Fire-Baked Bourbon Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Perfectly grilled for a golden finish, this dessert is sweet and boozy
Fire, flavor, and Southern soul: Authentic outdoor recipes from the American South
Introduction by Cameron J. Rhodes / Menu curated by Meredith Ouzounian and Susie Marsh / Photography by Celery City Creative / Meats provided by Wassi’s, Melbourne, Florida / wassismeatmarket.com
Sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Big Green Egg.
Perfectly grilled for a golden finish, this dessert is sweet and boozy
Warm, sweet flavors with a playful, grilled twist
Perfect for summer grilling and elegant outdoor dining
This vibrant dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser
Ideal for backyard cookouts and hearty dinners
A perfect balance of heat and savory richness
Grilled barbecue chicken with tangy Charleston slaw and fire-baked buttermilk biscuits
Hush puppies with a crispy, golden exterior and a hint of Cajun spice
Grilled oysters with a creamy garlic herb topping and a hint of heat
A refreshing southern twist
Refreshing and vibrant, this cocktail is perfect for backyard gatherings
The perfect mix of smooth, rich, and caffeinated flavors
Crist and aromatic, and perfect for backyard sipping
A simple twist on a classic favorite
Kickstart brunch with a bold cocktail
Refreshing cucumber, mint, and a hint of jalapeño
American mule with ginger beer and a splash of lime
A ginger lemonade with a zesty, refreshing kick
Refreshing with a kick
A sweet-heat cocktail that blends fresh watermelon, lime, and a kick of jalapeño
Under the star-spangled skies of the American South—where coastal summers hang thick beneath old live oaks and winters often harbor only a mild touch—food sings with the same diversity of texture, flavor and culture that you’d find among the region’s Southern drawls. The cuisine is not only a tribute to a harrowing history, but also a vibrant celebration of resilience and heritage, as well as filled with wild and carefully cultivated ingredients. Here, from the saltwater marshes of the Carolinas to Lone Star lands only trod by hooves or boots with spurs, fire is still king.
The same flames that bring old southern forests back to life ignite the very staples of any Southern menu. And where better to wield that fire than on the grill? With so many quality grills and smokers on the market today, including the likes of the Big Green Egg, it’s the right time to cook creatively in the backyard.
Italians may have coined the phrase alfresco, but Southerners have built whole cultural events around it. Pig pickins, Lowcountry boils and oyster roasts—in the South, there’s no better way to celebrate a landscape and its people than with a meal prepared and shared outdoors.
When we decided to bring you a taste of Southern cuisine in this edition of The Catch, we turned to three ladies well-versed in the ways of the flame: Meredith Ouzounian, Susie Marsh and Michelle Gaylord. Each of these talented women expertly wield fire to create down-home dishes, the kind you too can make on your grill.
An accomplished chef passionate about bringing together fire, seasonality and the outdoors, Ouzounian specializes in cooking honest food with the freshest local ingredients. The executive sous chef at The Breakers, Marsh first developed a passion for food thanks to her grandmother, and she spends much of her free time perfecting the craft of curing and smoking meats. An acclaimed photographer whose work is regularly featured in Marlin, Gaylord is a proudly self-confessed barbecue addict and devote.
You can expect creative takes on Southern classics such as grill-fired hush puppies, oysters, buttermilk biscuits, beef ribs, mac and cheese, swordfish, and so much more that will have you loosening your belt while reaching for a sweet tea or, better yet, a refreshing Tito’s cocktail.
he Fourteen Acres™ Farm was built for the Tito’s team at its distillery with this concept in mind: create an environment where fresh food is accessible. From lunch cooked onsite using produce from the farm, to weekly farmers markets stocked with produce for employees to take home, down at the distillery, inspiration to eat well is everywhere you turn.
Over the years, the farm has grown from salvaged pieces and spare parts to a thriving farm of raised beds, hoop houses, greenhouses, captured rainwater, and so much more.
Cultivated by a team of seven farmers and producing over 25+ types of fruits and vegetables, the farm is expanding employees’ relationships with food. Through a weekly on-site farmers market, employees have the opportunity to select the fresh produce they’re most interested in. During each market, folks can chat with the farmers to learn how the fruits and vegetables are grown and get tips and tricks for preparing, cooking, and storing their produce at home.
The team has also hosted educational tours for folks from the community—nonprofits, graduate students, and distributors—to learn more about regenerative farming practices.
With all of this in mind, it’s no surprise that the farm is the key inspiration for the Love, Tito’s Block to Block program. Through Block to Block, Tito’s teams up with local nonprofits across the U.S. to create, improve, and enhance community gardens and farms, volunteering time and skills through boots-on-the-ground service that nurture neighborhood spaces and bring community members together.
In addition to increasing access to fresh food, Block to Block projects have expanded to support animal wellbeing, veteran services, and the environment. What began as building raised beds and planting seedlings has evolved into improving animal shelters, supporting veteran centers and programs, conserving natural spaces, and more.
Through Block to Block, Tito’s is reconnecting communities through transformative volunteer projects, one block at a time.
To take a walk through the farm and learn more about the Block to Block program, visit titosvodka.com.
Stand near a live fire and time seems to slow. Stories linger. Laughter carries. For more than a million years, people have cooked this way, turning simple ingredients into shared memories. Big Green Egg champions that ancient ritual within a modern world, inviting families, friends and neighbors to gather outside and reconnect over the glow of real charcoal.
The Egg is a refined take on the classic kamado oven. Thick, high-performance ceramics hold steady heat and protect precious moisture. Natural lump charcoal lights quickly, burns clean, and delivers a gentle wood-smoke character. Two intuitive vents make temperature control simple, from a low-and-slow ride for ribs or pork shoulder to a roaring sear for steaks and tuna. That precision turns one cooker into a versatile platform for grilling, smoking, roasting and baking. Think blistered pizzas after a day on the water, tuna collars lacquered and tender, and cast-iron cobblers that crackle when the spoon breaks the top.
Behind the iconic green dome sits a clear belief system. Cooking counts as an act of love. Excellence shows up in repeatable results and materials that last. Promises matter, whether the task is a quick weeknight dinner or an overnight brisket. People come first, so the experience is designed around gatherings rather than gadgets. Once set, temperatures stay steady. Space expands with modular accessories when the guest list grows. The goal is not just a perfect plate. The goal is a circle of chairs that never seems to empty.
Sustainability, in this context, begins with longevity. A Big Green Egg is built to live outside for decades and carries a lifetime warranty. That means fewer throwaway seasons and more seasons of stories. Fueled by hardwood lump charcoal, the Egg uses a simple, natural fuel that keeps flavors clean and ingredients at the center of the plate. The ceramic construction is remarkably efficient, which helps shorten preheat times and stretch every bag of charcoal a little farther.
The result is a cooker that turns meals into markers, like the first sail of the season, or a birthday that drifted into stargazing. It is not only about what rests on the grate. It is about who gathers around it and how long they stay. From dockside fish fries to Sunday roasts at home, the Egg turns fresh ingredients and real charcoal into the kind of meals people remember. LIFE TASTES BETTER OUTSIDE.
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