If you are fortunate enough to live in Louisiana or are planning a trip here, the bayou backroads are a source of delicious discovery. The food culture abounds along these rural highways and byways that offer up a treasure trove of good eating. There’s even a Louisiana Culinary Trails website and downloadable app to help you find what you hunger for. But, one irresistible culinary prize you will find linking all four corners of the state–especially here in Acadiana–is Cajun boudin.
Tasty links of fresh steamed Cajun boudin is a basic Cajun recipe seen throughout Acadiana.. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Arguments abound on the source of the best Cajun boudin in Acadiana. The Louisiana state legislature almost came to a screeching halt a few years back as the towns of Broussard and Scott fought over who should be named The Boudin Capital. Even marriages have been known to break up over such a quandary. There are so many options, so many differing styles that it is near impossible to answer the question.
Boudin (boo-dan) blanc is a curious blend of herbs and seasonings with bits of pork and liver included. All combined, put through a grinder, mixed with long-grain Louisiana white rice, and stuffed into a pig’s intestine casing. The good stuff, when you can find it, is boudin noir – pig’s blood added, but that’s for a different discussion.
Boudin blanc stops short of becoming a true smokehouse sausage because it is steamed rather than smoked. The character of Cajun boudin is its moistness–its squeezability. Eating boudin is akin to squeezing a tube of toothpaste, only directly into your waiting mouth. It is the essence of Cajun life and is sold in near about every roadside grocery, convenience store or gas station around.
There is even an official Cajun Boudin Trail pinpointing the location of most every stop along the roads selling the stuff. Robert Carriker has a PhD in Boudin–well, actually history–and he heads up the project as well as the history department at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Dr. Carriker wrote the book on Cajun boudin. He has not only mapped out the spicy spots on the trail peppered throughout South Louisiana, but the site has reviewed every single one of them. I urge you to download a map, hit the trail and join the debate.
Who has the best Cajun boudin? The debate rages on.
Styles differ, and there are certain well-known specialty houses that have become meccas for the true Cajun boudin aficionado. Comeaux’s, Don’s, Best Stop, Boudin King, Earl’s, Poche’s, Bourque’s, NuNu’s — these are just a few of the five-star rated versions of boudin that provoke endless debate. “Boudin King is too ricey…Poche’s too spicy…Best Stop too livery…Comeaux’s too bland”–the dispute rages on. I have a clear winning solution that if adopted (and it won’t) will end this silly babbling battle over Cajun boudin.
They’re all good.
Each has a nuance of flavor and taste profile all its own. It’s like asking which is the better wine–California Cab or Oregon Pinot?
It’s all good.
But, that’s too easy. And to broker an end to that discussion would be a diplomatic impossibility and, well, clearly wrong. So, the debate rages on, and as you travel the Cajun boudin trail in search of the perfect link, it’s not hard to see who the real winner is.
Boudin and beer–A Cajun recipe for a light lunch. Doesn’t get any better.
So, before you embark on your boudin-making adventure, take a look at this in-depth video produced by the guys at MUNCHIES. It’s an excellent tutorial on all things boudin with up close interviews and footage of a Cajun boucherie. (Note: Viewer discretion at 13:27 for a voice-over expletive.)
- 1 (4-pound) pork shoulder
- Water, for braising and boiling
- 1 pound pork liver
- 2 large yellow onions, diced
- 2 cups Louisiana long-grain white rice, such as Supreme
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoons Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup diced green onion tops
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dash of hot sauce
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- In a heavy pot with tight-fitting lid, add the pork roast and fill the pot with water to a depth of 4 inches. Cover, place in the hot oven and braise the pork roast for 2 hours or until falling apart. Remove the pork from the pot reserving the cooking liquid.
- In a pot with water over high heat, add the liver and boil until well done, about 10 minutes. Remove the liver and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions to the liquid and let cook for 2 minutes. Strain the onions and reserve.
- In a rice cooker, make the rice following the package directions and keep warm until ready to use.
- In a food processor pulse the meat and liver along with the onions and garlic until it reaches a smooth, yet chunky consistency. Be careful not to over process to a pasty, mushy stage.
- Incorporate the cooked rice in a ratio of 80% meat mixture to 20% rice. Gradually add some of the cooking liquid until the mixture is moist. Add the Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and green onions. Add salt, black pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Evenly incorporate ingredients together.
- Stuff the mixture into sausage casings using a sausage stuffer.
- Poach the stuffed boudin links in a large pot of simmering (not boiling) water (175ºF) for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
- To keep the boudin warm without drying out, I suggest wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil and place in a slow cooker set to warm with a half-inch of water in the bottom.
- Optionally, you can form the bulk boudin into patties. If your boudin is not in a casing, then first wrap it in plastic before adding to the slow cooker.
- Boudin links should be eaten hot with an ice-cold beer and saltine crackers. Boudin balls can be rolled in crackers and fried. And boudin patties — one of my favorites — are perfect as a base for fried eggs at breakfast. Any way you try it, boudin is perfectly delicious.
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Like y’all comments :Ayeeee they all good .I do have one comment Billy’s needs to come down on their prices and make the Boudin bigger like The Best stop my favorite, Happy eating
I just came back from spending Christmas with my family in Southwest Louisiana and I again asked for Boudin. I love this stuff! I asked for a recipe for it and this looks almost exactly like what my nieces husband gave me. I’m going to try it soon. Anybody reading this that isn’t familiar with Boudin – you are missing a huge treat! This is the best stuff ever. Thanks for this recipe. You have some great hints for making it. Can’t wait to try making my own.
Hey Jane – You are correct: Boudin is an undiscovered Cajun delicacy and with the first bite, it will win you over with its intense flavor. All the best.
George,
Where are you getting your pork liver? I’m from Crowley but have been in Southeast La. Some time now and you can’t get good boudin this way. I figure the next best thing is to cook it myself…
Hey Chris – You can buy pork liver at Rouses Market or from most any meat market. All the best.
It is too bad a Christian is not able to watch the video on this link. Why is it necessary for these men to use foul mouthed language?
Patricia – My apologies to you and thanks for the heads up. I have added a note as per: (Note: Viewer discretion at 13:27 for a voice-over expletive.)
George,
I was wondering if the only difference between this recipe and a recipe for boudin noir would be the addition of fresh pork blood? And if so, how much would be an appropriate amount to add?
Thanks in advance and I’m really looking forward to enjoying some boudin soon thanks to your recipe.
Danny-
Yes, you are correct, but I have never made boudin noir and would not be able to give you an educated direction. I urge you to search online or reach out to a Louisiana boudin artisan if you live in the area.
All the best.
I’m a native Creole born in Lafayette LA. I remember helpin’ my grandma (aka mommie)(aka Petite French for little) make dat big huge cast iron pot ya use outside unda a wood burnin’ fire. We had two of em. One for the boudin, and the other for the hog crakalin and sliced sweet potatoes. We use a big boat oar to stir, and a big round spatula to fish out da potatoes. It was how I learned to make boudoir as a kid. THANKS MOMMIE. We would kill the biggest hog we had and catch the blood to make the boudin noir. You have to heat dat blood a lil bit, not too much, and add it to dat boudin mixture. Hold back on some of the water, ok? HAPPY EATS Y’ALL!
Can you freeze after stuffing or after simmering (ready to eat)? Sounds like the best recipe out there! I stumbled upon it at a bar when visiting New Orleans at the end of the St. Charles trolley.
Hey Cindi- Yes, boudin can be frozen in links (or bulk) and kept for up to 6 months. To serve, thaw the links in the refrigerator overnight and once thawed completely, steam gently until heated through (I use a slow cooker or steaming basket in a pot over gently simmering water). All the best.
Hello George, if you’re not stuffing the boudin mixture into casings and making patties instead, do you need to poach the patties or what do you recommend for step 8: Poach the stuffed boudin links in a large pot of simmering (not boiling) water (175ºF) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Hey Chris- The thing about boudin is that all of the ingredients are fully cooked when it is assembled either as links in casings or formed in bulk patties. The steaming/simmering is to bring it all together and heat through forming a sturdier mixture. If you are not inserting the boudin into casings, then I recommend forming into a ball or patty and tightly wrapping in plastic wrap. Then, fill a slow cooker with about a half-inch of water and bring to a simmer. I like to add some crumpled-up aluminum foil to the bottom of the cooker and then rest my plastic-wrapped boudin patties on top to keep warm until serving. All the best.
Great recipe! Im a Creole 7th ward native, but grew up in Carencro, La. Y’all ought to try boudin on da grill smoked with pecan wood until da casing gets crispy…..OMG! My Parain would always make it when we had a crawfish boil….gotta try it.
Thanks Lloyd for a great idea. Next time I fire up my grill, I will try your pecan wood smoke recommendation for boudin. All the best.
I lived in Opelousas/Ville Platte area for a while. Boudin was an instant favorite of mine. My boss would bring us some about mid-morning once or twice a week. There’s a one-stop in between those two towns I had to pass everyday. So I stopped in and bought some bulk boudin they had. It was frozen so I was told to grill it. WOW! Its even more amazing grilled (wood not LPG). Of course, there are so many other Cajun dishes I absolutely love, but boudin has that can-eat-anytime-anywhere feeling to it.
Hey Joseph- Perfect description of your boudin experience, and why it has become a treasured dish of our Cajun food culture. Thanks.
Is this a recipe for Billy”s boudin? I live in west Texas now, and I can’t find stuff like that.
Hey Jay- This is my recipe for boudin, which I believe is a tasty starting point for discovering all the different versions there are in South Louisiana. And you are correct: Billy’s has one of the tastiest, top-rated boudins on the market. And don’t miss their boudin balls stuffed with pepper jack cheese. All the best.
My grandmother introduced me to boudin when I was small. We are not Louisiana-born people, but are related. Took one bite, and i have been an enthusiast ever since.