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FAMILY LETTER

On the Cover Rouses whole beef brisket smoked by our friends at Central City Barbecue. Served with Rouses brand vidalia onion barbecue sauce. photo by Romney Caruso • • •   WHAT I’M COOKING Pulled pork on my Big Green Egg. I use a Boston Butt pork roast and Nalty’s Butt and & Breast Rub. Cook at 220 degrees for 16 hours. When pork is done, remove it from the Egg and wrap in aluminum foil. Let rest for one hour before slicing. RIGHT ON ’CUE Big Mike’s BBQ, Houma, LA See story page 24. Blue Oak BBQ & Frey Smoked Meat Co., New Orleans, LA These are two new spots by our market in Mid City. Central City BBQ, New Orleans, LA See story page 14. Hannah Q Smoke House, Prairieville, LA Smoked brisket, sweet glazed pork loin, ribs, chicken and a great selection of sauces. Jay’s Bar-B-Q, Baton Rouge, LA This family-run restaurant has been dishing out barbecue for over 60 years. Lil Daddy’s Real Pit Bar-B-Que, Lafayette, LA Dry rub ribs, tender brisket, falling-off-the- bone chicken, juicy sausage and my favorite: barbecue po-boys. Moe’s Original Bar B Que, multiple Alabama locations, New Orleans, LA USA Today named this Alabama chain one of the Top 10 BBQ Joints in America. The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs, MS See story page 18.

Donny Rouse

An Old-Fashioned Butcher Shop We’re proud to continue the Gulf Coast tradition of family-owned butcher shops. Our own Rouses history goes back to 1960. My grandfather, our founder, had a small butcher shop in the back of his first store. Every steak was cut by hand — our butchers still do it that way, today — and sausages and Cajun specialties were made by hand right in the store. Pa used pork butts from the butcher shop to make our sausage. It’s still made with premium pork butts and my grandfather’s blend of garlic, onions, cayenne pepper, salt and spices. Butchering is an art form learned over years of practice and apprenticeship. Our butchers are the best and most experienced in the business. They’re also some of the best outdoor cooks I know. Whether you’re cooking or grilling, they’ll help you make the right selection or share a recipe or cooking instructions. Years ago we made a family commitment to only sell 100 percent American beef, pork and poultry. We’ve always sold only fresh ground meat. Some of our competitors sell ground beef that comes in pre-packaged, gas-flushed bags. Our butchers grind all of our beef fresh several times daily in store — there’s no gas flush. We also sell grass-fed ground beef, chicken, turkey, pork and buffalo. All of our grinds are 100 percent USDA verified. We tend to think pork and beef when we talk barbecue, but chicken is a staple. We introduced our own line of Rouses vegetarian-fed chicken a few years ago. Our butchers can butterfly a whole one for you so that it can be flattened and cooked skin side up, which will significantly reduce your cooking time. Everyone has a favorite smoker, and we can spend a lifetime arguing the merits of the Big Green Egg versus the Traeger Pellet Grill versus a Weber Smokey Joe. Let’s just make sure we do it over a big plate of barbecue. Donny Rouse , CEO 3 rd Generation

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