His new catering caravan, Pork ‘N’ Beans, had to be specially made to fit him inside. We laugh about this over the phone.
Rutherford has spent most of his life living in Houston and Austin, Texas, falling in love with the South and subsequently falling in love with barbequed meat. He’s especially fond of pork. Travels aside, the real inspiration for his new food truck started six years ago, when Rutherford battled with alcoholism. He began cooking as a form of therapy and continued right through recovery. Now sober, he’s still keen on the craft and has been perfecting his pork-cooking skills. He’s back in New Zealand and might just give the humble sausage sizzle a run for its money.
This travelling kitchen will offer, amongst other things, slow pohutukawa-smoked pork shoulder (pork butt); carnitas (Mexican-style pork slow cooked in lard); Asian-inspired aromatic pork belly and pork, jalapeno and cheddar meatloaf sandwiches which Rutherford says have been flying out the door. Additions to the menu include pickles, kimchi and sauces made from scratch. Struggling to describe the style of food, he settles on “Texas barbecue with Asian influences and a bit of Tex-Mex.” It’s the full piggy round up.
Rutherford will be in the city all summer parking up in various spots from Silo Park to Mt Albert, check out @porknbeansnz Instagram, Twitter or Facebook for the truck’s coordinates.
Pork ‘N’ Beans
@porknbeansnz
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