount of bark, ribs, pork, chicken and sausage. Meats are cooked over oak in custom-built smokers, and served with sauce on the side.

UGLY DOG SALOON, NEW ORLEANS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Delicious, smoky BBQ in the heart of the Warehouse District downtown.

CENTR AL CIT Y BBQ, NEW ORLEANS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT When Central City BBQ opened in 2016, it put New Orleans on the national barbecue map. A broad menu covers everything from meaty pork ribs, beef, boudin and USDA Prime Kansas City brisket burnt ends to Hogs for the Cause award-winning smoked wings, which are served with white BBQ sauce and Cotija cheese. Pit house plates come with choice of meat and side — get the sweet corn spoon bread, or creamy mac and cheese topped with bacon, umami pickles, sliced onion, and sliced white bread.

BLUE OAK BBQ, NEW ORLEANS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT After operating out of Grits Bar and Chickie Wah Wah music club in its early days,

Blue Oak settled into its permanent spot in Mid City. Smokehouse signatures — including some of the best brisket in New Orleans — share the menu with Cajun cracklins and crazy-good chili-glazed fried Brussels sprouts.

FREY’S SMOKED MEAT CO., NEW ORLEANS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This Mid City restaurant, which started as a Hogs for the Cause team, honors a Louisiana meatpacking company, L.A. Frey & Sons, that started in 1865 and operated in the city for 120 years. Frey’s serves all the barbecue classics, plus burgers, and seriously over-thetop milkshakes — which are the best in New Orleans.

THE JOINT, NEW ORLEANS BY WATER ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT New Orleans’ first “real” barbecue restaurant remains one the best. Save room for pie, especially if it’s peanut butter pie.

NOLA CR AWFISH KING SEAFOOD & BARBECUE, GENTILLY ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT It seems like a strange combo to do seafood and barbecue, but Chris “Shaggy” Davis, who started his food career at

festivals and events around the country, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee, loves both. After setting up a food truck at a gas station on Franklin Avenue in Gentilly, boiling crawfish and later serving barbecue plates, he opened his own restaurant next door to the gas station. The restaurant mostly does takeout, but there are picnic tables outside. You can get barbecue, smoked meats and seafood.

too, and so are the sauces — original, smoky and hot.

WALKER’S SOUTHERN ST YLE BBQ, NEW ORLEANS EAST

BIG MIKE’S BBQ, HOUMA AND THIBODAUX

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Festivalgoers wait all year to get Walker’s signature cochon de lait po’boy at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. But the family also has a permanent spot that’s open a few days a week (you can also catch their catering tent, Love at First Bite, at other events and festivals). The cochon de lait po’boy is shredded, smoked Boston butt pork shoulder topped with cold cabbage and a homemade horseradish sauce on French bread. Walker’s also serves barbecue favorites and a great smoked chicken salad.

GONZO’S SMOKEHOUSE & BBQ, LULING ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This small restaurant turns out Central Texas pit-style pulled pork, prime brisket, chicken, pork belly burnt ends and smoked-brisket boudin. It’s open for lunch only on Fridays, and stays open until the food runs out.

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The prime brisket and pulled pork at Big Mike’s BBQ are slow-smoked 12 to 14 hours. Beef, pork, chicken, turkey and sausage are sold by the plate and by the pound, on sandwiches and salads. Don’t underestimate the catfish, which is crusted in cornmeal and deep-fried. Big Mike Lewis also created his own line of barbecue sauces, rubs, and fully cooked sausages, which he debuted at Rouses Markets.

SWEET DADDY’S, COVINGTON ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT When it comes to barbecue, our first thought is usually pork on the Gulf Coast, but here it’s all about the chopped beef brisket. Their other barbecue options are delicious, W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

Marcelle Bienvenu 'Ques You In

Slice of Life ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Barbecue fans can be funny. Gather a few true believers together from different parts of the country, and you’ll get spirited conversations (read “borderline arguments”) over a wide range of topics. Loyalists from across the South will argue the virtues of different cuts (St. Louis-style ribs versus babybacks), smoking woods (hickory, oak, mesquite), cooking times (the longer the better? Depends …), sauce recipes (sweet or spicy?) or any other nuance that makes their regional variation on the style absolutely superior to any other. But ask about what bread goes with their ’cue, and there’s a near-universal consensus: sliced white bread. Period. It’s the one area where BBQ partisans can find consistent common ground. With the exception of South Texas (where saltine

BARBECUED SHRIMP ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Barbecued shrimp isn’t barbecue, actually. You make it in a skillet on the stove, in a sauce that is mostly butter and black pepper, which isn’t even close to American barbecue sauce. Barbecued chicken isn’t barbecue, either — well, not technically. Instead of surrounding it with lower, indirect heat, you cook it on the grill, with the lid up, with direct heat on the bottom. The sauce, at least, is barbecue. You can baste the chicken with sauce or add it at the end.

SMOKED PAPRIK A ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Smoked paprika, also known as Spanish paprika — its real Spanish name is Pimentón De La Vera Dulce — is made by slowly smoking and drying pimentón peppers over an oak fire, then grinding them into a fine powder. This process imparts a deep smoky, spicy flavor and aroma, which is why smoked paprika is so popular for barbecue and marinades.

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Summer is in the air, and so are the aromas of barbecue, grilling and smoking. The weather is ideal for cooking and dining alfresco — on the patio, in the backyard, or around the pool. crackers and tortilla culture come into play) and parts of the Appalachian South (where cornbread variations rule supreme), white bread is the undisputed King of Barbecue Baked Goods. - P. Johnson, Rouses Magazine, March-April 2017. Read more at www.rouses.com.

ust so we are all on the same page, grilling is fast food — burgers, steaks, wieners, sausages, vegetables, and yes, sometimes fruit.

Barbecue is slow food — cooked gently on a grill frame over a wood or charcoal fire. When I was a youngster, our family barbecued chicken halves just about every weekend during the summer, but pork is the king of barbecue in other Southern states — except in Texas, where beef reigns.

Pork is one non-debatable component and is a cherished heritage of the South. Cooking styles, serving methods, side dishes and sauces show differences throughout the Southern states and cities.

juice, hot sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper and ground black pepper. The side is usually a slaw that contains no mayonnaise, but is instead dressed with vinegar and ketchup.

In Memphis, the choice of meat is pork, usually in the form of ribs or pulled pork sandwiches. The meat is usually seasoned with a dry rub, and if there is a sauce, it’s typically red, sweet and tangy. In Eastern North Carolina, you will likely be offered shredded pork from a whole hog cooked over a wood fire and served with a vinegar-based sauce.

In South Carolina, you’ll find what is known as “Pee Dee” barbecue, named after its home region in the northeastern part of the state. Pee Dee is most often a whole hog cooked in an open pit over hardwood coals, skin-side up and mopped with a tangy, spicy, vinegar-based sauce. The meat is “pulled” from the hog and served with white bread, coleslaw and beans.

A pork shoulder is the choice for barbecue pit masters in Western North Carolina, where the meat is chopped rather than pulled. The standard sauce is a base of ketchup and vinegar, sweetened with apple

Around the state’s capital city of Columbia, you’ll find a yellow mustardbased sauce. Usually, the choice of meat is shoulder and, more often than not, served with hash and rice.

Some claim Kansas City “Barbecue Capital of the World,” or at least the United States, and you’ll find pork and beef seasoned with a dry rub and cooked long and slow. The sauce is usually composed of brown sugar, ketchup and molasses, and the side is typically French fries. Texas barbecue usually offers beef brisket that is cooked long and slow, and uses dry rub, and if there is a sauce, it’s flavored with chili powder, hot sauce and cumin. Pitmasters use oak, hickory and mesquite for their fires. And in Alabama, they have a variety of barbecues, but their favorite is barbecued chicken brushed with a white sauce made of mayonnaise, black pepper and vinegar.

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO W W W. R O U S E S . C O M 3 3

PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

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Something for the Corn-ivores By Susan Langenhennig Granger Corn is the bedrock of Mexican cuisine — quite literally, in the case of tortillas — and it’s the foundational ingredient of many modern recipes that hail from far beyond the Mexican border. This summer, as you enjoy corn on the cob, corn bread or maque choux, give a nod of appreciation for the work of the Indigenous people who lived in Southern Mexico at least 7,000 years ago. They were the ones who first cultivated and bred teosinte (pronounced “tA-O-´sin-tE”), a grassy early ancestor of modern-day corn.

eosinte was a far cry from the sweet cobs that we know and love. “A teosinte ear is only two to three inches long, with five to 12 kernels — compare that to corn’s 12-inch ear that boasts 500 or more kernels,” wrote the National Science Foundation about a study that traced “corn ancestry from ancient grass to modern crop.” Today, that crop is agriculture’s MVV: most versatile vegetable. (Technically, corn is classified by botanists as a fruit, though it’s often considered a grain — but we’ll get into that in a minute.) In the summer, when there’s a bounty of fresh, sweet corn at Rouses Markets across the Gulf Coast, it’s the perfect time to appreciate the versatility of this golden star of the culinary world. And Mexico is where it all began, and it’s the source from which some of the best corn recipes still emanate. “It’s impossible to overstate the reverence with which maize is regarded in Mexico: it is the cornerstone of the culture,” writes James Oseland in his acclaimed cookbook, World Food: Mexico City: Heritage Recipes for Classic Home Cooking. Hugo Montero, a Mexico City native and owner of the popular New Orleans restaurant Casa Borrega, takes it even a step further: “Corn is the god of food in Mexico. It’s everything.” THE TASTE OF SUMMER On summer evenings in Mexico City, food carts draw a crowd. Many are serving elote, a traditional corn on the cob smothered in a mix of chili, butter, mayonnaise, crema, cotija cheese and a squeeze of lime. While

each vendor follows a similar script, there’s plenty of room for improv. Some cooks grill the cobs; others boil them. All get slathered with a variety of toppings. “Every single night, you see the little carts; everybody has their own style,” Montero said. “But the corn has to be a little bit smoky; you want a little char on it.” Making Mexican street corn is “wildly easy to do. It’s very fast and very delicious,” said Chef Fredo Nogueira, a New Orleans native of Cuban descent who has eaten his way across Mexico, learning about the cuisine. At his restaurant Vals in Uptown New Orleans, which serves Latin American fare, tacos, salsas and ceviche take center stage. Also on the menu: an absolutely addictive version of elote. And like those street carts, Nogueira puts his own spin on it. “Our elote is not incredibly traditional; there is the same flavor profile, but we don’t grill ours,” he said. “We throw the whole thing in the deep fryer. It’s our unique take on it.” Nogueira spent many years working in restaurants in Chicago, a city with one of the largest populations of Mexican immigrants in the United States. Elote vendors can be found there, too. “In the Midwest, there’s a lot of corn,” he joked. For his elote, the corn is fried, then tossed in butter, chipotle mayo, cotija cheese and Nogueira’s version of Tajín, a spice mix of ancho chili powder and citric acid. For the home cook who wants to make elote, Nogueira and Montero both recommend grilling the cobs. “Get all the silk off,” Nogueira said, then lightly oil the cobs and grill them. “Take your time to make sure you’re getting good caramelization all around. When it’s done, apply butter

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liberally to it, keep rolling it. For tanginess, I make a garlicky aioli, then add cotija or a cotija-like cheese, fresh-squeezed lime juice and ancho chili powder.”

TO BE CONTINUED... ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Get the rest of the story from Juan, Fredo and Marc in a special Louisiana Eats! podcast hosted and produced by Poppy Tooker. Louisiana Eats! is broadcast weekly on NPR affiliates throughout the Gulf South and is available worldwide as a podcast. (Rouses Markets is a sponsor.) Follow or listen at www.poppytooker.com, and stay tuned for more exclusive Louisiana Eats! episodes that continue the conversations from our magazine.

Cotija is a firm, white, cow’s milk cheese that doesn’t melt because of its high rennet content, according to Diana Kennedy, an authority on Mexican cooking who has written nine books on the cuisine. Cotija, which is available in the specialty cheese area at many Rouses Markets, adds a uniquely salty flavor similar to feta cheese. Although it's traditionally a street food, elote — or at least American versions inspired by Mexican corn on the cob — has been popping up on more and more restaurant menus across the Gulf Coast over the past decade, from Playa at Sportsman Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, to Vals and Casa Borrega in New Orleans. Casa Borrega was one of the first places in New Orleans to serve it. “Now elote is the new queso,” Montero jokes. For those making it at home, he offers this advice: Leave the corn cobs at room temperature for two hours or so after you come home from the grocery store. You can shuck the corn, remove the silk and “then it goes on the open flame,” Montero said. For those who want to grill the corn in its husk, first soak the cobs in cold water for about 20 to 30 minutes. It will add moisture and reduce fire flare-ups on the grill.

ELOTE CORN ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT When I asked Fredo about elote corn, he immediately said, “It’s delicious! That is one thing we do our own take on at Vals. Traditionally, in Mexico you see street vendors with steamed carts serving corn doused in margarine, mayo, crème and Tajín – a mix of chilies and dried lime with cojita cheese. People just love that corn! It’s sweet. It’s salty. It’s crunchy — it’s all the things. I can’t take it off the menu. Even though corn is seasonal, we have to have it year-round at Vals. Fredo learned about elote from a woman he knew in Chicago. “You drive through fields and fields of corn. It’s so delicious picked fresh. Elote has been on every menu I’ve ever done!” “Punny” brother Juan (of course!) said, “People like it E-LOT-a!”

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“Be very aware,” Montero said. “You want it a little bit dark here and there.” AN EARFUL OF CORN FACTS Many folks think of corn as a vegetable, but it’s grown as a grain crop. Botanists classify it as a fruit. So, what gives? The scientific name is Zea mays, and it belongs to the Poaceae family. The United States grows mostly yellow corn, “while almost 90% of Mexico’s corn is white,” according to the Mexico Institute of the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan policy forum for global issues. Corn is one of the most versatile of players in the agriculture world. It is used to make food for humans and livestock, sweetener in the form of corn syrup, fuel in the form of ethanol, bioplastics and a slew of household products, including shampoos, chewing gum, cosmetics — even crayons. The crop grown for animal feed and other products

is known as field corn, while the corn we eat is sweet corn. On the Gulf Coast, the late spring and early summer are when sweet corn lives up to its name. The kernels are tender and burst with flavor. So, fire up the grill for a batch of backyard elote, and invite some friends over for a perfect taste of the season.

CHEF FREDO NOGUEIRA’S ELOTE Makes 10 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 10 ears corn on the cob, husks and silks removed ½ cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola) 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup aioli (recipe to follow) ½ cup cotija or parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons Tajín or ancho chili powder ½ lime ½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped Salt and pepper to taste HOW TO PREP: Brush the corn on the cob with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the cobs over low to medium heat until caramelized all over, approximately 12-15 minutes, rotating frequently. Check them frequently and be cautious of flare-ups. Remove cobs from grill. Roll each cob in butter, and top with aioli, cheese, tajín, and salt and pepper to taste. Sqeeze lime over corn cobs, and sprinkle them with cilantro. Serve warm.

AIOLI Makes 2 cups

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 3 egg yolks 2 cloves of garlic 2 lemons, juiced (about ¼ cup) 1½ cups grapeseed oil HOW TO PREP: Put egg yolks, garlic and lemon juice in food processor. Process on high. Once garlic is fully puréed, drizzle in oil very slowly until, while processing, fully emulsified. Season with salt to taste.

Block Party By Poppy Tooker Is it in New Orleans’ water or is it in the air — that magical elixir that makes local friendships lifelong? Crescent City childhood chums may weave in and out of neighborhoods as they navigate life, but those treasured relationships endure.

he Ardoins and Nogueiras were neighbors on Hazel Drive, a quiet River Ridge street situated just off the Mississippi River levee. Marc Ardoin, eldest of the three Ardoin offspring, remembers when the boys moved in next door. “I’ve known them since they were in diapers,” he laughed, referring to Fredo and Juan Nogueira.

PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES

Despite cultural differences between the Cuban and American families, Maria Nogueira and Charlene Ardoin became fast friends, swapping Tupperware containers filled with foods unfamiliar to each. “You could smell what was going on next door,” Marc said. “We made red beans, but Mrs. Maria made black beans, fried roast pork and croquetas!” In turn, Charlene shared the secrets of her Beef Continental and meatloaf, which are family favorites (see www.rouses. com for the recipe). The deepest elements of New Orleans culture all came into play on Hazel Drive. Marc’s drum set was a big draw, but Fredo and Juan’s mom Maria was an accomplished guitarist before fleeing Cuba. She led many a family sing-along with the boys accompanying her on guitar. Fredo taught himself to play on his mom’s “big clunky instrument,” but Juan learned to play piano. When 14-year-old Fredo asked for an electric guitar, Maria said, “Get a job!” She helped him find that first job, dishwashing at a nearby restaurant. “I loved the experience from the start,” Fredo said. In typical New Orleans fashion, there was no doubt where the three would head for high school and college. At an Ardoin family New Year’s Eve party, Marc’s dad Nelson asked where Juan wanted to go to school. “He was very adamant,” Juan recalled. ”You gotta go to Rummel and LSU. There really is no other option.” Both Nelson Ardoin and

Then and now: Marc Ardoin, Fredo Nogueiras and Juan Nogueiras

Juan Nogueira, Sr., were military men, so their sons knew to follow orders. Marc Ardoin followed his dad’s marching orders to LSU, but quickly discovered that college wasn’t for him. Instead, the action and excitement of Semolina’s open kitchen beckoned. He pursued his passion and graduated from Delgado’s culinary school. Eleven years ago, Rouse Markets hired Marc as a prepared foods department manager, but he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the corporate chef. While in his 20s, Fredo followed fellow New Orleans musician and friend, Josh Eustis, to Chicago, intent on becoming part of the music scene there. The roommates lived in a loft that doubled as a recording

studio complete with a console, mics and guitars. In Chicago, Fredo experienced enough success to wonder, “Wow … could I possibly do this for a living?” Playing guitar or pedal steel, in genres from “slightly country to electronic,” he toured the world and recorded with several groups. Fredo’s musical career ebbed and flowed, but restaurant work was always steady. He supplemented his musician’s income with bartending, and he hosted pop ups showcasing his cooking. When friends invited him to be chef at their new cocktail bar, “I told them, I’m not a professional chef, but I can do New Orleans food.” The clientele loved the results — and the press was quite complimentary. Ultimately Fredo W W W. R O U S E S . C O M 3 7

was named Up & Coming Young Chef of Chicago. “I kept saying, ‘I’m not a chef. I’m actually a musician.’ But no one seemed to care,” he grinned. Little brother Juan followed Fredo through a variety of restaurants. “I worked for 15 years as a busboy, but never got higher up the ladder,” Juan admitted. His genius is in marketing. Since graduating from LSU — Juan, it turns out, was the only one who followed his dad’s orders — he has pursued that passion at WDSU-TV. “Rouses Markets is a key partner for us,” Juan said. “I’ve contributed to some really fun campaigns, like the current Feels Like Home campaign, and those are my hands in the crab commercial on the air right now. We do a lot of work at the Rouses Markets store in the Warehouse District, and I love to get lunch from the hot line, but currently, I'm stuck on the finger sandwiches.” Knowing that many Rouses Markets employees were musicians, Marcy Nathan, the creative director for Rouses Markets and editor of this magazine, assembled Makin’ Groceries, the company’s house band. The entire Rouses Marketing Department worked together to write the band’s first song, “Shopping Rouses Whiskey Wonderland,” with the help of childhood neighbors, drummer Marc Ardoin and pianist Juan Nogueira. Marc starred in the rollicking commercial and music video, alongside other Rouses Markets musicians. Juan, the fifth Beatle, got kicked out of the band about a week in. “One minute we are laying down the track with composer Donny Markowitz, who has an Oscar for Dirty Dancing. Next thing we knew, it’s five o’clock in the morning and we’re at the Power Boulevard store making a commercial with Jason Villemarette and Fire on the Bayou, and Santa Claus is dancing around in the aisles,” Marc laughed. Chef Fredo returned to New Orleans to work at CureCo. bar and restaurant group, setting the menu for both Cure and Cane & Table. Most recently, Chef Fredo and CureCo. opened Vals on Freret Street, where Fredo is chef/partner. Shortly after the restaurant’s opening to rave reviews, he spotted his old friend Marc sporting a hard hat across Freret Street from Vals.“Hey man, what are you doing?” Fredo called out. “Looks like we’re going to be neighbors again,” Marc smiled. Today, Marc Ardoin is the store director of Rouses Freret Street location. He and Fredo see each other almost every day. “I see him out there mowing the grass, and it’s just like when we were kids. And I run across the street regularly to pick up some special ingredient there. They always have what I need,” Fredo said. The Nogueira brothers talk daily, too, with Juan calling Fredo offering motivational puns designed to pump him up for the day. “What’s the best way to sharpen a chef’s knife?” he’ll ask me. “To grind! Are you ready to grind today?” But for the three childhood buddies, it’s never a grind. Not when you’re doing the work you love alongside lifelong friends like Marc, Fredo and Juan.

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HOW TO CUT PINEAPPLES IN RINGS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple. Cut at least 1/2-inch and no more than 1 inch from each end. Place the pineapple on one of its flat ends on a cutting board. Carefully trim the thick fibrous skin, starting from the top to the bottom. Cut around the pineapple, following the natural curve of the fruit until all of the skin and most of the dark eyes are removed. Use a paring knife to cut out any remaining remnants of the skin. Cut pineapple into 1-inch slices. Use a small round cookie or biscuit cutter to remove the core.

HOW TO GRILL PINEAPPLE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Prepare a hot or medium-hot grill. Cut ends off pineapple. Quarter lengthwise, peel and core. Brush pineapple wedges lightly with butter or oil and place on grill. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, basting with the syrup, until you see grill marks and the pineapple is lightly colored.

HOW TO GRILL PEACHES ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Heat a gas grill to medium. If you are cooking on a charcoal grill, wait until the fire has died down to medium-low heat. Cut the peaches along their seams, all the way around, and twist their halves off their pits. Brush the cut sides of the peaches with olive oil and grill, cut side down until the fruit has developed grill marks and started to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes.

HOW TO GRILL WATERMELON ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Prepare a medium-hot grill. Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to brush watermelon slices lightly. Grill for about 3 minutes per side or until charred. Remove from heat and dice.

WATERMELON SEASON ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Watermelon season is year-round, but May through September is the sweetest time to buy. That’s when production hits peak here in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and in the top watermelon-growing states, California, Georgia, Florida and Texas.

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR BURGER? THE PERFECT R ATIO OF FAT TO LEAN FOR YOUR BURGER ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Rare, medium, well-done, or somewhere in between? Your answer will determine the burger blend you want. If you like a rare or medium-rare burger, choose a leaner grind, like sirloin — sirloin is about 93% lean by weight (we refer to that as 90% lean/10% fat on the package) — or our 93% or 96% lean ground beef, because the cooking process is so fast that most of the fat in the meat doesn’t have time to melt. We also offer Great Range premium ground bison with a 90/10 ratio. It is lower in calories and cholesterol than beef, too, but still high in flavor. A medium to medium-well burger is good with slightly fattier ground beef because the longer cooking time renders the fat down. You can go with ground round, which is 85% lean, or chuck, which is 80% lean and full of flavor. Medium-well can be a little too dry for burgers, and that extra 5% fat you get with ground chuck gives your burger a great texture. We also offer premium grass-fed ground beef, which is 85% to 90% lean. A well-done burger has most of the fat cooked out of it, so start with an even fattier grind, like 73% lean, to keep the burger from being dry. And add an extra ounce to the patty — a fattier burger will shrink a little more when you cook it.

CREOLES & LOCAL TOMATOES ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Creole tomatoes are grown in the fertile fields of the southeastern part of Louisiana, particularly in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. The unique river soils and warm climate of these parishes produce sugar-sweet tomatoes with an exceptionally intense “tomatoey” flavor. Ours come from farmers Matt Ranatza and Joey Liuzza. Creole tomatoes get most of the press — and their own festival — but a variety of tomatoes are grown here on the Gulf Coast. Tomatoes usually hit their peak during the hottest days of summer.

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

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Burger Basics

Use freshly ground beef. Get the right fat content: 80% lean/20% fat ground chuck is the ideal blend for most burgers. Keep ground beef in the refrigerator until you are ready to form into patties. Don’t overwork the raw meat too much, or your burger will be dry and tough. With cold hands, gently roll the meat into a ball, then squish it into a patty. Don’t salt the meat until you are ready to cook. Salt draws out moisture. On average, use 5 ounces of ground chuck for thin, crispy burgers; and 8 ounces for thicker, pub-style burgers. If you make your patties ahead of time, keep them on a tray or platter, covered, and bring them up to room temperature before cooking. Make a small, shallow thumbprint in the middle of the patty before cooking. This will help keep the burger from puffing up as it cooks. Make sure the grill, skillet or flat top is very hot — the hotter the better. That’s the only way you will get that char and crust on the burger. Only flip the burger once, and don’t squish down on it during cooking or you’ll lose all the juices. Remember to let burgers stand for a few minutes when they come off the grill.

SMASH BURGER Makes 4 servings Direct contact with the hot griddle or cast iron creates more opportunity for browning, which means more flavor on the outside. Smashed burgers cook very quickly, so they stay nice and juicy.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1½ pounds ground beef, 80/20 lean 4 slices American cheese 4 white or brioche hamburger buns Condiments, to dress burgers Lettuce 4 slices tomato HOW TO PREP: Divide beef into 8 balls about 2 inches in diameter. Bring a cast-iron skillet or grill to medium-high heat. Once the skillet or grill is hot, lightly brush the surface with oil. Place beef balls directly on the hot surface. Using a large metal spatula or burger press, smash each ball into a ¼-inch-thick patty. Liberally season the patties with salt and pepper, and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Flip the patties, season again with salt and pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes. In the last 30 seconds, top each patty with a slice of cheese. Meanwhile, lightly coat the inside of the buns with butter, and toast in the skillet or on the grill until golden brown. Build burgers with preferred condiments on bottom bun followed by lettuce, tomato, two burgers and the top bun.

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Gourmet Burger Blends ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Our gourmet burger blends include our signature Bayou Boy Burger with jalapeño cheddar cheese and bacon, and Green Onion Sausage and Bacon Burger, made with our fresh green onion pork sausage. You can also make your own burger blend by mixing 50/50 ground meat and any of our fresh pork sausages. We make them in-house with Rouse Family Recipes that go back three generations.

Alternatives to Beef

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Butterball turkey burgers might just replace your favorite beef burgers. We carry Butterball fresh, all-natural lean ground turkey, frozen lean ground turkey, and fresh and seasoned frozen turkey burgers. Butterball ground turkey is generally lower in saturated fat than beef, but still cooks up nice and juicy.

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ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Mighty Spark blends wholefood ingredients with premium cuts of poultry. And with every purchase of Mighty Spark all-natural chicken or turkey patties, you are helping to stop hunger worldwide. Mighty Sparks donates one meal for every package purchased, with the monetary equivalent of a minimum of 1 million meals annually.

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT We carry a variety of vegetarian options, including Impossible and Beyond Meat, which are plantbased patties and ground that cook just like beef. Impossible gets its protein from soy and potatoes. Fat from coconut and sunflower oils make it sizzle when you cook it, just like a beef burger.

ROW 1: Rouses Bakery Ciabatta Bun / Rouses Bakery Kaiser Roll / Rouses Sliced Sandwich Bread ROW 2: Martin’s Potato Roll / King’s Hawaiian Hamburger Buns / Pepperidge Farm Sesame Buns ROW 3: Rouses Brioche Hamburger Buns / Dave's Killer 21 Whole Grains & Seeds Organic Burger Buns / SOLA Low Carb Hamburger Buns ROW 4: Pepperidge Farm Whole Wheat Buns / King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Bun / Pepperidge Farm Soft White Buns PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO W W W. R O U S E S . C O M 4 5

ELVIS BURGER Makes 4 servings Terrapin Ridge Farms Hot Pepper Bacon Jam is a sweet and savory combination of real bacon, roasted red peppers and jalapeño peppers.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 12 slices bacon 1 Vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced Salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 11/2 pounds 80% lean ground beef, shaped into 43/4-inch patties 4 toasted buns, for serving (we used Dave's Killer 21 Whole Grains and Seeds Organic Burger Buns) 4 tablespoons peanut butter 4 teaspoons Terrapin Ridge Farms Hot Pepper Bacon Jam HOW TO PREP: Cook bacon in a large cast-iron skillet (at least 10 inches) over medium heat until bacon is completely crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and set aside. Add onions to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; transfer cooked onions to a bowl and set aside. Season the burger patties with salt and pepper. Add burger patties to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until they are well-crusted and the center of each burger registers 125°F for medium-rare or 135°F for medium on an instant-read thermometer. Spread the peanut butter on the top and bottom halves of the buns. Smear the bottom bun with bacon jam. Next, add the patties on top of the bacon jam, then top the burgers with the crispy bacon and grilled onions. Serve with plantain chips. 4 6 R O U S E S S U M M E R 20 22

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

THE ELVIS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The fried Elvis sandwich is a hunka-hunka burning love: two pieces of bread, spread thick with creamy peanut butter, sliced or mashed banana, and sometimes topped with bacon. We made an Elvis Burger in honor of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It was glorious: two beef patties dressed with creamy peanut butter and bacon jam, served with fried plantains. Before you turn up your nose, peanut butter and beef is not as weird as it sounds. Peanuts are often used in savory dishes, and peanut sauce frequently accompanies Asian beef dishes — think Thai beef satay, which is seasoned, skewered and grilled meat with peanut sauce. The nutty flavor of the peanut butter brings out the meatiness of the beef.

ELVIS IS IN THE BUILDING ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT “People can’t help falling in love with the Elvis statue at our Power Boulevard store in Metairie. Everyone stops to take his picture or get a selfie. Right now, he’s in our Produce Department, but he tours the store.” – Kyle Zito, Store Director

Spread the Word By Sarah Baird There are few sandwich-adjacent questions more polarizing than whether you’re a crunchy peanut butter person or someone who prefers the smooth stylings of creamy—you’re either one or the other. After all, most modern Americans have been developing an opinion on the issue since they were little kids, mashing it into celery sticks during snack time or swirling it around with sticky-sweet jam as a go-to sack lunch. Peanut butter is so deeply rooted in popular culture and the country’s agricultural history that it’s easy to take for granted just how versatile and downright decadent it is as a treat. Teaming up with chocolate? Peanut butter can do that. Making the perfect savory sauce for chicken satay? Yep, it can do that, too.

nd while the range of nut butters on shelves today seems to be ever-expanding and diversifying, few can match the humble peanut’s truly ancient history.

“How long have peanuts been cultivated?” Jon Krampner asks in his book, Creamy and Crunchy: An Informal History of Peanut Butter, the All-American Food. “They were found at a 3,800-year-old archaeological site in Peru, and domesticated peanuts are known from Peruvian excavations of 3,000 to 2,000 B.C.E., although cultivation probably began much earlier. Almost 3,000 years ago, South American Indians ground peanuts into a sticky paste. It was not as spreadable as modern peanut butter and was mixed with cocoa. Peanuts have been a part of West African cuisine for 500 years... [where they] ground roasted peanuts with a roller until they achieved a grainy consistency like the filling in peanut butter cups, then mixed in honey and red pepper.” And while Incans were making peanutshaped pottery in tribute to the legume as early as 1500 B.C.E., its esteemed role in American life as the spreadable, jack-ofall-trades ingredient it is today began in the

mid-19th Century. Considered labor-intensive and challenging to cultivate throughout the 1700s and typically grown only for peanut oil or livestock feed (read: not human consumption), peanut butter found its way into the day-to-day snacking rotation of the American South after the Civil War, when a prototype peanut butter was made from peanuts that were shelled, roasted and then “chopped, ground or beaten into a paste in a cloth bag and eaten with salt,” according to Krampner. This rudimentary version of the spread was praised for its levels of power-packed protein and—bonus!—it was relatively inexpensive and simple to create. Peanut butter as we know it today was dreamed up by eccentric cereal guru and nutritionist Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yes, that Kellogg’s) in 1895 as a way to feed elderly patients with poor dental hygiene at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. The health food paste made its official debut in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair. Despite conflicting accounts about whether this version actually tasted good, there was no denying it was a hit with the curious, hungry masses. Fueled by frugality, the peanut-butter-as-superfood marketing trend would crystalize during the early 20th century when Americans went, ahem, nutty for peanut butter as part of “meatless Monday” rationing during World War I. One 1908 ad from a now-defunct peanut butter company even went so far as to claim that “just 10 cents’ worth of peanuts contain six times the energy of a porterhouse steak.” In truth, peanut butter might not be Popeye-eating-a-can-of-spinach levels of muscle-fueling, but by the 1920s, it was already on the path to ubiquity. Crosscountry shipping, shelf-stable storage and

easy spreadability (no stirring required!) were made possible when partial hydrogenation technology was applied to the creamy concoction, followed by the advent of the wide-mouth lid and, finally, the arrival of crunchy peanut butter on the scene in the 1930s. (What can I say? I’m Team Crunchy.) Today, the innovations in peanut butter technology continue apace, with squeezable pouches developed in 2020 for even greater on-the-go eating ease. The National Peanut Board reports that peanut butter is eaten in nearly 90% of American households. And who can blame us? Whether you’re a creamy or a crunchy, like to dress it up decadently like Elvis or simply spread it on a saltine cracker, peanut butter is something we can (mostly) all agree on.

PB&J BACON BURGER ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT You can order a PB&J Bacon Burger at Our Mom’s Restaurant and Bar in either Hammond or Baton Rouge. It’s a thick 8-ounce patty, topped with two strips of crispy bacon served on a sourdough bun dressed with creamy peanut butter and grape jelly. Image courtesy Mom's Restaurant and Bar.

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ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT A patty melt is said to have started at the Hollywood drive-in Tiny Naylor’s, built in 1949. Variations include the diner-style patty melt, which is like a grilled cheese sandwich with a hamburger and griddled onions inside. We used sourdough bread, and both Swiss and cheddar cheese on this one.

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MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH

PATTY MELT

I think of a patty melt as a cross between a hamburger and a grilled cheese sandwich. The hamburger patty can be cooked on a griddle, grill or cast-iron skillet. The onions must be caramelized — this is a very important part of the sandwich. Rather than a hamburger bun, sliced rye bread is used. Swiss is the traditional type of cheese, but you can use cheddar, smoked Gouda, or whatever tickles your taste buds.

Makes 4 servings

To assemble a patty melt, simply put together: Slice of rye bread Slice of cheese Hamburger patty Caramelized onions Another slice of cheese Another slice of rye bread I like to spread the bread with a little mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, but you can use only yellow mustard if that’s your preference. I am particular about the caramelized onions, though, and this is the method I recommend for making them beautifully sweet and deep golden brown. I learned this from a Bon Appetit piece several years ago, and find it to be the best technique. Before you get started, these are my pro-tips: 1. Use a large sauté pan rather than a skillet. The difference between a sauté pan and a skillet is a subtle but important one, and it all comes down to shape. A sauté pan, from the French verb meaning “to jump” (sauter) has a wide flat bottom, and relatively tall, vertical sides. A skillet, on the other hand, has sides that flare outward at an angle. By using a large sauté pan, you have a wide base to allow the onions to cook without crowding so the liquid that is released can easily evaporate. 2. Slice the onions along their natural grain. When you cut end to end, or with the grain, you cause less damage and release fewer compounds than when you slice through the middle. Slicing through the middle, or against the grain, causes a greater disruption and leaves you with a stronger, more pungent taste. Also, remove the root end before you begin slicing. - Marcelle Bienvenu

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced Salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1½ pounds ground beef, preferably 80/20 8 slices sourdough bread 4 slices Swiss cheese 4 slices cheddar cheese HOW TO PREP: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet set over high heat. Add the sliced onions and stir them gently to coat with butter. Cook the onions over high heat, checking on them every 5 minutes. Stir the onions and scrape up any fond that forms on the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the onions are fully caramelized, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove onions to a bowl; set aside. Gently divide and shape the ground beef into 4 thin patties, roughly the shape of a slice of bread. Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining butter to the skillet in which you cooked the onions and increase the heat to high. Place the patties in the skillet with space between them, and allow them to cook, without moving, for approximately 2 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the patties over and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, then remove the patties from the skillet and allow them to rest. Decrease the heat to medium. Place four slices of sourdough bread into the fat that remains from cooking the patties. Top each piece with a slice of Swiss cheese, then a patty, then some caramelized onions, then a slice of cheddar cheese, and cover with another slice of sourdough. Use the spatula to press down on the sandwiches, then carefully turn over each sandwich to brown the other side. Cook until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown and crisp on both sides. Slice the sandwiches in half before serving.

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“This is how a peach should taste.” – Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

GRILLED BANANA SPLIT Makes 6 servings

GRILLED POUND CAKE WITH PEACHES Makes 6 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 3 tablespoons butter, softened 6 slices pound cake (about 1-inch thick) 3 firm-ripe peaches, halved and pitted Vanilla ice cream Caramel sauce HOW TO PREP: Preheat a grill to medium heat, ensuring the grates are very clean. Spread butter over both sides of each cake slice. Grill, uncovered, over indirect medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until light golden brown. Grill peaches, cut sides down, until softened slightly and caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve each slice of pound cake with half a peach; top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

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LORI ANNE PEACHES ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Lori Anne peaches are freestone peaches grown in the sunny fields of Titan Farms in Ridge Spring, South Carolina. Freestone refers to peaches with flesh that’s easily removed from the pit (clingstone peaches have flesh that clings to the pit). Lori Anne peaches are left on trees to ripen much longer, then handpicked directly into small totes rather than machine-harvested into huge bins. We get fresh deliveries throughout the week — the Lori Anne peaches you see in our stores today were still on trees just days ago. Lori Anne peaches have been a Rouses Markets exclusive for years and our number one summer peach. If you like a firm peach, store in a bin at the bottom of the refrigerator. For softer peaches, leave them at room temperature.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 6 firm, ripe bananas 1 pound bag mini marshmallows 1 pound bag chocolate chips Vanilla ice cream HOW TO PREP: Preheat a grill to medium heat, and lightly oil the grill grate. Cut the stem off each banana. Use a sharp knife to split the banana peel along the side of the banana (lengthwise), starting about ¼ inch from the top of the banana and ending ¼ inch from the bottom. Once you have made the cut, slightly push in on both ends to open up the center of the banana and make a little “boat” out of it. Stuff the boat with as many marshmallows and chocolate chips as will fit. Wrap each individual stuffed banana in foil. Set the wrapped bananas directly on the coals, and let cook for five minutes. Carefully remove hot packets from coals, and open the foil. Top with vanilla ice cream just before serving.

A Fresh Take on Grilling By David W. Brown “Everyone in my family likes to cook,” says Donny Rouse, the third-generation CEO of Rouses Markets. “Myself, my wife, my kids, my dad, my uncles and their grandkids — when the weather is right, we are outside cooking and enjoying the weather.”

wo of his specialties are grilled fruit and vegetables, something he says is especially great by the pool or when they’re out boating. “Whenever it’s hot, pineapple, watermelon and peaches are great on the grill.” They work equally well on charcoal or gas grills. “I use them all,” Donny laughs, and says when time is short, the gas grill is great. His preference is charcoal, but every type of backyard stove, he says, “has some unique thing to offer, and will each impart its own special flavor.”

When it comes to pineapple or watermelon, the best part is that no seasoning or prep is needed. “Cut them up and drop them on the grill and keep rolling with it until they crisp up a little.” He also has a recipe — famous in his family — that’s easy to make and easier to enjoy. Its name is “grilled peaches on grilled pound cake with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce,” and you’ll never guess the ingredients. “You just have to get a Sara Lee Pound Cake in the freezer section, and slice it into servings that are a half-inch thick,” he says. Next: Slather both sides of each slice with butter. “You’re going to grill it — heated up and a little toasted.” Next, go for the peaches. “Cut them in half, pull the pit out, drop them on the grill and get them warmed up. That’s going to pull the sugar out, get them a little caramelized,” he says. You’re eyeballing this one, but when they look ready, pull them from the grill and put them on the pound cake. Serve the dish with a scoop of your favorite Rouses Vanilla Ice Cream, and drizzle the whole thing with a caramel topping such as Smucker’s or Hershey’s. “It’s delicious. The pound cake by itself is amazing with all that extra butter on it!”

vegetable kabobs that are pre-skewered and easy to grill.

At the end of the evening, if you have a little ice cream left over, and the embers on the grill still have some life in them, grab some aluminum foil, a couple of bananas, a bag of chocolate chips and some marshmallows. Split the banana peel along the side, long enough that you can make a little boat out of it. Stuff it with as many marshmallows and chocolate chips as will fit in there. Wrap the whole thing loosely with foil, and set the wrapped bananas directly on the coals. Five minutes later, remove them, open the foil, and behold the melty banana split goodness. Top them with vanilla ice cream, and dig in with a spoon. You can throw the whole bundle away afterward for easy cleanup. Fruit kabobs are another easy, healthy option for grilling — and for giving the kids something to do. Peaches, plums, bananas, strawberries and watermelon work best, but be creative. Chop them into chunks, and give them to the little ones to skewer in whatever order they like. Then place the kabobs carefully onto the grill, giving them about five minutes. Remove them from the grill and drizzle them with honey. Put them back on the grill, flipping them over to the other side. Five more minutes, and they should have a nice texture and be ready for plating (and eating). You can also make vegetable kabobs in the same way. If you don’t want to spend the time washing and chopping a halfdozen vegetables, though, Rouses sells

“The vegetable shish kabobs we sell in the in produce department are made, typically, with bell pepper, squash, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes,” says Donny. “Before you grill them, cover them in Worcestershire sauce, season them with salt and pepper, then put them on the grill.” Let them cook for about six minutes, turning them every minute or two. Other winning veggies on the barbie include asparagus and Brussels sprouts. In the case of each, after about five minutes they should be browned and ready to pull from the heat. “Put a little crumbled bacon on them, some parmesan cheese — you’ll love it.” Nothing brings family together like food, says Donny. “I spent my entire life cooking. My grandparents on both sides cooked all the time. It was part of my life when I was growing up, watching them do that.” Every weekend he spent at the camp with his dad, it was the same way. They were always cooking. “It’s something that is a great part of my life. I cook dinner every night for my family, and a couple days a week, when I’m there in the mornings, I cook breakfast for the kids before school when they’re ready to eat.” The evening, he says, is a particularly great time to spend in the company of family. “I’m never in the kitchen by myself,” he says. “My wife and kids are always hanging out with me. My wife and I like to drink a little wine while we cook, and it’s a great way to enjoy life versus the kids just watching TV or playing on iPads. In the kitchen, you are really able to spend time with your family.” W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

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Just Peachy By Sarah Baird Of all the antiquated dessert trends in the history books — puddings of all shapes and sizes; candies made from sorghum and molasses; molded Jell-O as the height of sophistication — the one that’s just itching to make a comeback, in my opinion, is naming desserts after celebrities. What could be a better way to pay everlasting tribute to your favorite pop star or actress than by immortalizing them in namesake confectionary form? I can see it now: a one-of-akind Lady Gaga genoise, or maybe even a newfangled type of lava cake named after Jennifer Lopez.

f you’re looking for a velvety, refreshing treat to enjoy while dreaming up desserts worthy of our modern-day sirens, look no further than peach Melba — that classic combination of poached or fresh peach halves, vanilla ice cream and sweetened raspberry sauce — named after famed Victorian operatic soprano Nellie Melba.

Born just outside of Melbourne, Australia, in 1861, Helen “Nellie” Porter Mitchell was a gifted musician from a young age, performing for the first time in public at the age of eight and soon thereafter — upon being hailed as a musical prodigy by the local press — dedicating herself to a singing career. But an artist’s path is never that simple. After a series of professional dead-ends on her home continent and a particularly unfulfilling marriage, Nellie arrived in Europe, eventually making her way to Paris to study under the tutelage of famed German mezzosoprano Mathilde Marchesi. The growth and progress Nellie showed after being taken under Marchesi’s wing meant that she could finally make her operatic debut in an 1887 production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. It was a smashing success, but perhaps more importantly, she performed in the opera under a new stage name: Nellie Melba, a suggestion of Marchesi’s that paid homage to her home city of Melbourne. (And in case anyone was curious, yes, Melba toast was also named after the golden-throated soprano.)

By 1892, Nellie was a star in Europe, performing regularly at Covent Gardens in London. Before and after performances, she frequently dined at the Savoy Hotel, where legendary chef and restauranter Auguste Escoffier was busy codifying the very definition of “haute cuisine” and often naming dishes after his spotlight-loving regulars. (Other namesake dishes of Escoffier’s include fraises à la Sarah Bernhardt — strawberries with pineapple and Curaçao sorbet in honor of the French stage actress — and salad Réjane after beloved vaudeville legend Gabrielle Réjane.) The legend goes that Nellie sent Escoffier tickets to see her perform in Lohengrin, a Wagner opera that draws inspiration from the medieval tale of the swan knight: a mysterious rescuer who comes in a swandrawn boat to defend a damsel. During a post-opera celebratory party hosted by the Duke of Orléans at the Savoy Hotel, Escoffier served Nellie an ornated dessert comprised of fresh peaches served over vanilla ice cream in a silver timbale perched atop a swan carved from ice. He originally called the dish pecheau cygnet: “peach with a swan.” Some years later, when Escoffier and César Ritz opened the Ritz Carlton across town, the ever-enlightened chef decided to drizzle sweetened raspberry sauce atop the peach-and-vanilla ice cream combination, adding the perfect piece de resistance to the dessert. Around the same time, Escoffier officially christened it the peach Melba. “Much as Eve tasted the first apple, I tasted the first peach Melba,” Nellie wrote in her 1925 autobiography, Melodies and Memories. Peach Melba was a smashing success due, in large part, to Nellie Melba’s widespread popularity, gaining so much notoriety as a

“society” dessert that it is mentioned in Edith Wharton’s 1905 masterpiece, House of Mirth. In the (admittedly depressing) scene, the book’s protagonist Lily Bart begins to understand that her once-gilded place in high society is quickly unraveling during a particularly contentious dinner of uppercrust ladies who can’t decide on dessert. “It was over in a moment; the waiter, menu in hand, still hung on the choice between Coupe Jacques and Peche a la Melba, but Miss Bart, in the interval, had taken the measure of her fate,” Wharton writes. The dish’s notoriety around the turn of the 20th century also brought about quite a few copycat chefs across Europe who attempted to create their own spin on Escoffier’s juicy, creamy masterpiece. But the chef would entertain no spin-offs, riffs or deviations. “Pêche Melba is a simple dish made up of tender and very ripe peaches, vanilla ice cream and a purée of sugared raspberry,” he is noted as saying. “Any variation on this recipe ruins the delicate balance of its taste.” The only addition Escoffier would potentially allow was a sprinkling of fresh almond slivers across the top for a bit of nutty crunch. The ever-fussy Escoffier certainly wouldn’t have been thrilled to learn that decades later, at the beginning of Prohibition, United States government agents went undercover to the Emery Bird Thayer tearoom in Kansas City, Missouri to try and discern why the restaurant’s version of peach Melba was selling so well. The secret? The sneakily clever cafe had been making the dish so chock-full of liquor that it clocked in at a whopping 18.5% alcohol by volume. By the 1950s and ‘60s, peach Melba saw a dinner party revival among more adventurous home cooks, growing so fashionable as an after-meal treat that raspberry Melba sauce was commercially bottled and sold

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CALIFORNIA & NORTHWEST CHERRIES ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT California cherries are the season’s first cherries — the short California cherry season begins in mid-April and typically lasts into early June. Northwest cherry season lasts from the first week of June through the end of August. Look for deep, mahogany-red Bing cherries, which are firm and juicy. Large Rainier cherries are yellow with a red blush. And heart-shaped Sweetheart cherries are firm, with a mild sweet flavor.

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PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

in grocery stores. (Escoffier wouldn’t have been too happy about this expedient development, either.) And even though we might not be adding the likes of Nellie Melba to our playlists and mixtapes these days, the dessert she inspired is the sort of timeless gastronomic delight that has a place on generational tables long after its era of creation.

Cherry on Top By Sarah Baird Along the continuum of classic desserts, there exist very few varieties that fully embody dueling personality traits. On one end of the scale,

AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER’S PEACH MELBA

there are the desserts that thrive on

Makes 4-6 servings

and suspend culinary disbelief. Baked

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1½ cups water 1¾ cups sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 4 peaches 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Alaska is one of these dishes, with its

For the Raspberry Sauce: 1½ cups fresh raspberries 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar ½ tablespoons lemon juice HOW TO PREP: Combine water, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract into a large saucepan and heat on low until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Let cook at boiling for about 3 minutes and then turn back down to a simmer. Cut peaches in half. Place in the syrup and let poach for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Test doneness with a knife. When finished poaching, remove to a plate. For the raspberry sauce—combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until very smooth. Press through a mesh strainer and into a container. Assemble the dish by putting 1 peach half in a bowl along with a scoop of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce generously on top and serve immediately.

theatrics: those meant to wow a crowd

frozen-meets-fire, larger-than-life lore, and difficult-to-execute preparation, which requires just the right amount of insulating meringue to ensure the tricolored ice cream center stays frosty—even while baked. On the other end of the spectrum sits the breezy, simple-to-whip-up desserts that are foolproof and homey. No-bake cookies—a staple of elementary school fundraisers for their kid-friendliness and expediency—are a fine example. Beyond combining the peanut butter and a few other base ingredients in a bowl and forming bouncy ball-sized

an eye-popping flammable bit of showmanship, it quickly became a beloved fine-dining dessert trick for restauranters—and one that has all the illusion of difficulty. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, home cooks even began to try to create cherries jubilee for dinner parties. Individual silver timbales were replaced by flambeeing the boozed-up cherries in a single pan prior to serving. Vanilla ice cream also became a regular supporting cast member, turning the cherries jubilee into more of an ornate topping than the stand-alone delight the dish was originally intended to be. Plenty of additional tinkering with the cherries jubilee recipe soon followed with often disastrous results: adding too much citrus; switching out kirschwasser for crème de cassis; dumping in enough cornstarch to make a goopy pie filling. These unnecessary shifts and substitutions made the dish skew too complex, detracting from cherries jubilee’s original impressive straightforwardness. Cherries jubilee fell largely out of favor over the next several decades, relegated to yard sale cookbooks and labeled “kitsch” by chefs and diners alike…but not in a fun way. If you’re ready to lead the charge to make what’s old new again, return to a version of cherries jubilee that celebrates how the fruit itself can embrace both simplicity and drama—with a little help from a flame.

orbs, there’s literally nothing to it.

ut what if I told you there’s a dessert that brings soap opera levels of incendiary drama while also being so painless to make that you (probably) don’t even need a recipe? Behold: cherries jubilee.

Much like the peach Melba, cherries jubilee was created by acclaimed French chef and restaurant magician Auguste Escoffier, who dreamed up the dish as part of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1897 and was inspired by her deep, abiding love of cherries. The original recipe, which appears in Escoffier’s seminal work, Le Guide Culinaire, calls for pitted cherries to be poached in simple syrup and the syrup to be then thickened with arrowroot (the cornstarch of the day). The mixture is then placed in silver timbales (small, squat cups), covered in kirschwasser (a type of cherry brandy) and set aflame—voila!—for guests, tableside. (See, I told you: incendiary drama.) With fewer than five ingredients, and

AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER’S CHERRIES JUBILEE Makes 4-6 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 pound fresh (or thawed from frozen) sour cherries, pitted 1⁄2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1⁄2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved 1⁄4 cup kirsch or brandy Vanilla ice cream, for serving HOW TO PREP: Heat cherries, sugar, juice, and vanilla bean with seeds in a 12-inch skillet over mediumhigh heat, and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves in the cherries’ juices, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add kirsch; return to heat and ignite with a match. Using a spoon, baste cherries with liqueur and juices until the flame dies out. Spoon immediately into bowls of vanilla ice cream.

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PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

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SMOKY OLD FASHIONED Makes 1 cocktail You need a smoke infuser to make this drink. We used Breville’s Smoking Gun. Follow the instructions for use that come with the infuser.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 sugar cube Twist of orange peel Maraschino cherry 3 dashes Angostura bitters 1 teaspoon water 2 ounces Sazerac straight rye or bourbon HOW TO PREP: Place the sugar cube, orange peel and cherry in a rocks glass. Use the smoking gun to add smoke to the glass, then cover with a larger glass or glass pitcher. Repeat to add extra smokiness to the garnishes. Muddle the sugar with the bitters and water. Fill the glass with large ice cubes, add the bourbon and lightly stir to combine. Drop in the smoked garnishes. Smoke the glass for a third time for 2 minutes to fully infuse the smoky flavor and make for a flashy presentation.

SMOKY BOURBON ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Bourbon is typically sweet — that’s because of the caramelized sugars, but it’s also a bit smoky, thanks to the way it is aged. Bourbon, by law, must be aged in charred, new, American oak barrels, which add a smoky flavor to the spirit. Some bourbons are aged for many years — for example, Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey is aged for no less than ten years, while others are aged only a few months. Bourbon aged less than four years have to carry an age statement on its label. The longer a bourbon is aged, the smokier it will be.

SMOKY SCOTCH ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Smoke is almost synonymous with Scottish whiskey, but the truth is, most scotch is not smoky. It’s mostly single malts from the Island of Islay, where distillers use peat as fuel that are prized for their intense, smoky flavor. Drying the barley over peat is what imparts that smoky flavor.

OLD FASHIONED ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Cocktails are the American invention that America forgets to crow about. We took what the rest of the world had to offer — liquor, bitters, wine, fruit, sugar, eggs, milk, what have you — and tossed them together in various combinations. And, because this wasn’t England, because we were all proud individuals deserving of our own special serving, we didn’t deposit those mixtures in a punch bowl. We put them into separate small glasses. The potions went by various names: flips, slings, sours, juleps, cobblers, fixes, fizzes, bucks and cocktails. In a century’s time, we would come to refer to all mixed drinks as cocktails, but back in 1806, when the term was first defined in print, a cocktail meant a specific, and rather minor, category of alcoholic beverage, one composed of spirit, water, sugar and bitters. It was a simple composition, and thus a sturdy one — one built to last. And it has lasted until today. Not only lasted, but thrived. Not only thrived, but triumphed. You can get a close copy of that 225-year-old drink today in any bar or restaurant you care to enter. It’s called an Old-Fashioned. - Robert Simonson, “Old Fashioned,” Rouses Magazine, November-December, 2019. Read more at www.rouses.com.

WHAT IS MEZCAL? ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Mezcal is made from the agave plant, which grows in abundance throughout much of Mexico. You’re probably already familiar with one popular type of mezcal. It’s called tequila. This a more highly regulated subset of mezcal — to be called tequila, it must be made with blue agave, adhere to certain labeling and production requirements, and be made only in specified regions of the country, which naturally includes the village of Tequila, home to several major producers. (By international trade agreement, tequila and mezcal may only be made and bottled in Mexico; similar products made in the United States are labeled “agave spirits.”) Mezcal isn’t required to color inside the lines like tequila, although traditions do guide the flavor profile. It typically has a distinctive smoky streak — making it a sort of Mexican cousin to Scotch — which stems from cooking the agave heart in a stone pit over oak or mesquite, a technique that has persisted for generations. It’s more often than not made by small-scale producers in what amount to glorified backyards — sometimes just one- or two-person operations, with the bulk of production in the hills around Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. - Wayne Curtis, “Where There’s Smoke,” Rouses Magazine, March-April, 2017. Read more at www.rouses.com. W W W. R O U S E S . C O M

SMOKED SALMON ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT What most people think is lox is actually smoked salmon. Both are frequently served on a bagel with cream cheese, garnished with capers, red onions and chopped hardboiled eggs. Gravlox, or belly lox, is made with the fatty belly of the fish. It is the only lox that is cured, but not smoked Cold-smoked lox is brined and then cold smoked. Cold-smoked lox tastes more like fresh salmon and is barely smoky. It has a smooth and tender texture and can be cut paper-thin. Smoked salmon is preserved through brining or curing. It then goes through a hot smoking process, which affects the taste and texture. Hot-smoked salmon has a deep smoky flavor. It is meaty, with a flaky texture similar to cooked salmon.

WILD ALASK A SALMON ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Wild Alaska salmon season runs from mid-May to mid-October, with peak wild salmon season from June to August. We get every popular type of wild salmon caught during the season, including ruby-red sockeye salmon, which is the most delicately flavored wild Alaskan salmon; coho, commonly called silver salmon, the most mild-tasting wild salmon; and chinook, known as king salmon. King salmon is the largest Pacific salmon species and the highest in fat. It has been called the Wagyu beef of the seafood world. We also carry farm-raised fresh Atlantic salmon year-round.

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HOW TO GRILL HALLOUMI CHEESE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Prepare a hot grill. Cut Halloumi into slabs about ¹⁄₃- to 1/2-inch thick. Grill Halloumi, turning occasionally, for 2 to 6 minutes, until grill marks appear and it is crispy on the edges.

The Grate Outdoors By Liz Thorpe If I had a top ten list of cheeses everyone should know about, Halloumi would probably be No. 1. Maybe a few local folks have heard of or tried it, but its insanely crowd-pleasing flavor and novel, non-melting texture make it something that should be part of every cookout. Halloumi can be quickly served up as a salty, savory first course for everyone, and it offers the bonus of accommodating vegetarians who aren’t going to go for a burger or dog. Here’s everything you need to know to make Halloumi the star of your next cookout.

alloumi is a traditional cheese of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which is located between Greece, Turkey and Syria. Cyprus is famous for its diverse flora; it encompasses vegetation zones of Europe, Asia and Africa, and has more than 1,800 flowering plants that grow in the wild. The island is dominated by two mountain ranges, making it geographically well suited to goats and sheep who can traverse steep hillsides and snack on the diverse and flavor-rich plants. Although Halloumi is traditionally made from a blend of sheep’s and goat’s milk, many producers now add cow’s milk; disagreement over the exact ingredients has kept the cheese from receiving nameprotected status as dairy farmers fight over the right to be included in the recipe. That said, the traditional recipe produces a deep, oceanic flavor and tangy finish, so opt for the sheep-and-goat varieties whenever possible. While Cypriots eat Halloumi fresh as a table cheese, what makes it so amazing is that it doesn’t melt when heated. That means you can throw it on the grill or fry strips on the stovetop without losing the firm, rectangular shape and squeaky, chewy texture.

Cooked Halloumi is the love child of fried cheese curds and mozzarella sticks, minus the breading. Another perk of searing Halloumi is that the edges caramelize into a deep brown crust, imparting a sweet finish to the cheese’s natural brininess. Grilled Halloumi takes lovingly to a squeeze of lemon, glug of olive oil and showering of whatever fresh herbs you’ve got around the kitchen. Also consider a platter of grilled Halloumi strips atop grilled vegetables like peppers, zucchini and eggplant. It’s fabulous tossed with watermelon if you fancy something less expected, or you can replace chicken or steak atop your next bowl of salad greens. I temper Halloumi’s straightforward saltiness with crisp, cooling white wines like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. but it holds its own against bitter, refreshing IPAs. You can even play with sugar and fruit flavors and opt to drink your watermelon salad in the form of a paloma or margarita—though you may wish to skip the salted rim; let the Halloumi do that work for you. Some Halloumi is speckled with bits of mint, a holdover from the days when herbwrapped blocks kept better and longer than those without. I opt for a plain Halloumi when I can get it so there’s nothing to distract from the squeaky, layered chew and universally noshable flavor. If you can’t find Halloumi, the next best thing is paneer—but expect a much milder, sweeter flavor (thanks, cow’s milk) and far less intense salty punch.

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Where There’s Fire, There’s Smoke WHAT IS LIQUID SMOKE?

VILLIGER CUELLAR KREME ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme is a creamy smoke, composed of Dominican tobaccos in an Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper, with a Cuban-seed Dominican Piloto Ligero binder and a Criollo 98 filler.

COHIBA BLUE CLASSICO ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Anyone who knows anything about cigars has heard the name Cohiba. Blue is filled with Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran tobaccos with a Honduran Havana binder. Produced in the Dominican Republic, this new gem has a medium-bodied blend with rich hints of cream and cinnamon.

ESPINOSA MURCIELAGO ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The box-pressed Espinosa Murcielago cigars are a robust blend, with Nicaraguan long fillers and a Nicaraguan binder, finished with a midnight-black San Andrés Maduro wrapper.

ROUSES BAKER DOZEN ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT A mix of 13 premium long filler cigars at a remarkable price, this set includes the spicysweet, medium- to full-bodied Villiger Selecto with a San Andrés maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos; La Capitana, an everyday, medium-bodied traditional smoke; and the Villiger Selecto Connecticut, a mild and creamy cigar to please new and old smokers alike.

MACANUDO INSPIRADO ORANGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The sophisticated and spicy Macanudo Inspirado Orange cigars, a smash hit in Europe since their debut in 2014, feature a Honduran Rosado wrapper over Honduran binder and Honduran, Dominican and Nicaraguan filler leaves. Bolder than the traditional Macanudo Café, these cigars are complex with a medium to full body. 6 0 R O U S E S S U M M E R 20 22

MONTECRISTO PLATINUM ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The luxurious Montecristo Platinum offers a bold smoke with a dark Mexican Cubano wrapper and a filler of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Peruvian tobaccos. These balanced premiums offer a rich, nuanced smoke with a one-of-a-kind flavor and a flawless burn.

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Liquid smoke is smoke from burning wood that’s been captured and condensed to a liquid form. It is used as a flavoring agent; you get the taste produced by smoke-curing without actually smoking anything. There are different wood flavors of liquid smoke. And a little goes a long way, so be sure to taste test as you go.

VILLIGER CUELLAR BLACK FOREST ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Inspired by Germany’s legendary Black Forest, Villiger Cuellar Black Forest cigars are blended by Jochy Blanco and handcrafted at his Tabacalera Palma factory. The four-vitola line boasts a rich, oily, flavorful San Andrés Maduro wrapper and a medium-full blend of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos.

ROMEO Y JULIETA 1875 ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Romeo y Julieta 1875 produces a rich and aromatic smoke with a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long fillers, a Nicaraguan binder and a delicate Connecticut Shade Ecuadoran wrapper.

DREW ESTATE UNDERCROWN ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The flavorful Liga Privada Undercrown is handcrafted with different vintages of the same tobaccos, and features Brazilian and Nicaraguan fillers and a Nicaraguan binder in a dark San Andrés Maduro wrapper. Also available in Sun Grown and Connecticut Shade wrappers.

GOUDA LUCK DIP Makes 6-8 servings

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: ½ cup good mayonnaise 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons Crystal hot sauce 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning ½ pound smoked Gouda, shredded ½ pound extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 teaspoons roasted garlic paste 3-4 green onions, chopped ½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped Sliced green onion tops, for garnish Nabisco Ritz Crackers, for serving HOW TO PREP: In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, hot sauce and Creole seasoning. Mix until well combined, then add cheeses, garlic paste, green onion, nuts and mayonnaise mixture. Stir until well mixed and spreadable. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. Garnish with green onions. Serve with crackers.

The Gouda Stuff By Liz Thorpe One of the things I love about cheese is its seemingly endless variety. It turns out that, often, these variations result from practical challenges to making and storing cheese. Different recipes have evolved over thousands of years in specific geographic and cultural conditions. While those conditions may not exist in today’s modern cheesemaking world, each piece of cheese has one foot firmly anchored in the past.

moked cheese is no exception. Today, cheese is smoked purely for reasons of taste, but the discovery that smoky flavor might be desirable came about because smoke and fire were once critical tools for cheese preservation and aging. Hanging or stacking rounds of cheese near a fire helped dry the cheese, removing moisture, curing it, and helping to produce a more durable and longer-aging food. A key benefit of drying with exposure to fire was that the smoke acted as a preservative, keeping insects and undesirable molds at bay until a cheese’s rind was impenetrable enough that the interior paste was protected. Many European countries have a signature smoked cheese resembling numerous unsmoked examples. It’s likely that several hundred years ago, all of these cheeses relied on smoke for curing, but over time smoky flavor became the signature of one recipe while others adopted more modern curing and preservation methods. For example, in southern Italy, scamorza is made both plain and affumicato (smoked) and bears a strong resemblance to the larger cheese Caciocavallo, which resembles a waxen, milky white six-pound gourd and has a smooth, firm, elastic texture. Both kinds of cheese are made like mozzarella but have far less moisture. Caciocavallo was traditionally aged hanging from ropes that dangled from wooden rafters above open fires but is no longer smoked today. Scamorza holds its place as the smoked cheese of this region. Spain proffers Idiaza-bal, which is made in both smoked and unsmoked versions, although only the smoked is exported to the

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

U.S. It closely resembles a lightly smoked Manchego, made of sheep’s milk, with a firm, buttery paste and delicate smoky finish. Understanding the pragmatic origins of cheese smoking, the reality of today’s market is that most basic styles of cheese are available in smoked form, and this is exclusively about taste. Mozzarella, Gouda and Cheddar are the most common smoky cheeses, but nearly every style has a smoked version if you look hard enough, from fresh goat cheese to provolone to Swiss. If flavor is what we’re talking about, it’s worth noting that not all smoked cheeses taste the same. The smoking method and the base recipe both influence the final product in significant ways. The vast majority of smoked Gouda sold in the U.S. is pasteurized processed cheese duded up with liquid smoke flavoring. It is smooth and smoky-tasting and melts like a dream, so I get why people love it. It is a fantastic addition to a mac and cheese blend. As a cheesehead, I judge the merits of smoked cheese by a few things. I want to taste the actual cheese, and I want the smoke flavor to come from real live smoke, which imparts a subtler, more complex finish like a whiff of campfire instead of a hot-doggy flavor. Smaller, more artisanal cheesemakers often look to regional wood to impart distinctive smokiness. Apple, oak, hickory and chestnut woods are the most commonly used by Texas cheesemakers. The Mozzarella Company smokes their

mozzarella over pecan chips; Oregon’s Rogue Creamery uses hazelnut shells. You may associate the deep, smoky flavor with cool nights and dropping leaves, but summer is an amazing time to branch into the world of smoky cheese. First, smoked cheese melted on a burger is a revelation. For anyone out there who likes to throw a few strips of bacon on, try smoked cheese. Heating (and melting) this style amps up the smoke flavor, enrobing every bite with buttery, smoky goodness. For the experimental types out there, now is also an ideal time to get experimental and try smoking your own cheese. Then you have the option of smoking any cheese you like! Just remember that cheese needs to be cold smoked, so you’ll want to keep temperatures no higher than 80-90 degrees, and you may need to play around with sealing it in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks to let the intense, sometimes acrid smoke flavor mellow out into the nutty, meatiness you want. Another point for smoked cheese as a summertime treat is that, while it’s good with many beverages, there is no better drinking buddy for smoky cheese than beer. You can go smoke with smoke and try a stout or Porter; I’m partial to rich, higher-alcohol Belgian dubbel, which compliments the fruity notes of applewood. But let’s be real: An easydrinking lager and a hunk of smoked cheese is such an endlessly pleasing back and forth that you may skip the burger altogether.

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