Beyoncé’s new album “Country Carter” drops on March 29. Here’s what to serve at your listening party.
We’re just a few days away from the release of Beyoncé’s country album, Cowboy Carter, and we can hardly contain ourselves.
Beyoncé was already my top Spotify artist of 2023, and there’s a good chance this album will lock her into first place again this year.
On March 29 — Good Friday, indeed — Beyoncé drops the country album she teased during the Super Bowl. We have all the faith in the world in Bey, plus we already have “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” to go off.
We know you’ve been listening, because together the tracks have more than 200 million streams on Spotify alone. But do you have any clue what to serve at an album release party for the record dubbed Cowboy Carter?
Obviously we’re going for some big Texas vibes. Queen B is famously from Houston, a city known for a wide range of cuisines, including Vietnamese food and breakfast tacos. And more broadly, Texas is associated with barbecue, Tex Mex, chili con carne, ribs, and more. So we’ve gathered a broad swath of options depending on what aspect of the Lone Star State and cowboy culture you want to tap into.
After all, food in Texas is diverse, just like country music itself.
Plenty of small-minded people have been griping online about the idea of Beyoncé releasing a country album (though in a recent Instagram post, she said it isn’t a country album per se, but a Beyoncé album). It’s ridiculous if you know anything about Beyoncé — you can easily find photos of Destiny’s Child promoting their album way back in 2001 wearing cowboy hats and fringe, something you may see called “cowgirlcore.” And she has just as much a claim to it as any other Texan.
But it’s also absurd given the long history of Black cowboy culture, not to mention other contemporary Black artists making country music, including (but not limited to) Mickey Guyton, Rhiannon Giddens, and Darius Rucker. And let’s not forget that the most recent Country Music Awards nod for Song of the Year went to Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” (after Luke Combs released a loving-yet-inferior country version of the legendary track).
Chances are, you don’t need to be told any of that. So if you’re ready to ride 16 carriages down the old town road, here are a bevy of food ideas — some with clear influences from Black and African food traditions — for your Beyoncé album release listening party!
1
Serene Herrera
Chile Relleno Recipe
Chile Relleno can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or easy dinner. Spicy, savory, and perfectly delectable.
This queso fresco dip with sour cream takes just minutes to prepare, but packs a big punch of flavor. Cool and creamy sour cream, fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco and a few Mexican spices are all you need for the hit of the party!
Pho, the popular Vietnamese soup, is great any time of year. It’s a popular choice in Houston given the city’s large Vietnamese population and wide range of restaurants serving it.
Grilled Pulled Pork Tex Mex Stuffed Avocados are a fun way to get your grill on without getting too unhealthy. With a kiss from the grill, the avocados get a little char before being stuffed with saucy pulled pork, peppers and an avocado crema.
