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The Ultimate Guide to American Barbecue

As the summer sun begins to shine, our minds turn to the sacred ritual of barbecue. But how much do we really know about this beloved culinary tradition? From its Indigenous roots to its modern-day variations, barbecue is a rich and complex phenomenon that deserves to be explored.

A Brief History of Barbecue

It all began with the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, who cooked food on raised platforms over slow fires. When Christopher Columbus and his Spanish crew encountered this practice, they adopted the Taino word “barabicu,” which eventually became “barbecue” in English. As Europeans brought their own cooking techniques to the Americas, barbecue evolved into a unique blend of cultures.

The Rise of Southern Barbecue

In the American South, particularly in Virginia, barbecue took on a new form. Native Americans, European colonizers, and enslaved West Africans combined their cooking traditions to create a distinctive style of barbecue that involved cooking whole animals over trenches filled with burning hardwood coals. Enslaved West Africans and African Americans became the master cooks of the South, as they were tasked with the labor-intensive work of pit cooking.

Regional Styles of Barbecue

As Southerners moved from rural areas to cities, barbecue adapted to new environments and ingredients. Today, we have a rich tapestry of regional styles, each with its own unique flavors and traditions.

• Carolina ‘Cue: Whole hog and pork shoulder cooking reign supreme in this region, with a tangy vinegar-based sauce and sides like coleslaw and hush puppies.
• Deep South: Pork shoulder, pork spareribs, and chicken are served with a sweet, vinegary, tomato-based sauce, accompanied by classic Southern sides like cornbread and macaroni and cheese.
• Memphis, Tennessee: This city is known for its dry-rubbed ribs and chopped pork sandwiches topped with coleslaw, as well as unusual specialties like barbecued bologna and spaghetti.
• Kentucky: Mutton is a local specialty in Owensboro, paired with a Worcestershire sauce-based condiment called “black dip.” Other parts of the state enjoy beef, chicken, ham, and pork steaks.
• The South Side, Chicago, Illinois: This African American community has developed its own unique style of barbecue, featuring succulent pork sparerib tips, sage-spiked hot link sausages, and crispy French fries.
• Kansas City, Missouri: This “melting pit” city offers a diverse range of meats, including beef, chicken, lamb, mutton, pork shoulder, and pork spareribs, served with baked beans, coleslaw, and a thick, sweet, tomato-based sauce.
• East Texas: This African American-influenced region serves up messy, flavorful piles of chopped meat bathed in a tomato-based sauce, often with spicy Creole influences.
• Central Texas: Beef brisket and pork spareribs are smoked to perfection, served with chunky sides like potato salad and vinegary coleslaw.
• South Texas: Latino cooking traditions meet barbecue in this region, where meats are slow-cooked in a hole in the ground, served with housemade corn tortillas and salsa.
• Santa Maria, California: This hyperlocal tradition features beef tri-tip cooked over red oak wood, served with pinquitos (small pink beans), a salad, and salsa.

The Takeaway

Barbecue is a rich, diverse, and ever-evolving culinary tradition that deserves to be explored and celebrated. Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or a curious newcomer, there’s always something new to discover in the world of American barbecue. So grab a plate, grab some wet wipes, and dig in!