| To the purist, the barbecue is "the method of | | | | distinguished by the way the meat is cooked or even |
| cooking tougher meats very, very slowly at low | | | | by the kind of meat it is, but by the sweet, sticky, |
| temperatures with the heat source away from the | | | | tomato-based barbecue sauce that defines this |
| food." Roughly translated, this amounts to meat | | | | particular barbecue style. Rarely used on beef dishes, |
| cooked at slow temperatures in the indirect heat of | | | | the sauce is commonplace on pork and poultry, |
| wood coals. To the average American, however, a | | | | leading us to surmise that the Kansas City barbecue |
| barbecue is anything coked outdoors, mostly on a | | | | meats are mostly chicken and sticky smoked ribs. |
| grill. | | | | The Memphis barbecue, which traditionally features |
| There is much more to the barbecue than simply | | | | classic pork ribs, is slow-cooked in the smoke of a |
| taking the grill out on a summer day. In fact, if you | | | | wood fire, similar to the Carolina barbecue. Some |
| want to know more about the American barbecue | | | | prevalent recipes call for braising the ribs till they are |
| tradition, there are four distinct styles of barbecue in | | | | tender, then heating them quickly on a grill. The |
| the country. Experts have defined the four major | | | | specialty of this style of barbecue is that the ribs |
| barbecue regions as: Carolina, Memphis, Texas, and | | | | may be served "dry" as they come out of the grill or |
| Kansas City. | | | | "wet" brushed with barbecue sauce before serving. |
| You can tell you're at a Carolina type barbecue when | | | | Finally, the Texas barbecue. This will almost always |
| there is shredded or pulled lamb in the menu | | | | use the smoked brisket, the tough muscle that is |
| accompanied by a vinegar-based barbecue sauce. | | | | around the cow's chest. Barbecuing the brisket in the |
| The pork comes from the shoulder cuts of or hams | | | | Texas style depends on the right rub, consisting of a |
| of pig or indeed the pit-roasted "whole hog". Typically | | | | mixture of salt, spices, and sugar, which is kneaded |
| in a Carolina barbecue, the meat, when done, is | | | | into the meat before smoking it. Other must haves |
| shredded, never sliced, then sauced, and almost | | | | include a good smoker and a long, long cooking time, |
| always served as a sandwich, along with coleslaw. In | | | | perhaps even overnight. |
| addition, in the Eastern North Carolina tradition, the | | | | So the next time you barbecue with family or |
| meal will be complete only with a glass of iced tea | | | | friends, go traditional and try out the one style of |
| and hushpuppies. | | | | barbecuing. It's part of the great American tradition! |
| The Kansas City barbecue is not so much | | | | |