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14
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
MARCH | APRIL 2014
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.”
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
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
Love At First Bite
by
Pableaux Johnson +
photos by
Pableaux Johnson
FESTIVAL