Barbecue: A Simple Southern Pleasure

One of the simple pleasures of Southern dining is the down-home barbecue experience.  No matter where you go, you’re bound to find barbecue prepared just right – tender, tangy and slowly smoked meat served as ribs, in a sandwich or heaped up on a plate.

Barbecue will taste a little different depending on where you find it. In fact, each barbecue region is passionate about the type of meat used, the fuel on which to cook it, and the sauce – if any – to put on it.

Some barbecue joints serve their ribs “wet” – with a sauce – while others say a good dry rub of herbs and spices is all you need. Longstanding debates continue about the superiority of dry vs. wet ribs, or whether the final product is “pulled,” “chopped” or “sliced” from the bone.

Memphis-style barbecue typically includes pulled pork or slow-cooked pork ribs basted with a sweet tomato sauce flavored with pepper and molasses.

Pork is the favorite in the central South, where it’s usually “pulled” rather than chopped.

Alabama offers red sauces a bit spicier than those in Tennessee, and beef is the preferred meat in Texas. In Arkansas, which borders Tennessee, Texas and other states, barbecue incorporates different styles and is served with a wide range of side dishes.

South Carolinians prefer a mustard-based sauce – a product of the German heritage in the state – and barbecue is often served alongside light bread, coleslaw and hash with rice. But you can find all kinds of barbecue sauces here, from vinegar and pepper to tomato-based varieties.

Pork is the meat of choice in eastern North Carolina, and it’s usually chopped or sliced and served with a vinegar-based sauce. Traditional side dishes include coleslaw and hush puppies. The western part of the state tends to serve pork doused in a sauce rich with vinegar and tomatoes.

However it’s prepared, barbecue is a traditional dish that’s taken pretty seriously in the South – and people tend to take sides.

Wet or dry? Pulled or chopped? Beef or pork?