On this week’s show, just in time for the Fourth of July, we’re celebrating the good old-fashioned American barbecue and the even older tradition of curing meat for preservation and eating.

We begin with Rien Fertel, author of The One True Barbecue, who demystifies the role of the pit master in the tradition of whole hog barbecue in Tennessee and the Eastern Carolinas. Rien’s exhaustive research led him to some of the smokiest and most storied barbecue shacks in America. But you may want to keep your distance, if those pigs catch on fire, it won’t just be the fireworks exploding!

In terms of popularity, menu items like Andouille and Prosciutto are hotter than a firecracker these days. For a better understanding of preserved meats, we speak with Jeff Roberts, educator and author of Salted and Cured: Savoring the Culture, Heritage, and Flavor of America’s Preserved Meats. Jeff  tells us about the role curing played in humanity’s survival and how a new generation of chefs are keeping the tradition alive.

Finally, we join Nathanial Zimet in his kitchen at Boucherie, where he shares his obsession for the meticulous process of deconstructing a whole hog, showing us how his restaurant lives up to its name!

We’re partying with a pig on this week’s Louisiana Eats! For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.