Holidays

3 Mardi Gras Recipes for a Taste of New Orleans at Home

Mardi Gras already? Time to dig out your bead necklaces and head for the Big Easy. Fat Tuesday (the literally meaning of Mardi Gras) is celebrated the world over, but no place does it with the extravagance of New Orleans. This last hurrah of meat and licentiousness before the austerity of Lent makes the perfect occasion to fire up your grill.

The History of Carnival

Carnival (from the Latin words for “farewell meat”) begins after Epiphany and lasts through Fat Tuesday. Throughout the Catholic world, It’s a time of festivity and celebration. Actually, the holiday originated in the Dionysian rites of ancient Greece (Dionysius was the god of wine and dance) and morphed into Roman Lupercalia. During those holidays, the whole social order upended: slaves got to sit at the dining table with the masters and people danced (and did less socially acceptable activities) in the streets. Sociologists see Carnival as a sort of societal escape valve—a loosening of social strictures for a day at least, when the underclass could feel that it was on top.

But enough about history and sociology. If you’re like me, I bet you’re here for the food.

3 Mardi Gras Recipes

In honor of Mardi Gras, we asked Meathead for some of his favorite Mardi Gras recipes. Yes, that Meathead—founder of Amazingribs.com and author of Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling and the forthcoming The Meathead Method.

Get ready for luscious Oysters Grilled with Roasted Butter and Romano and jaw-busting New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and Andouille Po’Boys.

And if you really want to go all in on Mardi Gras, here’s how Meathead makes Louisiana’s garlicky andouille sausage from scratch.