Sooey!

I love a good sandwich, but the ones I scarfed down last week from Cochon Butcher in the New Orleans Warehouse District were other-worldly — a combination of sturdy, house-cured meats on toothy breads with spunky accoutrements that made everything sing.

The amazing banh mi (Vietnamese po-boy) was prepared with Cochon’s own head cheese, pork pate and pickled vegetables with cilantro and mint on a small po-boy roll. I loved its fine texture and diversity of punchy, sweet flavors. The pork belly on white bread, which sounds like serious truck stop fare, was precious, delicate and unbelievably tender.

Pork belly, one of the darlings of the New Orleans dining scene, makes it way onto this sandwich between slightly sweet slices, dressed with mint and cucumber. The muffaletto is a winner, too, especially when you consider the meats therein are made right on the premises. Cochon Butcher is the latest creation of James Beard Award winner Chef Donald Link of Herbsaint and Cochon, along with partners Chef Stephen Stryjewski and Chef Warren Stephens. The small space features a counter filled with fresh meats, homemade terrines, andouille, head cheese, tasso and more, plus boutique wines and designer sandwiches that still feel old-world. Definitely worth a drop-by.

Meanwhile, here at home, check out Link’s new cookbook, Real Cajun, Rustic Home Cooking.