If you were going to give one piece of advice to a young person who wanted to get into the business of barbecue or just “food” in general, what would that be?
Stage! Stage! Stage! Spend 3 months working really hard at a place you admire with people who will push you and teach you. If you still like after that then by all means pursue it. This job isn’t for everyone. And it certainly isn’t glamorous.
If you could do something outside of the restaurant/hospitality business, what would that be?
A doctor or scientist. I have a bachelor’s degree in molecular biochemistry. Before culinary school I was really considering something medical. I even considered becoming a virologist! Can you imagine?! I think about that all the time now because of the pandemic.
When you actually get the chance…what do you do for fun with girlfriends or a “Night Out?”
Usually, we go out for dinner and drinks. Nights with friends are few and far between, so I consider the evening an opportunity to try a new restaurant or hot spot while catching up.
When you have guests in town are there any local restaurants, shops, or favorite attractions you like to direct them to?
I always tell people to check out Coltivare, which is my favorite restaurant in town. If they aren’t familiar with TexMex I take them to Ninfa’s on Navigation. I also love taking out-of-towners to Chinatown and Little India. There is no shortage of great ethnic restaurants in this town.
Favorite Musician?
I love listening to music but I don’t obsess over a musician. I like music to be something I stumble across and enjoy listening to.
If you were to empty out your purse on the table right now, what would we find?
My purse weighs about 15 pounds. Its ridiculous. I have lots of work documents, my laptop, wallet with 3 checkbooks (!!!), a big Yeti water bottle, sunglasses, usually some snacks for Wyatt, a massive key chain with keys for ALL THE THINGS, some lip gloss, and about 10 masks that I keep forgetting to take out and put in the laundry.
Is there a local or national charitable cause that you support and would like more people to be aware of?
I’m the co-founder of an organization called I’ll Have What She’s Having. We are an organization uniting women chefs, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs, physicians, scientists, artists and other professionals in social activism. Our particular focus is creating a community that focuses on women’s rights, women’s healthcare, and mentorship for the women in the hospitality industry. We recently launched the 1973 Project Fund to raise awareness and funds for Texas women.
Anything we should look out for coming up at the restaurants soon?
We are about to launch our 2021 Thanksgiving menu!!! The menu and order guide will be live on our website www.fegesbbq.com soon!
We end each interview with a piece we can share from your kitchen to the reader’s home kitchen. Think of it as sharing a recipe card from one good friend to another. What is a favorite recipe you like to share from your home kitchen when you are entertaining with friends and family?
In honor of Thanksgiving being around the corner here is my whole hog stuffing recipe. I’ve made this every year since we started doing whole hog at the restaurant and it’s my favorite stuffing to eat!
Ingredients:
1 bag of cubed rustic bread
1 cup chopped leeks
1 cup diced celery
1 ea yellow onion, diced
½ lbs Feges BBQ smoked whole hog
1 cup smoke hog lard
2-3 cups poultry stock
Thyme leaves
Sage leaves, torn
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spread the cubed bread onto a baking sheet and lightly toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Once toasted, set aside and increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.
2. Crisp the whole hog in a large sauté over medium heat. You may need to add 1 tbsp of the hog fat to get a good sear. Once browned and crispy, remove the hog and set hog aside in a large mixing bowl.
3. In the same pan melt 2 tbsp hog lard. Sauté the leeks, celery, and onions in the hog lard until softened. Add 1 cup of poultry stock to de-glaze then transfer to the bowl containing the crisped whole hog.
4. Toss the toasted bread cubes, thyme leaves, and torn sage leaves into the bowl containing the other ingredients and mix well.
5. Add poultry stock to the bowl in 1 cup increments, mixing well between each addition. Stop adding stock when the bread has fully absorbed the stock and liquid starts pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
6. Grease a 9x13in baking dish, or similar, with hog lard. Pour the contents of the bowls into the baking dish. Using a spoon or pastry brush slather the remaining hog fat over the top of the stuffing. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
