A po’boy is a New Orleans sandwich on French bread, dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo. The protein is the variable. Here the protein is whatever came off the Traeger — sliced brisket warmed in its own drippings, pulled pork with a splash of vinegar, or andouille seared cut-side down until a crust develops. Three versions. One very good sandwich.
Make the remoulade. Combine mayo, Creole mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and celery seed. Stir well. Taste and adjust. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes if you have time — the flavors sharpen as it sits. This keeps for a week in the fridge and improves everything it touches.
Toast the bread. Split the French bread lengthwise. Place cut-side up on a baking sheet. Broil on high for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden on the cut surface. Watch it closely — broilers vary and the difference between toasted and burned is about 30 seconds. You want a light crust on the cut side and a soft interior.
Prepare your protein.
Brisket: Slice thin against the grain. In a skillet over medium heat, warm the sliced brisket in a splash of beef drippings or stock. Let it just heat through — 2 minutes. Collect any debris (the caramelized bits from the cutting board or resting pan) and keep them warm with the sliced meat.
Pulled Pork: Warm in a pan over medium-low heat with a splash of stock. When heated through, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and toss to coat. The vinegar brightens the pork and cuts the richness.
Andouille/Sausage: Split lengthwise. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high. Place sausage cut-side down. Press flat with a spatula. Sear 2–3 minutes until the cut surface develops a dark crust. Flip and warm the other side 1 minute.
Dress the bread. Spread remoulade generously on both cut surfaces of the toasted bread. On the bottom half, layer: shredded iceberg lettuce first, then sliced tomato, then pickle chips.
Build and serve. Lay the protein generously on top of the dressed bread. For the brisket version, spoon the warm debris and drippings over the meat before closing the sandwich — that's where most of the flavor is. Press the top down. Cut in half. Serve immediately.
These are not a knife-and-fork situation. Eat over the sink or wrapped in butcher paper.
In New Orleans, "dressed" is an ordering term. Say it and you get all four.
If you want only some of those toppings, specify. A "naked" po'boy is just bread and protein.
Origin
The po’boy originated in New Orleans in 1929 at Martin Brothers Coffee Stand & Restaurant, created to feed striking streetcar workers.
Leidenheimer French bread is the New Orleans standard — long loaves with a thin, crackling crust and a light, soft interior. Outside New Orleans, any good French or Italian sandwich bread works. Avoid thick-crusted artisan sourdough — the bread should support the filling, not compete with it. The po'boy is about what's inside.
A "dressed" po'boy comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo — the full toppings. If you want the works, order it dressed. If you want it plain (protein only), just say "undressed." T-Bone replaces plain mayo with Cajun remoulade for an extra kick that makes the whole sandwich more interesting.
Cajun remoulade is a spiced mayo-based sauce built on Creole mustard, hot sauce, garlic, celery, and paprika. It's more assertive than plain mayo and adds a distinctive Cajun kick. It's different from classic New Orleans seafood remoulade, which is more vinegar-forward. This version works on every BBQ protein — brisket, pulled pork, or andouille.
Brisket makes the best BBQ po'boy — the smoke flavor and fat content create a sandwich that's hard to beat. Pulled pork works well with a slightly sweeter profile. Andouille brings the most Cajun character and the most heat. All three can be combined for a debris-style po'boy, which is how they do it at Mother's Restaurant in New Orleans.