July 4th BBQ Essentials from New Orleans Legend Kermit Ruffins

We wanted to do something special for our July 4^th blog entry, so we decided to have Brian Knighten, based in Putumayo’s New Orleans office, interview the legendary New Orleans trumpet player and barbecue chef Kermit Ruffins (featured on New Orleans and New Orleans Playround).  Kermit named his band “The Barbecue Swingers”, partly because of his fondness for the grill and tailgating, which has been a tradition of his for 16 years while he plays shows at Vaughn’s in New Orleans.  Read more below to get some interesting BBQ tips for your 4^th of July Weekend!

Brian Knighten: Where did the name “Barbecue Swingers” come from?

Kermit Ruffins: From tailgating. I started tailgating at Vaughn’s during break-time so the guys could have something to eat. So one morning I woke up and said “Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Kings,” but by the middle of the evening I had changed it to “Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers.”  I was having so much fun barbecuing during the show that it just hit me: “Barbecue Swingers”.

BK: So you originally were barbecuing to have some hot food at the shows, then the idea just caught on?

Kermit Ruffins: Yep, the tailgating started [it] all. I would cook hot sausage for the guys during break time, and whatever was left over, we would give it to the fans. Then I bought a big grill and started cooking for everyone, still up [to] today! We only barbecue at Vaughn’s during the big times - Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras…

BK:  Whenever there’s a get-together, are you always the one in charge of the grill?

Kermit Ruffins: Oh yeah, you know it! I actually just bought a new Lloyd’s Grill that I pull with my truck. Got it just before Jazz Fest. It’s got a smoker and everything. It’s at least eight feet long.

BK: So, if there’s a party, it’s like, “Kermit, bring the pit”?

Kermit Ruffins: Oh yeah. Like this Saturday, for the 4^th of July, I am playing at the Rock ‘n’ Bowl, and I’ve got two 50 pound pigs that I’ll put on the grill Friday so they’ll be ready for Saturday. With a grill like that, you got to bring it.

BK: How can you watch the grill and play at the same time?

Kermit Ruffins: Well, actually, I don’t. It’s really just about timing. It’s gotten to the point where I know exactly when things need to be pulled on or pulled off the grill, [so] that I just holler at a friend, “Put that hot sausage on, it’ll be ready at break time.”

BK: You just stop in the middle of the set and yell “Hot sausage”?

Kermit Ruffins: In between the songs. I tell jokes anyway during the show, so people are used to it.

BK: What traditions have developed since you began playing these weekly sets?

Kermit Ruffins:  It’s a tradition to have the red beans and rice. Big Chris, the owner [of Vaughn's], cooks them every Thursday night; when he can’t do it, I’ll go there and cook it for him. Everybody loves the beans.

BK: Everybody has a different recipe for cooking ribs. What do you think is best?

Kermit Ruffins: Throw olive oil, Tony Chachere’s seasoning and granulated garlic together, and throw them on the grill. I don’t put them in the oven first, like some people, you just have to know when to pull them. Now for large ribs, I boil them first with a little crab boil. But for baby back [ribs], I put them straight on the grill - if I have time to watch them! Oh, and wrap them in foil first.

BK: What do you consider the one essential rule or ingredient for a perfect barbecue?

Kermit Ruffins: Patton’s Hot Sausage. It’s a local Louisiana hot sausage, and I am telling you, man, it’s delicious! You can’t have a good bowl of gumbo without Patton’s Hot Sausage. It comes in a red and white bucket. All beef. You talkin’ spicy!

BK: Do you have any recipes or tips you would like to share with us?

Kermit Ruffins: I like to use a pan. I cook a lot of things in the pan - shrimp, fish, chicken, anything. Just a little olive oil, Tony Chachere’s, granulated garlic, thyme, and a little beer. Wrap it tight for an hour and a half; it’s like cooking in the oven. After, if you want, you can put them on the grill so they get that pecan wood taste.

BK: Pecan wood?

Kermit Ruffins: Oh yeah. I love pecan wood. You can buy it in some stores around here, or I just go in the backyard of someone who has a tree [and] gather some wood. You soak it for a few hours - five or six - get your fire going, put the pecan wood in there and it gives you the most beautiful smell! You can use the bark that falls off the tree, or the pecans themselves, with the tree wood, put it in the corner of the grill, and you won’t believe the taste. Pecan wood is good. It’s better than hickory.

BK: That’s one tip I will definitely use!  Where can we see you next?

Kermit Ruffins: Well, you can catch me every Thursday night at Vaughn’s. Or, for the New Yorkers, we are playing Midsummer Night Swing at the Lincoln Center on July 7. It’s an early show in New York, so be sure tell everyone to check the time.

BK: Kermit, thank you so much. It was a pleasure.

Kermit Ruffins: Thank you for the opportunity. Be sure to check on the new album.