What exactly is Texas style barbecue, anyway? Well, it's mounds of sliced beef brisket, sausage, and meaty ribs. Beef is king in Texas, so the brisket is tops in any list. Texas bbq sauce is a spicy and tangy tomato-based sauce and is usually served on the side or lightly spooned onto the meat after cooking. It is usually not put on the meat during cooking. Common among the Texas bbq side dishes are pinto beans, coleslaw, potato salad and fried Okra.
Kansas City BBQ
Kansas City Style BBQ is unique in that it has evolved from a mixture of several styles from other areas of the county. But make no mistake about it. Kansas City has a very strong barbecue tradition that is all it's own. Kansas City claims to be "The BBQ capital of the world". They do have a point, as there supposedly are more barbecue restaurants per capita than in any other city in the world. And the biggest BBQ competition there is, The Annual American Royal Barbecue Contest, is held in Kansas City.
Kansas City Style BBQ is not about either all beef or all pork or all chicken, but is more about the techniques using these various meats. Let's go over a few of these bbq techniques and throw in a couple of recipes as well. If there is one favorite Kansas City barbeque meat, it would have to be either pork spare ribs or beef brisket. But the bbq sauce is probably the most distinguishing feature. It is thick. It is so thick that in Kansas City they like to say it is thick enough to stay on the meat and not fall to the bottom of the pit.
Memphis Style BBQ: Memphis Style bbq and Kansas City bbq share a few similarities: Both cities claim to be the Barbeque "Capital of the World." Both have many barbeque restaurants that cook great bbq ribs and other types of meats. Both use barbeque sauces that have a sweet and spicy tomato base, although Kansas City uses quite a bit more. Probably the main differences between Memphis Style bbq and Kansas City bbq and other barbeque styles are in Memphis: They predominately use baby back ribs cooked with various tangy and sweet dry rub recipes. They very seldom cook with barbeque sauce. Their sauce is thinner and usually used for dipping.
ST. Louis Style BBQ: St. Louis Style bbq kind of gets lost in the shuffle between Kansas City and Memphis barbeque. And pork spare ribs are definitely the most famous of St. Louis Barbeque. But to the locals, you haven't tried St Louis style BBQ until you try the barbecue pork steaks. We're mainly going to focus on those two BBQ meats, but what really gives St. Louis a unique barbeque taste is their sweet bbq sauce. We will not leave the sauce out of our discussion, as there is a great sauce recipe below. St. Louis Style bbq pork ribs are distinguished by how the ribs are trimmed. The lower "fatty" portion of the rack of ribs is removed, leaving only the center portion of the rack.
North Carolina Barbeque! Pulled Pork Is North Carolina bbq. North Carolina Barbeque is really divided into two different bbq styles. It's not a huge difference(except in NC), but it is interesting to note that there is a North Carolina BBQ division within the state. It just goes to show how serious they are about their barbeque. The biggest difference in the two styles of bbq is in the North Carolina BBQ Sauce. In Eastern North Carolina, it is a simple vinegar-based sauce with some red and black pepper and a few spices. Sometimes a little sugar is added to tone down the vinegar. With Western North Carolina barbeque, they take that same barbeque sauce and add ketchup to it. That makes it thicker and a little sweeter. There is one thing North Carolinians do agree about in their bbq. In nearly all of North Carolina Barbeque, pork shoulder is the meat of choice. Pork butt is the part of the pig used most often. Pork butt is actually pork shoulder (I know...strange). Pork butt, or shoulder, dominates North Carolina Barbeque and almost any pulled pork recipe. You may be asking..."What is pulled pork?" The most basic definition is pulled pork is slow-cooked pork cooked over a smoky fire to the point that it can be pulled apart by hand.
South Carolina Barbeque is similar to Western & Eastern North Carolina BBQ in many ways. BBQ pork (sometimes called Pulled Pork BBQ) is used for this style of cooking. This is simply pork that has been slow-cooked and then shredded or torn off into strips. BBQ sauces are usually then added individually or on the side for added flavor. It is this barbeque sauce that is the difference between the South Carolina BBQ and the rest of the Carolinas. It might seem the bbq sauce styles in this part of the country change every couple of miles, but to the locals of these regions, there is a definite "dividing line" in bbq flavor and styles. Please try and keep up, because if you are ever in this region, you might be corrected. South Carolina Barbeque chefs use a mustard barbeque sauce in the northern part of the state instead of a ketchup-based sauce. The tangy yellow mustard blends perfectly with the taste of pulled pork bbq. Southern South Carolina and across the border into Northern Georgia will serve you a similar spicy vinegar based sauce to the one found in Eastern North Carolina, but this time it will be sweetened up with both ketchup and brown sugar. South Carolina Barbeque in either part of the state is uniquely different and delicious. As a Texan, I am kind of partial to the mustard-based bbq sauce. Texans are pretty big on mustard, so this makes sense. Try the "northern" South Carolina recipe(mustard-based) below and see for if this would be to your liking.
Alabama BBQ & White BBQ Sauce! Most people outside of the state of Alabama have the same reaction when presented with Alabama BBQ for the first time...yuck. But after getting over the first reaction and actually trying it, a different reaction occurs. "This is very good! It's different, but it's good stuff!" No were else in the country is barbeque and bbq sauce quite like Alabama's. This unique and non-traditional way of preparing barbecue is still not that well known. But don't tell anyone in Alabama. To most folks there, this is the only way to barbeque. The white sauce gets most of its color and flavor from a mayonnaise base. And just like many other barbecue sauces, you always want to brush this one on at the very end (the last 5 minutes of grilling) or it will break down because of the heat. You also want to prevent this sauce from burning, as it doesn't work well if blackened. This Alabama white sauce recipe can be used with your favorite barbequed or grilled chicken recipe. It is also great on pork or turkey (the other white meats).
Kentucky Bourbon Sauce For Mutton! Western Kentucky Barbeque is probably not that well-known outside of Kentucky or Western Kentucky. But their Barbequed Mutton with Western Kentucky BBQ sauce is as unique and tasty as any.There is an area around Owensboro, Kentucky, that is probably the only place in the country where mutton is the signature bbq dish. The bold taste of mutton would not be complete without a Western Kentucky BBQ Sauce made with Kentucky bourbon. The locals call this barbeque sauce black dip. This sauce complements the mutton perfectly, and the Kentucky bourbon provides another level of great flavor.
It is our hope that this article brings to light the diversity of BBQ styles and range of flavors that can be involved in your next corporate or social event. Let Drexelbrook Catering create a custom BBQ for you or simply click on this link and help create your own.
Happy Fathers Day & A Great Summer to all.
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