ROUSES_Summer2024_Magazine Pages Web

Char-B-Que By Poppy Tooker Genghis Khan and his marauding Mongols had an indelible influence on Asian food as they galloped across China in the early 1200s. The invaders are credited with intro ducing their conquered audience to spit-roasting over charcoal, a practice known commonly today as barbecue. Coal was lighter than wood and burned hotter and longer without need for heavy vessels, perfectly accommo dating the Mongols’ nomadic lifestyle. The practice continues today, evolving to suit the taste of each culture affected. F rom Korea to Thailand, to Vietnam and mainland China, some common denomina tors prevail. Unlike the steaks and whole chicken pieces that Americans barbecue, in this preparation thin slices of meat are strung on bamboo skewers before cooking. In Asia, nothing goes to waste. Chicken heads and feet (along with all parts found in between) are grilled on street carts and in open-air markets. Gizzards, livers, intestines — even the chicken’s esophagus — are in the offing, along with coagulated blood. Beef and pork are given the same nose-to-tail consideration. Invariably, a spiced vinegar sauce complements the finished product. CHEF ANH LUU Although born and raised in New Orleans, Chef Anh Luu’s tastebuds were influenced from childhood by her Vietnamese mother, who emigrated to New Orleans seven years before Luu’s birth. When she began her culinary career in Portland, Oregon, Luu developed a style dubbed “Viet-Cajun,” combining traditional Vietnamese with the spicy, distinctive flavors of South Louisiana at Tapalaya, a popular restaurant in Portland.

Back in New Orleans since 2020, Luu continues to bring her Vietnamese heritage to the forefront. Frequently incorporating the flavors of lemongrass, garlic, chilis and fish sauce accented with a heavy dose of fresh lime juice, Luu crafts marinades for grilled pork and beef that are further accentuated by barbecue dipping sauces with the same flavor profile. “I tend to have a very open mind with the term barbecue,” Luu laughed. “At my Xanh Nola pop-ups, I’ll borrow the taste of sour orange calamondin from the Philippines and experiment with bulgogi style Korean barbecue too. A bit of sugar in the marinade helps with the caramelization and adds to the smoked char flavor,” she stated. Instead of thin meat slices, Luu sometimes incorporates garlic and ginger into freshly ground beef or pork patties before grilling. Her version of New Orleans’ local favorite BBQ shrimp features head-on Gulf shrimp marinated in a chili tamarind sauce and cooked over an open fire. All her grilled dishes are served with lots of fresh lettuce, mint, cilantro, cucumbers, green onions, and pickled carrots and radishes. “For me it’s all about the textures as well as the flavors,” Luu said, “the crunch, the chew, the fresh herbs all coming together with a sweet, salty, acid sauce.” Bangkok native Chef Aom Srisuk and her husband, Frankie Weinberg, present authentic Thai style barbecue dishes uptown at their original New Orleans restaurant, Pomelo, and at Good Catch, their larger downtown eatery. Although neither location has a grill, Srisuk replicates the essence of the Thai experience by using the same marinades before roasting the meats. A favorite on the menu at both restaurants is her Som Tum platter, which mashes up a classic — Thai green papaya salad — with spicy salmon crudo, BBQ pork, shrimp and pork rinds. At home, the pair delights in using their shabu-shabu grill. One of the few imple ments the chef brought to the U.S. when she emigrated, the specialty item allows them to “grill in broth.” The indented center of their tabletop charcoal grill holds simmering broth, while the grill’s hot edges provide CHEF AOM SRISUK & FRANKIE WEINBERG

the surface for the initial cooking. Once grilled, the items go into the broth, adding to the flavor and the communal experience. Although much debated as to its ancient Mongolian vs. modern Japanese origins, Srisuk says, “Shabu-shabu is a popular family dinner activity in Thai homes, central to gathering people together.” Despite the dizzying variety of grill and barbecue traditions across Asia, char sui is the version most Americans think of when it comes to Chinese barbecue. The words char sui are so well recognized, they appear on many new American fusion menus, along with other international dishes like “gnocchi,” “confit” and “schnitzel” — all dishes appro priated from other cultures. Char sui is so foundational in traditional Cantonese cuisine: It is an important ingredient in every thing from egg rolls to fried rice, hot and sour soup and more. ANDREW LU Andrew Lu of Get Your Mom & Dim Sum laughs when asked about the char sui at the Chinese restaurant he grew up in, his uncle’s Lafayette, Louisiana based restaurant Royal Panda. “It was always just called BBQ pork on the menu,” he remembered. “I asked my dad about that, and he told me the translation was, in part, an attempt to assimilate. He and my uncle were bullied in school for being Asian, and BBQ pork seemed like a way to fit in. People now are more accepting of authenticity,” Lu said. “So, on my menu, it’s always char sui.” No matter what it’s called, char sui is universally recognized by its bright red color, a byproduct of red yeast rice originally used

25 WWW.ROUSES.COM