Headcheese

[hazelhurst]

As all true New Orleanians know, now that we are in the midst of summer we have to start preparing for Mardi Gras. I am told that a friend's daughter is to be honored this year and I need to take a few goodies over to the house. I used to buy my headcheese from a wonderful man down on Alabo Street but he's been dead for years. Normally, I get the stuff from Ville Platte but, if I am stuck, does anyone know of a good local source? I can get the Langenstein's stuff, sure, but I was thinking along the lines of someone who makes it in a kitchen in the garage.

[Hadacol]

Luke makes some serious stuff. They grow their own pigs (and cows, etc.). Steve McHugh and his sous Kenyatta know how to make a pile of headcheese. Cheap and delish.

[puma]

If you go to the new Cochon butcher (next door to Cochon restaurant in the warehouse district), I know he makes really good hog's head cheese. If you live uptown, I did buy that same head cheese once at that fancy cheese store, St. James Cheese, on Prytania a block or so uptown from the Creole Creamery.

I hate to say this but the best head cheese, spicy, I ever had was some my coworker gave me and I am embarrassed to say I think she told me she got it either at Walmart or Sam's club. Sad but true. It was real spicy and good.

[hazelhurst]

Well, it can come from the strangest of places. (I once found exellent artichokes at Sam's--must have been S.Aemrican but they were reasonable frensh and damn cheap).

[nikinik]

I love what they sell at Martin's Wine Cellar.

[hazelhurst]

I have no gotten any from martin's in a long time but I remember it being perfectly satisfactory. The old man on ALabo, though, had the best I have ever gotten in NOLA. The really great stuff is in Ville Platte and environs..it is lighter color and usually is cut out of big baking pans, unless made in those plastic soup bowls that are becoming mroe common.

[ScarlettNola]

If you ever head out that way again try Dup's Superette in Chataignier. Dup's had some of the best boudin and head cheese. Haven't had it in quite some time, but it was WONDERFUL!!

[hazelhurst]

I think that's the one I ran into on the "cemetery road" south of VP...

[ScarlettNola]

Just follow S. Chataignier Rd to Vine Street and you are there. I have family in Evangeline Parish, so we get that way quite a bit.

[roxanne207]

I think Creole Country has the best hogshead cheese- full of meat! Vaughn's company is a smallish shop in mid city. Maybe not in a garage, but close :-). Also, you can get it at Dorignac's.

[N.O.Food]

Porche's is good, but of course you already know that. I also like Cochon's head cheese. Maybe they sell it in the butcher? Congrats to the lucky lady. That's definitely an honor.

[ScarlettNola]

They do sell the head cheese at Cochon Butcher. I love it.

[midcity]

A lot of people in St. Bernard get their headcheese at Tagg's on Judge Perez in Chalmette. It's not quite a garage, but it is very local.

[hazelhurst]

Lord o'mercy! Out of Judge Perez? That's a good excuse to get farther down than Rocky and Carlo's...it's my own fault that I just don;t get down there unless going to the courthouse in Pointe a la Hache or buying oranges.(used to get artichokes down there, too).

[midcity]

Tagg's also sells good lunch po-boys . . . I recommend the roast beef or the cheeseburger. [If you want a smaller one with fries, ask for the Butcher Boy.] There's also a great farm stand on St. Bernard Highway roughly equivalent to Taggs; after you go to Tagg's, go down Palmisano, hang a right and you'll hit it.

You do know what happened to the old courthouse in Pointe a la Hache, don't you?

[hazelhurst]

Re: Courthouse..Oh yeah, ..its been a nightmare ever since for property work

[midcity]

Clarification--don't mean the farm stand also sells head cheese and po'boys, just mean it's in the same area.