MAR_APR_2014_FINAL_3-15-16

FESTIVAL

The sandwich in question is a Jazzfest classic for legions of food-crazy music fans who always put the “Cochon De Lait poboy” on their Jazzfest culinary checklist. For many folks not lucky enough to live in a poboy-centric universe, it’s an absolute revelation — a light French roll filled with chunks of insanely tender long-smoked pork shoulder and a layer of creamy, mustard- spiked coleslaw on top. For locals, it was the precursor to the recent barbecue revival and (sadly) available only two magical weekends a year. But there’s a problem built into the Jazzfest rhythm — the joys of this Cajun-inflected smoky meat wonder has to compete with a million other dishes available at identical tents in the Fairground “food areas.” On the positive side, the “Cochon poboy” is one of many flavors easily procured between sets at the Acura Stage and power choirs at the Gospel Tent. On the down side, the experience often gets blurred, coming as it might in a day filled with crawfish bread, Mango Freezes, ya ka mein, Nachitoches meat pies, Vietnamese spring rolls, sno- balls, beer and Roman chewing candy. So it’s off to the east I go, where I can focus on the joys of the Cochon De Lait Poboy at Walker’s BBQ on a cold Wednesday in early February — about as far from Jazzfest as possible. The tiny barbecue joint — barely bigger than a standard home kitchen — shares a building and common bare-bones dining room with Castnet Seafood, an equally straightforward fry-and-boil establishment

T here’s an old saying that “All politics are local,” and a similar thing can be said of New Orleans poboy culture. Our city’s trademark oversized sandwich is, at its core, a convenience food—a default lunch grabbed on the go or a quick informal supper. Sure, we might make a cross-town trip for a weekend excursion to R&O’s or Domilese’s for a destination lunch, but more often we’ll learn the standouts at our local corner grocery (the always- dependable turkey or the griddle-crisped ham and cheddar) for the nights when we want a night off from cooking. I’m thinking about this as I’m cruising along the downhill side of the I-10 High Rise bridge headed for the heart of New Orleans East. I’m also thinking about a certain sandwich that would trigger a trek a mile or so past the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. This particular sandwich isn’t your ordinary poboy but a variation that enjoys a dedicated international following every spring as Jazzfest time comes around. Each year the crowds flood the New Orleans Fairgrounds for seven days of live music, local culture and edible specialties that redefine the phrase “festival food.” Love At First Bite by Pableaux Johnson + photos by Pableaux Johnson

across the street from the Lake Pontchartrain floodwall. An intoxicating mix of woodsmoke and peppery crawfish fumes wafts across the parking lot. After a long drive east and an appetite primed for pork, I walk up to the hand-lettered whiteboard that announces the day special in bold letters “BRISKET SPAGHETTI $8.99.” At that moment, I’m feeling my laser-sharp focus waver a bit — but I shake it off and get my brain back into pig mode. Gotta get that sandwich. It’s about an hour before the doors open for the general public, and Jonathan Walker and his crew prepare for the lunch rush. Five days a week, they sell a varied menu of smoked specialties starting at late-breakfast hours. “We open at 10:30 and shut down when we run out.” Most days that’s about 1PM, but on a busy day, it can be halfway through the noon hour. The work areas in Walker’s tiny kitchen are a blur of activity and a carnivore’s fantasy. One minute, the stainless steel prep table holds a freshly-cut brisket sliced slightly fanned out to reveal a serious pink “smoke ring” and a thin black outer crust. The next, it’s piled

14

MY ROUSES EVERYDAY MARCH | APRIL 2014