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@stolengoodsatl is a pop-up chef collective led by Maximilian Hines, current executive chef of Midtown mainstay, The Lawrence. His founding of Stolen Goods highlights many changes that Hines hopes to see in the restaurant industry by intentionally highlighting minority chefs in Atlanta – particularly Black chefs.
Hines sees the collective as an opportunity to express not only his own style of cooking, but also the cooking styles of other chefs. Despite his work on several different projects, Hines really hopes to continue moving Stolen Goods forward.
Most recently, Hines presented a dish for Gather’ Round’s Soul of the South dinner. His approach to cooking marries local Georgia ingredients with global influences to create refined but approachable cuisine. His featured dish was a jackfruit pastor Frito pie. Chef Hines says the idea for the Frito pie comes from Mississippi tamales and “that lane where Black and Mexican laborers intersect.” Mystery surrounds the origins of the Mississippi tamale, but the style is distinct and differs from other Latin-style tamales. They have a rougher texture from the use of cornmeal instead of corn flour, and they pack a punch with spicy heat.
Hines’ use of Fritos is both nostalgic and mimics the gritty texture of cornmeal. He also incorporated global flavors through the addition of jackfruit married with the spices and chilis of al pastor. American diners may associate jackfruit as an ingredient new to the world of meat alternatives. However, jackfruit has a past that, like many other foods, intertwines with the rich, but all too forgotten histories of marginalized people. British colonization led to transport of jackfruit from Southeast Asia to the Caribbean, as it served as a cheap source of nutrition for enslaved populations. Jackfruit, known locally as breadfruit, made a new home in the Caribbean. Combining the natural meatiness of jackfruit with al pastor spices really highlights the cross-sectional identity of this dish between Afro-American and Mexican cultures.
“This is my homage to Black and Mexican cooks,” says Hines. “We should be coming together more. There is more that unites us than divides us.”
Stolen Goods regularly pop-ups around time. Follow their Instagram account and our underground dining calendar for upcoming events.
Behind the Food is a column from the Punk Foodie that highlights some of the most unique and delicious dishes from the Atlanta underground dining scene. Go deeper via Punk Foodie’s weekly guides and pop-up calendar.
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