It’s the heart of summer right now, and all across the U.S., families are firing up the grills to celebrate the cherished American tradition of barbecue.
But America’s a big country, and everyone has their own opinion about how best to slow roast and sauce pork. Whether wet or dry, mayonnaise based sauce or mustard, or even whether pork or beef makes for better barbecue, our meat traditions are as diverse as our nation.
As with all things that are different, however, one clearly has to be better than the rest, so let’s break down what all the different kinds of BBQ are in this great land and determine once and for all who’s is best.
The Northeast
The Northeast, comprising New England and certain parts of the Midwest all the way down the Mason-Dixon line, sadly does not really do BBQ. Occasionally, you will find places in these areas that advertise their Barbecue, but be careful. Some of these are run by transplants from other regions and are actually quite good. Others are run by Northeasterners who have never had the real thing and can’t tell how awful theirs is. Some even boil the meat to make it soft, which is a crime on par with the greatest of our time and yet remains shockingly legal. Exercise extreme caution.
Carolina
Carolina does things a bit differently when it comes to barbecue, though this category could really comprise all of Appalachia. The area was traditionally settled by a large German population, who brought with them their fondness of combining meat and mustard. The result is that Carolina style barbecue uses a somewhat unorthodox approach to their sauce, and most true Carolina style barbecue sauce is closer to something you would recognize as honey mustard. That’s not to say that Carolina-style barbecue is not delicious, in fact it is. Carolina barbecue is sweet and tangy with expertly slow-cooked german sausages to complement the ribs. So the next time you’re in Carolina consider giving that strange looking bottle of beige colored sauce a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Memphis
Perhaps the heavy hitting perennial champ of the American barbecue scene, Memphis is known the world over for the seriousness with which it takes its meat. Barbecue is also ubiquitous in Memphis and you could probably live there for years and never eat at the same joint twice if you didn’t want to. Of course you would though, as Memphis has some of the best, if not the best, BBQ restaurants in the world. Rendevous, Central, and the original Corky’s are all some of Memphis’s most cherished establishments and famous for the quality of their food.
Memphis BBQ is also unique in that purists often choose to forgo the sauce and make do with a dry rub of spices. The idea is that the sweetness of the sauce is overpowering and distracts from the quality of the meat. Though you will find sweet and spicy barbecue sauce at any establishment in the city. You should probably try it both ways just to be sure.
Kansas City
The only serious competitor with Memphis in terms of nationwide popularity, Kansas City is the progenitor of the sauce you think of as BBQ sauce. That sweet, ketchup-based combination is a hallmark of Kansas City barbecue. It was so popular that it became the go-to barbecue sauce throughout the country and the world, and though it is made in Minnesota today, KC original is the grandfather of BBQ sauce.
Kansas City prides itself on slow cooking St.Louis cut ribs until they are tender and delicious and then slathering it with a thick coat of sauce.
A long rack of slow cooked ribs and a sweet tangy sauce are what Kansas City barbecue is all about.
Texas
Well, as they say, everything is bigger in Texas, including their love of barbecue. Texas is unique in that the center of their BBQ scene is the mighty steer and brisket reigns as the undisputed king of Texas Barbeque.
Instead of pulled pork, you are likely to find a slow, slow, cooked side of brisket in Texas, reflecting the importance of cattle ranching to the state. In addition, the influence from south of the border means that you will see more Tex-Mex style sides as opposed to the macaroni and baked beans that accompany barbecue in the rest of the US.
In addition, Texas-style sauce is a tiny bit less viscous than others and often spicier. A Texas favorite is to make their sauce with Lone Star Beer.
The West
Western states ranging from Nebraska to California suffer from the same deplorable absence of a barbecue scene that the Northeast does.
Again, you can find places all over California and the Northwest that advertise different regional styles of barbecue. Though perhaps one day, Portland will dream up its own style of grass-fed cruelty-free vegan BBQ.
You guys should get on that, Portland.
So Which is Best?
It’s a tough call. All styles have their own merits and certainly passionate defenders. I may be a bit biased as I am from the region, but I think Memphis takes the title of Best BBQ. The careful attention to the meat and thick bark of spices makes Memphis dry rub the BBQ snob’s BBQ. And when combined with some thick sauce, it is impossible to beat.
