At Hogs for the Cause, one cook-off team concluded that bacon was the right finishing touch for a smoked white chocolate bread pudding. Another is making a tribute, of sorts, to sushi, made from bacon, boudin and cracklin’.
And when it comes to the chicken wings, many teams are leaving any notion of Buffalo far behind, deploying Thai coconut smoked wings or fried chicken wing gumbo.
That's just a taste of the evermore creative, sometimes outlandish entries that make the Friday night at Hogs for the Cause different, and help separate this New Orleans-bred event from more straight-ahead barbecue competitions.
Hogs for the Cause is back at the grounds around the UNO Lakefront Arena this weekend.
The charity cook-off is composed of 90 individual teams, competing for trophies in different food categories and on the fundraising total they hand over to Hogs for the Cause, which supports families dealing with pediatric brain cancer.
Since its start in 2009, Hogs has become one of the most popular food events on the New Orleans calendar and it’s grown into the nation’s leading fundraiser for its cause.
The pinnacle for the two-day event comes Saturday, when competition barbecue entries are assessed by judges.
But Friday at Hogs for the Cause has gradually assumed its own identity, with the free play of food creations far outside the bounds of traditional barbecue.
In the early years of Hogs, Friday was simply the night when teams began the long process of preparing barbecue for the next day’s judging. Now, much like Saturday, there’s a schedule of music on three stages and hundreds of different dishes from the teams.
While cooks patiently tend the smokers overnight, they also bang out quicker dishes to sell over the counter, with all competing to catch the eye and appetites of attendees. That means the potential for culinary mischief is near limitless.
In fact, if low and slow is the key to proper barbecue, the theme for Friday night at Hogs for the Cause might be revved up and ready.
