Normal American bar-b-q isn’t what your old man did to burgers and hot dogs in the yard on that hot summers day. That was grilling ( cooking at once over flames ) a great practice however it ain’t real BBQ.
B.B.Q and barbecuing are commonly confused because both involve flames and cooking food. Real Old Skool bar-b-q takes place when you place a big cut of meat or ribs in closed pit and let it cook indirectly ( away from the fire ) with the low heat and smoke of a charcoal and / or wood fire. The perfect temperature in one of these pits sometimes runs between 225-250 degrees, and this very slow wondrous process breaks down the connecting tissue of the meat and turns tricky cuts into the most tasty tender food on earth. This alchemy needs a slow and low heat for a genuine long time. Bar-b-cue was made for just this purpose, to turn enormous tough cheap slices of meat like meat brisket and pork shoulder into tender, superb BBQ goodness worth fighting and dying for. Bar-b-cue is a real American original with it’s roots in the south, but it is renown has grown over time and now it has branches reaching everywhere. Each area of the country has it’s own one-off style and definition of what good “Q” is.
Me? I like ‘em all. Eastern North Carolina This style involves pork shoulder or a complete pig cooked with hickory smoke, then it’s cut or pulled and mixed up with some of a tasty vinegar based BBQ sauce ( no tomato ). This bit o ‘ heaven is served on a bun with some slaw.
Western North Carolina This type of BBQ is all about the pork “butt” it’s seasoned with a tomato based vinegar sauce. This is a genuine huge difference to the neighbors, so mind your P’s and Q’s. Texas Lone star ‘Que is all about meat brisket smoked with mesquite or oak. This style arose out of the old German butcher shops where they might cook the unwanted tricky pieces of meat till it was melt in your mouth good. Some of Texas’s best BBQ joints were once butcher shops and you can still get some great sausage with your B.B.Q. Some Texans say if you are using sauce there must be anything wrong. But if you are going to, please make it tomato ketchup based with some cumin, chili and beef drippings. Kansas Town K.C. Style barbecue is what the general public think about when you assert BBQ. At one time, it was all about spare ribs with a thick sweet sauce but these days the chopped crispy “burnt ends” of meat brisket are giving them ribs some cutthroat competition. Either way one thing is for sure sauce is king in K.C. Memphis Home of the blues, great ribs and shredded pork. When you order Memphis ribs they will ask you “wet or dry?”. Dry means just with the mouth watering dry rub and wet means with sauce on them bones. I like my ribs dry with a little bit of some sweet sour tomato based sauce on the side.
The pork is combined with the local sauce and it is not to be missed.