ROUSES_Summer2024_Magazine Pages Web

of exterior fat, which adds extra juiciness and flavor. Our butchers also grind and make gourmet burgers in-house using 80% lean/20% fat ground chuck. That blend makes the juiciest, most flavorful burgers. I like the Rouses Bayou Boys Burger, which is loaded with jalapeños, cheddar cheese and bacon, and the Green Onion and Bacon Burger. I also make grilled chicken wings, which take about 45 minutes to cook on a medium-high grill. I use a bottle of our Rouses Peach Hot Sauce and half a stick of butter, melting them down to create a delicious sauce for my wings. As soon as they come off the grill, I douse them with the sauce — I think it’s better than Buffalo sauce. Barbecuing, often referred to as “barbequing” (see page 15), typically involves cooking meat at medium to high temperatures, usually between 225°F and 350°F. You can use direct or indirect heat from a grill, smoker or barbecue pit. Wood chips or chunks can be used to add smoky flavors, but the primary method involves cooking over a heat source. Smoking takes barbecuing a step further. Smoking is a low and slow process. You are cooking for an extended period of time at a lower temperature, which allows the meat’s fat to render, effectively basting it from the inside. Smoking uses the smoke from the barbecue to cook the food, and helps you get the flavor and texture you’re after. Smoking can take anywhere from several hours to 10, 12, 16 or 18 hours

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— or even overnight, depending on what you’re smoking. Brisket is the largest cut of meat most of us cook at home. Our Chairman’s Reserve USDA Angus Choice Beef brisket has excellent marbling and a substantial fat cap, which renders out as the meat cooks. I usually smoke brisket for a generous 15 to 18 hours to achieve a rich, smoky flavor. Lastly, we felt incredibly honored recently when Jason Gonzales traveled from Luling to our corporate office in Schriever and treated our team to lunch (see page 21). Jason’s brisket was at least as good as mine (OK, maybe even a little better), and having Jason cook for us was a truly memorable experience. Barbecue lovers travel from all over to visit Gonzo’s Smokehouse & BBQ in Luling, Louisiana; it should definitely be on your barbecue bucket list. — Donny Rouse, CEO, 3 rd Generation

We recently wrapped up our Rouses Markets Vendor Summit and 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament. Nearly 60 teams participated, with team members from our corporate office and stores across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, either playing golf or helping run the event. Funds from the golf tournament — $300,000 this year — support the Rouses Employee Disaster Relief Fund, our charity that assists our team members when they need it most. Founded in 2016, our Employee Disaster Relief Fund has distributed more than $6,000,000 to team members affected by storms, floods, hurricanes and the pandemic.

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