What is the best regional BBQ?

[M. Dildine]

What is the best regional BBQ style?

[Dave Butner]

[Peter Baird]

I love that vinegary Carolina BBQ.. but is that north or south carolina or even east vs. west? I seem to remember there are differences.

I also think Cornell chicken, which is a unique NY state BBQ actually invented by a Cornell prof, is delicious. White BBQ sauce, plenty of vinegar, etc.

[Robert.Fleming]

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.

[MBerto]

Famous Dave

[David K o l i n]

Picking fights on a Friday afternoon . . .

[Bruce Leiserowitz]

Doesn't this belong in the Politics Forum?

Bruce

[M. Dildine]

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

[Eric LeVine]

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

[M. Dildine]

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!!!

[Eric LeVine]

Beer, beer, beer...

[M. Dildine]

Beer, beer, beer...

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

[M. Dildine]

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"

[Bob Wood]

Podnah's!

[M. Dildine]

Podnah's!

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

[Peter Baird]

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.

[Dave Butner]

Don't forget Santa Maria style.

[Linda Baehr]

Don't forget Santa Maria style.

+1

[Matt Latuchie]

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

Agreed...but Memphis is the best.

[Peter Baird]

Don't forget Santa Maria style.

+1

I love California tri-tip off the grill.

[John Liotta]

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

[John Liotta]

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.

[Bob Wood]

Podnah's!

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

Yes, Rodney is from Waxahachie.

[Todd F r e n c h]

North Dakota.

Oh, wait.

[M.Kaplan]

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.

[Bill Johnstone]

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?

[Scott Butler]

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.

[Lou Kessler]

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

[J a y C a i n]

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.

[John Liotta]

White sauce is gross. And borderline unnatural.

[BuffaloLou Saad]

Pork rules. Memphis dry rub rocks.

[C. Grimm]

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.

[Randy Bowman]

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.

[Joe Dulworth]

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.

[M. Dildine]

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?