What is the best regional BBQ?

Post #1 by **M. Dildine** » March 23rd 2012, 1:42pm

What is the best regional BBQ style?

Flawed poll (but you knew that, of course).

Carolinas?

North Carolina has two predominant styles: Eastern (whole hog, vinegar sauce with *no tomato*) and Piedmont/Lexington/Western (shoulder, vinegar and ketchup sauce).

South Carolina has three: two are similar to NC; the third uses hams and shoulders and a mustard-based sauce.

Post #5 by **MBerto** » March 23rd 2012, 2:24pm

Famous Dave [smileyvault-ban.gif]

Post #6 by **David K o l i n** » March 23rd 2012, 2:34pm

Picking fights on a Friday afternoon . . .

Post #7 by **Bruce Leiserowitz** » March 23rd 2012, 2:35pm

Doesn't this belong in the Politics Forum? [snort.gif]

Bruce

Post #8 by **M. Dildine** » March 23rd 2012, 2:47pm

Robert.Fleming wrote:Flawed poll (but you knew that, of course).

Carolinas?

North Carolina has two predominant styles: Eastern (whole hog, vinegar sauce with *no tomato*) and Piedmont/Lexington/Western (shoulder, vinegar and ketchup sauce).

South Carolina has three: two are similar to NC; the third uses hams and shoulders and a mustard-based sauce.

Bob, don't get technical with us. I could have said:

Texas
All other

Post #9 by **Eric LeVine** » March 23rd 2012, 2:47pm

There is simply no wrong answer here. All of the styles are glorious!

Post **#10** by **M. Dildine** » March 23rd 2012, 2:50pm

Eric LeVine wrote:There is simply no wrong answer here. All of the styles are glorious!

Correctamente Eric!!!

The next question is what WINE (ignoring beer for the moment) goes best with all styles.

A: Zinfandel!!!

Post **#11** by **Eric LeVine** » March 23rd 2012, 2:56pm

Beer, beer, beer...

Post **#12** by **M. Dildine** » March 23rd 2012, 2:58pm

Eric LeVine wrote:Beer, beer, beer...

I generally agree. But on a cold late Fall or Winter evening, a great Zin can be a shockingly fine pairing.

Post **#13** by **M. Dildine** » March 23rd 2012, 3:13pm

Since Bob's gone technical on us, I must get more specific about Texas BBQ.

There are three major subcategories:
1) East Texas (basically Southern BBQ ... boring)
2) West Texas (cooked directly over coals, includes beef, goat, mutton, snake, lizard;
3) Central Texas (utilizes beef as well as pork, popularized in the Hill Country by German and Czech immigrants)

By "Texas" BBQ, I'm referring to 3) The "Sultan of Smoke"

Post **#14** by **Bob Wood** » March 23rd 2012, 3:18pm

Podnah's!

Post **#15** by **M. Dildine** » March 23rd 2012, 3:26pm

Bob Wood wrote:Podnah's!

I believe that Podnah's is "Texas Style"?

Post **#16** by **Peter Baird** » March 23rd 2012, 3:36pm

Robert.Fleming wrote:Flawed poll (but you knew that, of course).

North Carolina has two predominant styles: Eastern (whole hog, vinegar sauce with *no tomato*)

OK so it's eastern North Carolina that I love.

Also, ever had a Baltimore pit beef? Spice rub on the beef, that is then quickly (not slow cooked) grilled so it's still rare inside. Thinly sliced and served with a mayo-horseradish based sauce. Another of my favorites.

I'm just as not as into tomato based BBQ sauces, though they can be great.

Post **#17** by **Dave Butner** » March 23rd 2012, 3:47pm

Don't forget Santa Maria style.

Post **#18** by **Linda Baehr** » March 23rd 2012, 4:01pm

Dave Butner wrote:Don't forget Santa Maria style.

+1

Post **#19** by **Matt Latuchie** » March 23rd 2012, 4:02pm

Eric LeVine wrote:There is simply no wrong answer here. All of the styles are glorious!

Agreed...but Memphis is the best.

Post **#20** by **Peter Baird** » March 23rd 2012, 4:20pm

Linda Baehr wrote:
Dave Butner wrote:Don't forget Santa Maria style.

+1

I love California tri-tip off the grill.

Post **#21** by **John Liotta** » March 23rd 2012, 4:31pm

True Texas style Q, while good (even very good), has one major, unforgivable flaw- no pork.

Post **#22** by **John Liotta** » March 23rd 2012, 4:32pm

Robert.Fleming wrote:Flawed poll (but you knew that, of course).

Carolinas?

North Carolina has two predominant styles: Eastern (whole hog, vinegar sauce with *no tomato*) and Piedmont/Lexington/Western (shoulder, vinegar and ketchup sauce).

South Carolina has three: two are similar to NC; the third uses hams and shoulders and a mustard-based sauce.

Don't forget the folks that make BBQ hash, which is interesting- a little weird, but still good.

Post **#23** by **Bob Wood** » March 23rd 2012, 5:00pm

M. Dildine wrote:
Bob Wood wrote:Podnah's!

I believe that Podnah's is "Texas Style"?

Yes, Rodney is from Waxahachie.

Post **#24** by **Todd F r e n c h** » March 23rd 2012, 5:03pm

North Dakota.

Oh, wait.

Post **#25** by **M.Kaplan** » March 23rd 2012, 5:05pm

John Liotta wrote:True Texas style Q, while good (even very good), has one major, unforgivable flaw- no pork.

Yup.

I agree that Tejas meats taste good, and that they're not Q. No pig, no Q.

Post **#26** by **Bill Johnstone** » March 23rd 2012, 5:05pm

John Liotta wrote:True Texas style Q, while good (even very good), has one major, unforgivable flaw- no pork.

I love Texas BBQ but Where's the Pork?

Post **#27** by **Scott Butler** » March 23rd 2012, 5:24pm

Robert.Fleming wrote:Flawed poll (but you knew that, of course).

Carolinas?

North Carolina has two predominant styles: Eastern (whole hog, vinegar sauce with *no tomato*) and Piedmont/Lexington/Western (shoulder, vinegar and ketchup sauce).

South Carolina has three: two are similar to NC; the third uses hams and shoulders and a mustard-based sauce.

Yep, so many choices. I moved from SC to NC and it was like night and day. SC pulled pork with mustard based sauce is divine. NC has Western NC and Eastern NC...Eastern is the vinegar based and I love it (Lexington whole hog BBQ!). But if you do brisket well, you win my affection. I'll be in Dallas in Sept and hope to get some good stuff. Though Slow's BBQ in Detroit and Stoney's BBQ in Easley, SC are the best briskets I've had. Stoney's was out of this world. He just retired and closed down...sniff sniff.

Ribs...love them, and many styles and spots for them.

Post **#28** by **Lou Kessler** » March 23rd 2012, 5:37pm

How the hell would anyone know anything about BBQ in Kansas City? I've even always tried to avoid flying over that city.

Post **#29** by **J a y C a i n** » March 23rd 2012, 6:20pm

I agree with Scott here. Despite his proximity and association with the worst college in America, he obviously knows his BBQ. Any BBQ that doesn't feature pork is an abomination. That whole mustard-based shit they serve in South Carolina is also an abomination, though infinitely better than beef BBQ. The holy grail is Eastern NC BBQ - vinegar based. Kepley's in Thomasville, NC is my favorite, but if it is fro the Eastern half of the state, it is better than anything they serve anywhere else.

Having said that, one of my Alabama buddies had a big roast last summer, and he had some Northern Alabama white sauce which was actually surprisinglygood.

Post **#30** by **John Liotta** » March 23rd 2012, 6:29pm

White sauce is gross. And borderline unnatural.

Post **#31** by **BuffaloLou Saad** » March 23rd 2012, 7:10pm

Pork rules. Memphis dry rub rocks.

Post **#32** by **C. Grimm** » March 23rd 2012, 7:19pm

J a y C a i n wrote:I agree with Scott here. Despite his proximity and association with the worst college in America, he obviously knows his BBQ. Any BBQ that doesn't feature pork is an abomination. That whole mustard-based shit they serve in South Carolina is also an abomination, though infinitely better than beef BBQ. The holy grail is Eastern NC BBQ - vinegar based. Kepley's in Thomasville, NC is my favorite, but if it is fro the Eastern half of the state, it is better than anything they serve anywhere else.

Having said that, one of my Alabama buddies had a big roast last summer, and he had some Northern Alabama white sauce which was actually surprisinglygood.

WTF, Jay?

There is nothing much better than Sweatman's in Holly Hill, SC. Mustard-based, but with some molasses in there. Probably my all-time fav.

Post **#33** by **Randy Bowman** » March 23rd 2012, 7:57pm

Carolina BBQ goes best with beer, especially at any Hooter's in Myrtle Beach.

Texas BBQ goes great with Flux by Mark Herold and Gamba Zin.

Can't speak to the others.

Post **#34** by **Joe Dulworth** » March 23rd 2012, 8:03pm

John Liotta wrote:True Texas style Q, while good (even very good), has one major, unforgivable flaw- no pork.

I cannot remember the last time I went to a BBQ joint here in Texas that didn't have pork. I really don't know why everybody outside of the Republic of Texas says we don't do pork here. [snort.gif]

Post **#35** by **M. Dildine** » March 23rd 2012, 8:06pm

Joe Dulworth wrote:
John Liotta wrote:True Texas style Q, while good (even very good), has one major, unforgivable flaw- no pork.

I cannot remember the last time I went to a BBQ joint here in Texas that didn't have pork. I really don't know why everybody outside of the Republic of Texas says we don't do pork here.

Texas BBQ without pork ribs? Are you people delusional? Who's spreading these lies? [swearing.gif]