THE BOUDIN
Cost: $2.79 lb
Presentation: Pulled from a stainless steel bowl covered with a piece of loose-fitting aluminum foil, weighed, sliced (if you want) and wrapped in butcher paper. You’ll be wrung up at the front of the store.
Casing: Crisp and delicate
Rice/Meat Ratio: More rice than meat.
Texture: A mash of rice, pork, onion, spices, and, quite possibly, other ingredients. A pasty mixture that sticks to the inside of the casing as much as it will stick to your ribs. It is packed into the casing, creating a tight link.
Spices: Hot. Really hot.
Overall Taste: Interesting. This link has a complex spiciness to it. Lots of competing flavors are fighting to shine through. It is not a very porky tasting link and it may have pork byproducts challenging the pork meat and pork fat flavors. Visible red and black pepper, along with tiny bits of ground onion, make this a colorful and flavorful link.
Comments: Johnson’s is a store in transition. Word from the butcher is that the new family-owners are eschewing the grocery business in favor of expanding the meat and boudin offerings. It sounds like they are trying to reclaim some of their glory from days-gone-bye and we salute and encourage the effort. Stepping into the store is like stepping back in time and it warms our nostalgic soul to know that this place is doing what they need to do to keep serving their customers. We know that people drive from all over (even all over the country) for boudin from Johnson’s. We hope they continue selling it for decades to come. If you’ve heard that Johnson’s has closed you are only half right. The store is closed but they still open to sell boudin on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. |
