Posted on 05/21/2005 8:01:12 AM PDT by pissant
Americans love to barbecue. They did it more than three billion times in 1999, according to the Barbecue Industry Association.
That’s a lot of black pepper. And a lot of vinegar, tomato sauce, chiles, salt, molasses and many other ingredients that, blended together, put the zing in backyard cooking mostly during the warmer months but increasingly year-long.
Barbecued food fits right in with the way Americans live: It’s casual, easy to prepare and lends itself to the great outdoors. And barbecue sauces have all the diversity of the land that perfected the art and science of barbecuing.
The history of barbecue sauce goes back to the 1600s, the century that marked the founding of America’s first colonies. Bob Garner, in his book, North Carolina Barbecue, says the art of slow-cooking game was taught to the colonists by Native Americans, who may have learned it from people of the Caribbean. During the early years of this country, barbecues were the foundation of many major political, social, and religious events. The original sauce used to tenderize and flavor barbecued meat was based on a very simple recipe: Carolina style, with vinegar, salt and a variety of black and hot peppers. Most Americans think of barbecue sauce as being tomato-based, but it was not until the early 1800s that people got over their misconception that tomatoes were a poisonous vegetable! Nationally known brands such as Kraft came into the barbecue sauce retailing picture in the mid-1900s and have dominated ever since.
Today, literally hundreds of different barbecue sauces are available commercially besides the national brands, and experts generally categorize them by the characteristics and ingredients that mark them as being from a specific region. Here is how they break down.
Carolina (Eastern). Found east of Raleigh, North Carolina, it is made with vinegar, salt, black pepper, crushed or ground cayenne, and other spices--and nothing else. This is a very thin, acidic sauce that penetrates deeply into the meat. Unlike with tomato/sugar-based sauces, this sauce does not "burn" on the meat. It can be applied throughout the cooking process for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Whole hog is the meat of choice with this sauce, and it is best when served with mayonnaise- or mustard-based coleslaw and hush puppies on the side. An example of this type of sauce is Scotts Barbecue Sauce, (800) 734-7282 or www.scottsbbqsauce.com .
Carolina (Western or Piedmont). This is the same basic recipe as Eastern Carolina, with the addition of small amounts of ketchup, molasses, or Worcestershire sauce and, perhaps, some spices. Found west of Raleigh, in the Piedmont belt, this vinegar-based sauce has great flavor, works extremely well as a marinade on chicken, shrimp, pork and beef, and has a nice afterburner kick. For this sauce, pork shoulders are the meat of choice – served with ketchup-based coleslaw and hush puppies on the side. Peter’s Beach Barbeque Sauce is an excellent sauce from this region, if I do say so myself as the manufacturer of it. Call (800) 359-7873 or find it on the web at www.petersbeachsauces.com .
South Carolina. The region around Columbia is known for its unique yellow mustard style of barbecue sauce, served with a dish known as "barbecue hash." Pork is the meat of choice. An example is Maurice’s Carolina Gold, reachable at (800) 628-7423 or www.mauricesbbq.com .
Kentucky. The favored meat for this sauce is lamb or mutton. Kentucky barbecue is served with one of three sauces:a mild tomato-based sauce, a unique "black" sauce, or a peppery hot sauce. Fitting this category is Moonlite, (270) 684-8143 or www.moonlite.com .
Memphis. Memphis-style barbecue sauce embraces all three of the major ingredients– vinegar, mustard, and tomato. Enjoy it at the city’s major barbecue event, Memphis in May. This style is represented by Corky’s, (800) 926-7597 or www.corkysbbq.com ; Willingham’s, (800) 737-9426 or www.willinghams.com ; and Rendezvous, (888) 464-7359 or www.hogsfly.com .
Kansas City. Considered by many to be the center of the barbecue universe, Kansas City even has its own Barbecue Society. KC’s barbecue style is thick, with a tomato and sugar base. It is the basis for many of the well-known national brands, including Kraft, Heinz, Hunt’s, and K.C. Barbecue. Beef, pork and lamb are all the meats of choice. Examples include Arthur Bryant’s, (816) 231-1123, and Gates, (800) 662-7427 or www.gatesbbq.com .
Texas. Sauces range from thick, spicy, tomato-based sauces to thin, hot-pepper-based sauces, to thick and dark sauces that have a south-of-the-border flair. Texans use beef brisket and beef ribs, with side dishes of beans and Texas toast. Examples include Sonny Bryan’s, (214) 357-7120 and Stubb’s, (800) 227-2283 or www.stubbs.com .
Like everything else, the field of barbecue sauce is always evolving, and today new styles are emerging, according to Paul Kirk, author of Championship Barbecue Sauces. These include Florida-style (based on citrus flavors), Hawaiian (sweet and sour) and California/Southwest (with a tomato and salsa base). Some of these new-wave sauces include Southern Ray’s, (800) 972-8237 or www.southernrays.com ; Stonewall Kitchen: 800/207-5267 or www.stonewallkitchen.com ; and Crazy Jerry’s, 800/347-2823.
What of the future? The sauce industry has become so large, and the lines of distinction among specific regional styles have become so blurred, that the American Royal Barbecue Association now defines the categories by flavor instead of by region.
And that is just a taste of what’s to come.
I've only had a banana and it's killing me. I know what I'm having for dinner though!
Seems to me you'd be a BBQ chick PING
I have a nice Weber grill.....and grill every day. I make my own marinades, but rarely use BBQ sauce.
You grill every day? Wow. I get to on the weekends. I love a good tangy marinade: for steaks, fish, chicken. But for ribs & pork, I love GOOD BBQ sauce.
Of course half the fun is picking out what to drink with it.
That is downright cruel!
My uncle in South Dakota uses ketchup and Coka-Cola mixed together as a BBQ sause. It is not bad.
Yikes. It sure sounds bad!
I think that the pulled pork sandwich at the Hard Rock Cafe is a good version, and certainly there are a large number of these establishments. (It used to be called the "pig sandwich", and from looking at the website, it may still be that name in some locations.)
Memphis Rub - let sit for 2-3 hrs. (use hot or regular paprika to suit your personal taste)
Smoke - low heat to medium heat 3.5 to 4 hours.
Pull from smoker and baste with the sauce (the recipe is published)below. The put the ribs on the grill and cook another 10-15 minutes. Here is the sauce:
2/3 cup store bought sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons guava paste
if you want it spicy add 1 tspn. Tabasco and some Red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and enjoy.
I've only been to one Hard Rock cafe before and had a bad burger. Next time I'm goin for the PIG.
Thanks. I'm gonna file this one.
You won't regret it. You may have to experiment with different types or amounts of paprika (I use the Hungarian in a red square can half, hot half sweet). Next batch is tomorrow!
Yes sir. That works for me.
Have you ever tried Sweet Baby Ray's? On ribs and chicken it's one of my favorites. I usually add some extra heat to it though.
We will be spending a day or so in Memphis in June. Having never been there I have two questions.
1. #1 place to go for Ribs (we think we want "wet" ribs).
2. Area of town to stay in. We are looking near the airport,and Graceland. Is there a "bad" part of town to stay away from. Is the Graceland area OK.
We are traveling with two 15 year old boys, and although we are making them tour Graceland, are there any other must see places.
After that we are traveling south towards New Orleans area, any other suggestions for us? Any help will be appreciated.
I am dyin' here.
Sadly, I spend a lot of time in Dallas and haven't found any good BBQ there -- just the chains.
1. Corky's is pretty good, but there may be more.
2. Stay in Germantown/Collierville. The rest of Memphis is a bad area. Don't go downtown at night.
3. Ignore me -- I just don't like Memphis and I have to go there more often than I would like.
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