Posted by Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle
, July 21, 2009 12:22
When asked for “Your Favorite Thing to Eat at a Soul Food Place?”, Roadfood.com readers were clear: fried chicken! Give ‘em sides of macaroni and cheese and greens and they’ll be in soul food heaven. Some of the choices could probably use an explanation. Chicken and waffles sounds like it might be waffles topped by some sort of chicken stew concoction, but it’s actually fried chicken served with waffles and syrup. Cracklins are fried, crunchy pork rind and fat. They’re eaten as is, and also mixed into batter to make cracklin bread. Chitlins are pig intestines. Maws are pig stomach. Jowls are pig cheeks. Hocks are the bony portion of the pigs legs above the feet. Neck bones received the fewest number of votes – 8 – and these also come from pigs. They are stewed to a sloppy and juicy tenderness, and they are very good eating, much better than they sound. But you have to like to pick around at your food, and get messy.
