Jordan “Zebra Cake” Crosby has hopped on the viral Hot Cheetos boudin ball TikTok trend and has made them popular in Milwaukee where, until now, they’ve been hard to find.
Crosby is already known in Milwaukee for showcasing his cooking skills and techniques on social media (@zebracakemann on Instagram and @zebraacakemann on TikTok), and for his generosity to his local community. What started as a fun recipe to experiment with turned into something everyone now wants from him.
Boudin is traditionally a blend of cooked pork, rice, onions, peppers and seasonings stuffed into a casing. Boudin balls are a Louisiana specialty in which the sausage is taken out of the casing, deep fried and mixed with flour and breadcrumbs.
The new craze on social media is to add cheese and, instead of breadcrumbs, roll the balls in crushed Hot Cheetos. There are also plenty of variations.
Crosby was encouraged to try it after he saw the recipe among videos suggested to him on TikTok. He didn’t like it, so he added his own spin that used Buffalo chicken or Philly cheesesteak, instead of boudin.
He called them “fireballs.”
“I wouldn’t serve anyone something I wouldn’t eat myself,” said Crosby.
The change turned out to be a hit, and Crosby has sold them at various locations throughout Milwaukee. He’s since come up with other variations.
On his first day offering them to the public, he sold over 300 fireballs at Zao MKE Church.
Now Crosby intends on having Alfredo and seafood fireballs added to the menu at his pop-ups, which he sets up at various locations and times.
Crosby came up with his own ‘fireballs’
Crosby’s trial-and-error experience with the fireballs resulted in him making cooking upgrades. “You’re never going to have a perfect day in the kitchen,” he said.
Initially, he crushed the Hot Cheetos by hand, but a friend suggested he use a food processor. Crosby also shredded chicken with forks at first, but then invested in a hand mixer. He experimented with freezing the balls overnight and discovered the meat didn’t cook thoroughly.
“When you freeze them and try to fry it, the outside only gets cooked and not the inside,” he said. Now the fireballs are only refrigerated for up to two hours.
Crosby described himself as a “one-man army” because he cooks alone in the kitchen. He’s never found anyone else with enough expertise.
He learns new ideas fast
Crosby attended Right Step Inc., a military school, for 5th through 12th grade. He chose culinary arts as a trade there and was hired as head chef.
Crosby then gained experience and began cooking for the public, where he learned how to accept constructive feedback from different customers.
“I had to learn you can’t please everyone,” he said.
TikTok and Facebook became a useful platform for visual learners like Crosby. He said he could watch a cooking video once and know how to duplicate what he saw. Eventually he used his accounts to create step-by-step cooking videos in 60 seconds, so supporters could learn new ideas from him.
In addition to social media, he started in-person workshops called, “Cooking with Zebra.” And last year, he hosted a taste-testing event at Lincoln Park attended by 400 people, offering four types of chicken wings and meatballs.
“My name spread through word-of-mouth because of these events,” said Crosby.
Chef takes time to support, and give back to, Milwaukee
From food to music, Crosby acknowledges how Milwaukeeans put their own touch on things to show where they’re from.
For example, each of Crosby’s cooking videos features a Milwaukee song to promote and support a local Milwaukee rapper.
While traveling, Crosby also finds himself telling out-of-state people about popular Milwaukee foods like frozen custard and Culver’s butterburgers.
Looking ahead, community members are expecting to see Crosby publish a cookbook one day.
His ultimate goal is to have his own food truck — an endeavor currently in the works — and to keep preparing large meals for the homeless every season. His generosity is well-known in his community; he buys and prepares the food out of his own pocket, and friends volunteer to help.
“I think this is what makes my food 10 times better, because I actually have a passion for it,” said Crosby.
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