The Evolution of American Barbecue has an interesting background. Did you kown that Barbecue has been a staple of American culture, especially Southern American culture, since colonial times. Barbecue remains one of the most traditional foods in the United States.
Barbecues tend to bring people together and serves as a bonding experience at any time of the year. It brings people back to their roots. Traditionally held outside, Barbacues can be small informal gatherings with a few people in a backyard. Playing games like corn hole or even better QB54. Or it can be a formal event that could last all day like a wedding. Barbecue has been a tradition in the United States beginning with Native Americans.
Today, barbecues held in different regions of the country vary in cuisine. The cuisines all hold the same concept of cooking outside and over a fire.
The pig, the essential ingredient to most barbecue, became a fundamental part of Southern cuisine in the 18th century. It requires little maintenance and more efficiently converts feed to meat (six times quicker than beef cattle).
The wide variety of barbecue styles makes it difficult to break down into regions. Four major styles are commonly referenced, the Carolinas and Memphis, which rely on pork and represent the oldest styles. Kansas City and Texas, which use beef as well as pork, represent the later evolution of the original Deep South barbecue.
Please, remember to order from here even though I know the video says to order right to them….
American Barbecue the meaty tradition grew from Caribbean roots to the four distinct styles we know today
Carolina is probably the oldest form of American barbecue. The wood used is usually a hardwood such as oak or hickory. Carolina barbecue is pork, served pulled, shredded, or chopped, but sometimes sliced. Rubbed with a spice mixture before smoking. And mopped with a spice and vinegar liquid during smoking.
Two styles predominate in different parts of North Carolina. Eastern North Carolina barbecue is made of the “whole hog”.The entire pig is barbecued. The meat of the pig then chopped and mixed together. Eastern North Carolina barbecue uses a thin sauce made of vinegar and spices (often simply cayenne pepper).
Western North Carolina barbecue is made from only the pork shoulder. Which is mainly dark meat, and uses a vinegar-based sauce that includes the addition of varying amounts of tomato.
South Carolina has its own distinct sauce. Throughout the Columbia to Charleston corridor, the barbecue is characterized by the use of a yellow Carolina Gold sauce. The sauce is made from a mixture of yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, and other spices.
Kansas City
Barbecue was brought to Kansas City, Missouri by Memphian Henry Perry. Kansas City style is characterized by a wide variety in meat, particularly including beef, pork, and lamb; and a strong emphasis on the signature ingredient, the sauce and the french fries.
The meat was smoked with a dry rub, the sauce was served as a table sauce. Kansas City barbecue rubbed with spices, slow-smoked over a variety of woods. Served with a thick tomato-based barbecue sauce, which is an integral part of KC-style barbecue. Do you prefer beef or pork?
Memphis
Memphis barbecue is primarily two different dishes: ribs, which come “wet” or “dry”, and barbecue sandwiches. Wet ribs , brushed with sauce before and after cooking.
Dry ribs, seasoned with a dry rub. Barbecue sandwiches in Memphis typically pulled pork. Shredded by hand and not chopped with a blade. Served on a simple bun and topped with barbecue sauce, and coleslaw.
In Memphis pulled pork is on many non-traditional dishes. Thus creating such dishes as barbecue salad, barbecue spaghetti, barbecue pizza, or barbecue nachos. We have premium beef like you’ve never had before for your outdoor barbecue.
Texas
The four generally recognized regional styles of barbecue in Texas:
- East Texas style—essentially Southern barbecue, found in many urban areas
- Central Texas “meat market style”—which originated in the butcher shops of German and Czech immigrants to the region
- West Texas “cowboy style”—involving direct cooking over mesquite and using goat and mutton as well as beef
- South Texas barbacoa— the head of a cow is cooked (originally underground)
Competitive barbecue competitions are held throughout the country.
I dated a gentleman who entered barbecue competitions. We would go eat at every barbecue location we could find to see the different tastes.
People compete by cooking barbecue. And judged by the events judges.
Conclusion
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