BBQ is in the Eye of the Beholder

Texas Style
By R.F. Wright

Ask anyone, anyone at all, what real BBQ is, and you will have as many different answers as the number of people in the room.  But, people who love BBQ will agree on 2 points.

1.   That their home state is where BBQ originated. 

2.   So....their home state serves the only real BBQ.

And so, the debate goes on.  But can you think of any other subject so disputed and so loved, that everyone wants to stake their claim?  It's as American as apple pie.  And we do love our apple pie!

So, for the sake of "the love of BBQ" we will explore them all.  Starting with Texas BBQ.

First of all, it helps to know that BBQ, as a method of cooking, is almost secondary to what's "on the grill."  Meaning, what was available to cook.  The slaves in the southeast cooked mainly pork ribs.  The farmers allowed their hogs to roam free getting fat on apples and nuts.  This saved many hours in labor and the cost of raising them in pens.  They would be caught and slaughtered as the need arose. Slaves getting only the portions of the hog that were considered by the farmers as "unusable."  So pork ribs were on the menu all over the southeast, into Arkansas, and eventually, brought up Chicago way.

But Texas was and always has been cattle country.  So the abundance of beef meant beef ribs and brisket for everybody.   Texas was settled in the mid 1800's by people of German decent.  Meat cutters, by trade, they migrated and settled in Texas to live and work.  The German Butchers were largely responsible for the available cuts, and the popularity of the brisket.  Considered a tough cut of meat, it would be slow cooked for up to 20 hours at a temperature of 200 to 275 degrees.  Always about 3 ft. from the actual fire.  The dry rub was the preferred way to season the beef before cooking, and the sauce, always served on the side.  The type of wood is most important to achieve the great flavor that Texas Style BBQ is famous for.   The hardwoods, preferably oak, and most important, mesquite.  No charcoal briquettes here!   Beef ribs, of course, was always on the menu, and no self respecting Texas BBQ would be complete without Cowboy beans and corn bread.

You can serve real Texas BBQ at home, too!  Just go to the grocery store and buy a box of Hot Wood for your BBQ pit.  Pick up a bag of Mesquite chips while you’re there.  Be sure to read the directions on the bag.  You’ll need to soak them in water before you scatter them on top of the hardwood so they can create that wonderful smoky mesquite flavor and aroma. Be sure to keep your brisket off the direct flame using indirect heat to slowly smoke and cook your meat at the same time to achieve real Texas BBQ taste!

Or, you can check out the many fine Texas Style BBQ restaurants right here at www.SoulFoodGuide.com.  You're sure to find one right in your own neighborhood. If you don’t see your favorite BBQ place in our list. Just email our Editor, Bob Moses, and give us the information and we will list it for you. 

So when you ask a Texan what real BBQ is, the answer will most certainly be......... brisket!   Oh, the beef ribs are great, likewise the sausage, ham and don't forget the chicken.  But it's the brisket that put "Texas Style” BBQ on the map! 

BBQ is in The Eye of the Beholder

"Arkansas Style"
By R.F. Wright

Several summers ago when this web site was launched, I was sitting and talking with my sister, Katy.  Katy lived in Little Rock for years and raised 2 sons there, before moving out to California with my nephews.  Her younger son moved back to Rogers, Arkansas where he lives today with his wife, and their new baby girl, Debra Michelle.  So, real ‘"Arkansas Style BBQ"   according to Katy, is served all over Little Rock, and is the preferred regional favorite.

So, now you’re in "Razorback Country" and it should come as no surprise, that the regional favorite is......pork!  The best part about this BBQ is not how you cook it, but how you serve it!  You start with a fresh pork picnic roast.  Now the picnic roast is the same cut as a country ham, only not cured or smoked in any way.   It usually comes "bone in" with the rind still intact.  BBQ the meat using your own preferred method and your favorite pit.  You can use a gas grill, charcoal, or hardwood.   It doesn't matter.  Take your time; you've got all day, right?  After the roast is fork tender and falling off the bone, use forks to totally shred all of the pork, discarding the bones and rind.  (Unlike a ham, you do not remove the rind before cooking, it continues to "self baste" your pork keeping your meat tender and juicy.  Simply remove it by cutting it off with a knife.) 

Now, while your pork is slow cooking, coarsely shred a head of cabbage, and a few carrots together with a small green bell pepper.  Finish your cole slaw with a sweet mayo based dressing made with a small amount of cream or milk.  Take about 1 cup of real mayonnaise and stir in a small amount of cream or even a little milk, 2 percent if you are watching your waistline.  About 2-3 teaspoons.  To add a "little sweet", add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar, and for added color and texture, toss in a few poppy seeds.  You can get them in the spice section of your local supermarket.  Or, simply buy your favorite Poppy Seed dressing, I really like Marie's.

Now, make your favorite tomato based BBQ sauce with brown sugar and plenty of fresh ground black pepper, so it is thick, sweet and smoky.  Combine the shredded pork with the sauce, and serve it hot on a fresh Kaiser roll, with a scoop of cole slaw right on top of the BBQ’d pork!

The wonderful combination of the BBQ'd pork and the coleslaw are fantastic and well worth the extra effort.  It's a great entrée’ for your next back yard party.  Just have plenty of napkins available, and pitchers of ice tea.  Your family’s favorite baked beans, some corn on the cob, a peach cobbler for dessert, and let the compliments flow.

Or you can go to Little Rock and try this wonderful regional "Arkansas Style BBQ" for yourself. It's almost vacation time, and Arkansas is beautiful in the summertime. Very historic, with plenty to see.  But before you venture out, don't forget to consult your web site, www.SoulFoodGuide.com for travel tips and restaurant suggestions.  We will soon have listings on our directory of establishments you may want to visit the next time you go to Arkansas. 

So, just tell 'em, "Katy sent ya!"  Have a great time and "Go Pigs!!"

Chicago Style BBQ

By R.F. Wright

"Chi Town" as Chicago is affectionately known, is famous for many things, State Street, Lake Michigan, ”The Old Stockyards”, Pipers Alley, just to name a few.  I grew up just outside Chicago, and I still remember going down to Maxwell Street to get the wonderful pork chops that were bbq'd right on the street corners.  Those were the good ole days.  One year for Christmas, we went to Chicago to see the Nutcracker Ballet at the original McCormick Center before the big fire, and afterwards, went out for some of their famous deep dish “Chicago Style pizza”!  You just can't get that out here on the west coast, but it sure would be nice.  And just like the pizza, Chicago Style BBQ is some of the best you'll ever taste! 

What makes Chicago unique is the fact that it sits smack in the middle of the country on a lake as big as an ocean.  Try and top that!  You can be right in the heart of the city and its 100 degrees in the shade.  The skyscrapers and the streets radiate incredible heat!  But go 2 more blocks to Lake Michigan and the temperature drops by 20 degrees.  It's amazing!

Chicago was a destination for free slaves even before the war.  After World War II even more so.  They came and brought with them two things, BBQ & the Blues.  Chicago welcomed each with open arms and embraced them.

Pork was the favorite of the old south and Illinois is hog country to be sure, a happy coincidence to say the least.  Chicago Style BBQ is slow cooked for hours.  Up to 20 hours if you are cooking pork shoulder.  Pork spare ribs are preferred over baby back ribs for two reasons.  They are meatier and therefore able to withstand the higher heat which is a common method of BBQ’n pork ribs in Chicago.  Besides the pork ribs, another Chicago favorite is "pulled pork" sandwiches.  For pulled pork, a pork shoulder or pork picnic is BBQ'd until fork tender.  The meat is then pulled apart by hand, and served on fresh buns with a generous amount of BBQ sauce.  The rich tomato based sauce is the favorite with lots of fresh cracked pepper and brown sugar.  In Chicago the preferred cole slaw is made with a slightly sweet mayonnaise based dressing and served on the side with baked beans and corn bread.

So it comes as no surprise that "Chicago Style BBQ" is famous all over the world.  Just like the "Chicago Style Blues" just two, of the many reasons to visit Chicago, and believe me, the list goes on and on.

Don't forget to check the restaurant directory at SoulFoodGuide.com to find the nearest "Chicago Style" BBQ in your home town.  If your favorite BBQ place is not listed, contact Bob Moses, our editor and let us know. Your recommendations are very important to us and help us share these wonderful places with all who visit our website.

Or, you can just go to Chicago!  Can you really think of a better way to spend a weekend than BBQ and the Blues along the Chicago lakeside?  Neither can we.   See you in "Chi Town"   and have a great summer, Go White Sox!!     

Memphis Style BBQ

By R.F. Wright

Memphis, Tennessee prides itself in being called "The BBQ Pork Capital of the World” At least, that is, if you live in Memphis.

Each year, "Memphis in May" attracts over 100,000 cooks and "Q" enthusiasts to Memphis for the Annual BBQ Pork Cook Off. Prior to the cook off, there are 50 smaller contests across the country, with each winner invited to Memphis for the big event.  This event is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Largest BBQ Pork Cook Off in the World.  This would make Memphis “The BBQ Pork Capital of the World!"  But we can not do a story on Memphis without mentioning Elvis Presley, Graceland, and the birthplace of the Blues on Beale Street.

It all started back in the early 1800's with the migration of slaves and settlers from Virginia and the Carolinas.  Smoking was a way of curing and preserving meat at that time, especially hams, pork shoulder and ribs.  The migration from New Orleans brought spices and sauces and the rest, as they say, is history.  Memphis boasts over 100 BBQ restaurants right in the city.  From small places in old gas stations to larger eateries that seat 750 people, they all make a living cooking BBQ.

The pork shoulder is usually put on the pit at about 5 pm and slow cooked all night so by the next day, it's ready to serve.  The meat is sliced right off the shoulder and served hot on a bun with bbq sauce and a scoop of cole slaw atop.  Pulled pork sandwiches, bbq’d turkey, ham and bologna sandwiches, also served up with a scoop of coleslaw.  Memphis style cole slaw is made with a mustard based dressing.  Side dishes include potato salad, baked beans, and bbq'd spaghetti.  This popular pasta dish is made with pork and bbq sauce and served on the side with everything from ribs to chicken. 

Memphis is also the home of Corky's BBQ which is so popular; they ship their products all over the country.  Not bad for a family owned BBQ place in Tennessee!

Chances are there is a Memphis Style BBQ restaurant right in your own home town.  The popularity of "Memphis Style BBQ" is sweeping the country.   So, if you haven't added "Memphis Style" bbq to your favorite list of dining establishments, you might want to do so.  And I'd hurry if I were you, the lines are getting long. 

Doing it "St Louis Style"

By R.F. Wright

Welcome to St Louis, the official gateway to the west as proven by the famous arch.  There are 3 rivers that converge at this great city, the mighty Mississippi, the Missouri River and the Illinois River, all doing their part to create the amazing Mecca, known as St. Louis.  The city takes its name from King Louie IX while the territory was in the hands of the French.  Later becoming one of the crown jewels of the Louisiana Purchase.

The access to the Mississippi River made for easy shipping routes up from New Orleans, and the migration of peoples from all over the world.  The Germans, Dutch, Italians and the Irish, to name a few.  Out of this wonderful influx of people came the many taste of St. Louis and made for some of the most interesting regional cuisine I've yet to come across.    Many of these dishes are incredibly popular in St Louis, and almost no where else.  Another rarity, but before I write about "St Louis Style” BBQ, I have to mention some of the other dishes that are as much a part of the city's regional cuisine.

"Slingers" are one of the local favorites and have been for years.  They were first created in St Louis by the Irish, who settled in the city after leaving their own country which was in the throes of the great potato famine.  Hash browned potatoes were topped with eggs (any style) and breakfast meat, then smothered with chili and topped with cheddar or american cheese.  The Irish were actually covering up the potatoes to show their disdain for the vegetable.

"St Paul Sandwiches" (no relation) are another favorite.  This one created by the Chinese Immigrants.  An egg foo yung patty is served on white bread and topped with lettuce and tomato.  This local favorite is served in Chinese restaurants all over St Louis, and has been found in San Francisco’s China Town as well.

Provel cheese is yet another.  This is a blend of provolone and mozzarella cheese created exclusively for "St Louis Style Pizza" and is sold no where else. The Italian pizza makers were looking for a cheese that melted easily and had a "clean bite". 

Now, on to the BBQ!  In St Louis, it's all about the pork steak.  That and pork spare ribs.  Spare ribs meaning the top and the bottom of the ribs are cut away leaving only the middle section of the ribs.  But as I mentioned before, it's all about the pork steaks!  It has been said that St Louis is the only city in America where you will find pork steak at every meat market and every corner store.  They are cooked quickly over high heat, and always outdoors over charcoal.  They are then simmered in a pan of BBQ sauce that sits on the grill.  The pork steak is considered a tough cut of meat.  Simmering the meat in the sauce makes them tender and tasty.  After the bbq'd pork steaks, everything else is secondary, including the spare ribs.  Favorite sides include baked beans and cole slaw made with a mustard/mayo dressing.  No matter what kind of sandwich you order, bbq'd turkey, ham or even bologna; they all come with a scoop of cole slaw on top.

If you are planning a visit to St Louis in the near future, look to SoulFoodGuide.com for great travel tips and recommendations for finding the best "St Louis Style BBQ”. Many of the original barbeque places are still open in this historic city, and offer great BBQ and many other regional dishes.

And now it's on to our next stop, Memphis, Tennessee, where "Memphis Style" BBQ has got new restaurants popping up all over the country. What's it all about?  We'll find out and you'll be the first to know!  See you there.