Retro on your plate

Chow-Chow is kind of old school. Not the dog, that is, the food with the same name. Some call it a retro food that’s back in fashion. In Cajun country it’s definitely a tradition. Chow-chow is a crunchy, savory condiment made of chopped + pickled vegetables. There are probably as many recipes for it as there are cooks who make it, but cabbage is usually one of the main ingredients as well as onions + peppers. Butcher’s chow chows recipe also asks for celery, green tomatoes + carrots. Sister Restaurant Cochon’s chow-chow sports cauliflower as well.

The condiment is appreciated by gardeners as a way of preserving veggies without cooking them to death. Cooks like it because it adds crunch to a plate as well as some tangy, savory, sweet + spicy flavors. At the Butcher, we love + make it, because it tastes great with meat. “Our chow-chow has a nice, developed acidity which works great with a grilled pork chop or a chicken breast, for example”, says Butcher’s Chef Warren Stephens. Use it as a topping of a juicy hamburger or slap it on a hot dog. Eat it with a bowl of pinto beans + corn bread. Top grilled gulf shrimp with it, like they serve it over at Cochon. If you like chopped pickles in your potato salad, substitute a couple of spoons of chow-chow for a change or pep up your mixed green salad with it.