Celebrating the Pigskin… A Taste of the NFL and Spoils of the Boucherie

As the city welcomes crowds of devoted football fans for Super Bowl XLVII, Restaurant R’evolution Executive Chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto join several of their contemporaries at the Taste of the NFL on the eve of the big game!  Chefs and NFL players from each of the 32 National Football League cities will gather at the Convention Center serving their regional signature dishes to attendees with the ultimate goal of alleviating hunger in NFL cities across the United States.  New Orleans has presented a Dinner Series at top local venues in the past year benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.  Our Executive Chefs Folse and Tramonto will be making and serving their famous Blue Crab and Brie Poboy at the February 2^nd event.

On Bienville Street and just off Bourbon, Restaurant R’evolution is centrally located for the Super Bowl, Fat Tuesday the following weekend and celebrating our first Valentine’s Day! 

Looking ahead, our inaugural R’evolutionary Boucherie Dinner is coming up on Sunday, February 24^th. 

Traditionally, many cultures celebrated the boucherie, or the butchering of the pigs, in the winter months.  This laborious task provided fresh meat as well as smoked and salted meats for families' use throughout the year.  This strenuous task was made less difficult and enjoyable, because many families participated.  Everyone was assigned a task from fire stoker, to bristle scraper, to boudin maker.  Before dawn, large cauldrons of scalding water were prepared over hot, open fires.  A 300- to 800-pound pig was slaughtered by cutting the jugular vein.  The blood was gathered for making red boudin.  The pig was scalded and the bristles removed, which was sold later to brush manufacturers.  Then, the pig was strung from a tree.  The women removed and cleaned the intestines, which became the sausage casing.  The pig was then cut and quartered into chops, spareribs, roasts and bacon.  Portions of the pig were smoked or salted, while sections were reserved for families' immediate use.  The skin was made into pork cracklins and the fat was rendered into lard.  Inedible portions of the pig were used to make soap.

During the festivities, families enjoyed music, home brewed beer and fresh pork.  Usually grillades, boudin, fresh sausage and ponce (stuffed pig's stomach) were served as well as debris, a rich stew made with the organ meat of the pig and served over rice.  At the end of the day, everyone went home with their families' portion of the slaughter.  This activity was repeated nearly every weekend during the slaughtering months of December, January and February.

Our “guests of honor” are three little pigs from Black Hill Ranch in Cypress, Texas, where the finest breeds of humanely treated pigs are raised.  The pigs have been hand-fed a top-notch diet of peaches, apples, pears, carrots, lettuce, spinach, cantaloupes, plums, tomatoes, eggplants, squash, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, corn, soybeans and maple syrup.  Then, dinner is washed down with red wine to ensure delicious, high quality meats are produced.  They continue to be pampered at White Oak Plantation for the upcoming Boucherie celebration.

Guests at this ticketed event will enjoy the evening tasting the "spoils of the boucherie" with a charcuterie reception to start and six courses with wine pairings.  Please see complete menu below...

Charcuterie Reception

Crispy Pig's Ear

Red and White Boudin

Salumi, Hog's Head Cheese, Sausages

 Ca del Roro

Prosecco, Veneto, Italy NV

Appetizer

Pied de Cochon

Sweet Potato Aspic

 Wein Keller Erbach

Sylvaner Rheinhessen, Germany 2011

Soup

Hominy and Pig Tail Consommé

Pork Albondigas

 Acquagiusta

"Rosato" Maremma, Italy 2011

Salad

Local Citrus, Smoked Pecans, Sugar-cured Ham

 Sartori Di Verona

"Ferdi" IGT Verona, Italy 2010

Seafood

Gulf Shrimp Dirty Rice Arancini

House Bacon Sauce Piquante

 Row Eleven

"Civello" California 2011

Entree

Triptych of Pork

Braised Pork Cheeks, Persimmon Ratafia

Wrapped Pork Belly Parcel, Turnip Greens

Craklin' Crusted Pork Spinalis

Domaine Brusset

"Les Boudalles" Rhone, France 2010

Dessert

Stone-ground Grits Pound Cake

Mini Oreille de Cochon, Bacon Praline Ice Cream,

Rye Butterscotch

Niepoort

Ruby Port, Douro, Portugal

Seating is limited so reserve your space today by calling Restaurant R'evolution at 504.553.2277.