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the Barbecue issue

“[We’re] using local ingredients and products whenever we can. Steen’s Cane Syrup, strawberries from Pontchatoula, juice from Plaquemines Parish citrus — those flavors are incredible ...” Pitmaster Rob Bechtold

offering them, and it quickly became something I’m now known for. It’s the rendered, barky, fatty meat that comes from the nose, or point of the brisket. We season but don’t sauce our meat — we want you to be able to see the smoke ring and really enjoy the moist, intense flavor of the cut. When done right, it’s one of the best bites of food you can ever put in your mouth. We’re now doing 800-1000 lbs. per week of burnt ends alone, so it’s obviously taken off. Brad Gottsegen: Is there anything special about the pits you’re cooking on? What types of wood are you using? Chef Rob: We’re doing our indirect-heat cooking of pork butts and briskets on converted 1,000-gallon propane tanks, low and slow, for 15-18 hours at 250-300 degrees. Right now, we’re mainly using oak, but I like to throw in some hickory and definitely some cherry or other fruitwood when I can find it. We have custom direct heat pits for our ribs, chicken, sausage, and we smoke our wings before flash frying them for our daily happy hour. Brad Gottsegen: The forgotten meat in the world of barbecue seems to be chicken, but y’all seem to feature it and do an especially nice job of keeping yours juicy, while at the same time smoky and flavorful. Does any special prep go into your yardbird?

from Chappapeela Farms from Husser, Louisiana, and the quality is just amazing. Beef in quantity is harder to come by locally, but because our burnt ends have become so popular and are now a regular menu item, we’ve found a supplier that is providing us just the “nose” of briskets, which is the part of the cut that burnt ends come from. Brad Gottsegen: Historically, barbecue has been associated with sweet tea and beer, but you guys have built a substantial bar program with top-shelf bourbons and craft cocktails. How did that play into the planning of your overall concept? Chef Rob: My whole thought was that if we were going to serve craft, artisan barbecue, we should also serve craft and artisan cocktails to go with it. There are a lot of bars in this city, and you have to do something to make yourself stand out. We’re using all fresh juices and taking no shortcuts, and as a result, we’re producing some really delicious, creative drinks. Brad Gottsegen: What’s your vision for the future of this neighborhood? Chef Aaron: We’re continuing to acquire parcels of land around the restaurant, so we can expand our offerings to outdoor spaces, including live music and large parties. We’re also nearly finished construction of our indoor reception space, so we can accommodate large groups for weddings, corporate events, etc. We want to have a positive impact and be a partner to the people that have been here a lot longer than we have, and given that over 50% of our employees come from close by, we want to do what we can to help this area become a great place to live as well as to eat. Interviewer Brad Gottsegen is a member of Team Fleur de Que, which won the 2016 Hogs for the Cause “Top Fundraiser” Award for the fifth straight year by donating $150,000 to families struggling against pediatric brain cancer. They also won “Best Booth” too. Central City BBQ Central City BBQ (CCBBQ) is located at 1201 S. Rampart Street near the Downtown New Orleans Rouses Market. CCBBQ is open for lunch Wednesday thru Sunday.

Chef Rob: We use Springer Mountain Farms chickens from Georgia, which are organically and humanely raised on a vegetarian diet with no antibiotics, hormones or stimulants. All we do is add seasoning and let the quality of the product speak for itself. No injections or brining — we just apply a rub and leave them alone. Barbecue is meant to be a simple method of cooking — if you fool with it too much, you can easily mess it up. Brad Gottsegen: A lot of barbecue purists are offended when a diner sauces their meat. Are y’all sauce snobs? Chef Rob: I want to make people happy, and they can eat my barbecue any way they want to.We don’t sauce our product in the kitchen, but we have three sauces at every table, and we also make Alabama white sauce for those that like it as well. After Kartrina, my wife and I wound up in Vermont, and we used to make applesauce from apples taken directly from the orchards up there. It eventually made its way into our sweet barbecue sauce and remains a main ingredient today, so its nostalgic for us in that it tells part of the story of our culinary journey from New Orleans up north and then back. Brad Gottsegen: How much of your protein is sourced locally? Chef Aaron: We’re getting a lot of our pork

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY MARCH | APRIL 2017