Go whole hog on barbecuing

By Barb Randall

The Lake Oswego Review, Jun 21, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Ribs — in any style — are a favorite cooking on the barbecue.

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The finger lickin’ American delicacy of barbecue can be credited to an abundance of the humble pig.

In pre-Civil War times, pigs were a low-maintenance and convenient food staple in the South. Southerners ate about five pounds of pork for every pound of beef. Pigs could be put out to root in the forest and caught when food supplies were low. These semi-wild pigs were tougher and stringier than modern pigs and long, slow cooking methods were required to transform the meat into sweet, tender morsels. Pig slaughtering became a time for celebration and neighbors would be invited to share in the feast, hence the birth of the traditional Southern barbecue.

In the nineteenth century, barbecue was common fare at church events and private parties. Politicians found that hosting barbecues was an easy way for different classes to mix and a relatively inexpensive way to lobby for votes.

Barbecue is cooked by indirect heat, meaning the heat source is not directly under the meat. The process is “slow and low” – the meat is cooked for a long period of time at lower heat.

Four distinct styles of barbecue are recognized in the United States: North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas City and Texas barbecue. Do you recognize the style of barbecue you enjoy?

North Carolina Style:

In the Carolinas, the specialty is pulled pork sandwiches. Using pork shoulder, often called Boston butt, and a rub of paprika, salt, sugar and other seasonings, the meat is barbecued over oak or hickory for six to eight hours or until it is tender enough to pull with your fingers into shreds. The pulling by hand is important, as the shredded meat will soak up the sauce like a sponge. For this reason the meat is rarely sliced.

The meat is “mopped” frequently during the cooking phase in a vinegar based mop sauce to keep the meat moist.

The actual sauce differs by region. In the northeast part of North Carolina, the sauce is thin and clear, made of distilled white or cider vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and sugar. In western North Carolina, they will add ketchup or tomato sauce to make a peppery tart red sauce. An interesting deviation to a yellow sauce is seen in southern North Carolina and South Carolina. The sauce is made of vinegar, a sweetener such as sugar, honey or molasses and yellow mustard.

The pulled pork is served on a bun accompanied with cole slaw.

Memphis Style:

Pork shoulder is also popular in Memphis; however, it is slow smoked and served thinly sliced instead of pulled. Another favorite, dry ribs, are racks of baby back or spareribs thickly crusted with dry rub mixture then smoke cooked and sprinkled with more rub before serving. Sauce is not usually used.

Kansas City Style:

Kansas City barbecuers are responsible for coining new words to describe the fine points of rib cookery. These terms include rib tips (the burnt edges of spareribs) long ends (lean fore-sections of a rack of spareribs), short ends (the shorter, fatter and meatier hind sections) and baby back ribs (which are cut from the sections closest to the backbone).

Barbecue sauce plays a more prominent role in Kansas City cuisine. They like sauces thick and sweet – ketchup or tomato sauce are the base to which brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, vinegar, onion, garlic, hot red pepper flakes, liquid smoke and even apple juice are added.

Texas Style:

It’s all about beef in Texas, with brisket being their signature dish. The briskets are cooked over oak, hickory or mesquite for lengths of up to 18 hours. The slow smoking gives the meat a pinkish red tinge, which is a natural reaction to the lengthy smoking.

No rubs or mops are used and the meat is sliced rather than chopped or shredded. Traditionally, this succulent meat is served on slices of cheap, soft white bread.

Texan barbecue sauce is thin and tart, and you can taste the Mexican influence in its combination of tomatoes, chili powder and vinegar.

Do you recognize your favorite barbecue style? Experiment with all four American styles this summer. If you want a guide on barbecuing in the United States or around the world, borrow a copy of “The Barbecue Bible” by Steven Raichlen from the library. I guarantee you’ll get more out of your grill after you read it.

Bon Appetit – Eat Locally!

Memphis Style Ribs

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