What is a Po-boy?

A Po-boy (sometimes stylized as po’ boy or po boy) sandwich is an age-old Louisiana tradition. Though they are sometimes incorrectly identified as just another name for a hero, sub or grinder; there’s a lot more to it than that! Despite being similar in that it is a sandwich on a long piece of bread, a lot of what makes a po-boy unique comes from its rich history.

As many locals know, the name “Po-boy” comes from the name “Poor Boy sandwich” spoken in a New Orleans accent. The legend states that striking streetcar workers in the 1920’s were given these custom sandwiches for free as an act of solidarity from local restaurant workers and were thus referred to as “poor boy sandwiches” in an affectionate sort of mockery of these striking workers. They were served on New Orleans french bread, a sort of french bread with more water and less flour than a traditional french loaf, giving it a more fluffy texture and a crispier crust.

When most people think of a po-boy, they think of a classic fried shrimp or oyster po-boy, dressed with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. There is an endless variety of po-boys, however; and all along Southern Louisiana, you’re likely to find po-boys with many unique and creative ingredients. One that you don’t see as often as one might like is a boudin po-boy. With this recipe, you can remedy that and make one yourself!

 

What You’ll Need

 

For the sauce:

• ½ cup creole mustard
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce

 

For the pickled onions

• 2 red onions
• 2 quarts of white distilled vinegar
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• 6 bay leaves

 

• For the sandwich 

• 3 Billy’s boudin balls
• 4 strips of bacon
• 4 slices of pepper jack cheese
• Gator pickles

 

The Po-Boy Recipe

Before we get to work on assembling the po-boy, a few things need to be prepared first!

 

Making the Sauce

For the creolaise sauce, combine the mayonnaise, creole mustard, and hot sauce in a bowl. Then zest and juice the lemon (over a strainer to catch the seeds and pulp), and add the lemon juice and zest. Whisk the sauce until everything is mixed together (feel free to add a bit more hot sauce if you like a bit more heat).

 

Making the Pickled Onions

For the pickled red onions, start by slicing your red onions as thin as possible (carefully using a mandolin is a great way to slice vegetables thin if you have one) and put them in a heat-resistant container such as a metal mixing bowl. Then, pour the white distilled vinegar into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the salt, sugar and bay leaves and whisk well. Then, turn off the heat and immediately (and carefully) pour the boiling vinegar into the bowl of onions—and avoid inhaling the steam from the boiling vinegar. Place something heavy like a plate or bowl on top of the onions to keep them submerged and let sit until it reaches room temperature.

 

Cooking the Ingredients

First things first: cook your boudin balls. By the way: feel free to substitute our regular boudin balls for pepper jack boudin balls if you want this po-boy to be extra cheesy, or even try it with our crawfish boudin balls. You can find the cooking instructions on the product page of our store, but it’s simple enough: preheat the oven to 350 F, place 3 boudin balls on a greased baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F. Once they’re out of the oven, cut them in half.

While the boudin balls are baking, pop your loaf of french bread in the oven alongside them and toast it until golden brown. In the meantime, fry 4 strips of bacon in a pan until crispy.

 

Assembling The Po-Boy

Once all your ingredients are cooked, your bread is toasty and out of the oven, and your sauce and pickled onions are done, it’s time to put it together. First, cut your french bread in half with a serrated knife at a 45 degree angle, but don’t cut through all the way—leave a hinge at the end to keep all your ingredients from spilling out when you’re eating it. Then, liberally apply creolaise sauce to both sides of the bread. On the bottom half, place your Gator Pickles and bacon strips before taking your boudin ball halves and placing them on top. Then, apply your cheese and pickled red onions. Close it up, cut it in half, and you’re ready to go!

 

Let’s Eat!

The beauty of a po-boy is that there’s no wrong way to make one! Try mixing this recipe up with your favorite ingredients! Add some seafood, try a different cheese or sauce; maybe even try the same recipe with links of classic or smoked boudin instead of boudin balls!

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, let us know! Tag us in a photo on facebook or instagram and tell us your thoughts! Bon appetit!