The Lowdown On Barbeque

By Kirsten Hawkins


Barbeque, in the southern        and put in the oven for a few
and Midwest parts of the         hours.                        
United States, consists of       In Missouri, there are not    
slow-cooking meat over           one, but two predominant      
indirect heat. Chicken, beef,    styles of barbeque, both of   
pork, sausage, ham, and ribs     which favor beef, which is not
can all be barbequed even       surprising given the history  
mutton is sometimes barbequed,   of both Kansas City and St.   
at least in Kentucky. With so    Louis as cattle towns. They   
many ways to make so many        share a tomato-based sauce    
dishes, the perfect way to       that is added after cooking,  
make barbequed meat can be a     and can be replicated by      
regional bone of                 mixing ketchup, brown sugar,  
contention.                      mustard, and Worcestershire   
                                 sauce. Interestingly,         
In Memphis, Tennessee,           Missouri's Ozarks are the     
barbeque is almost a religion.   source of almost half of the  
Barbeque ribs most often        charcoal briquettes produced  
pork, are cooked for long        in the United States.         
hours, until the meat is so                                    
tender that it is ready to       Kansas City, like Memphis,    
fall off the bone. The city      has a large number of barbeque
bills itself as the pork         restaurants and hosts several 
barbeque capital of the world,   annual competitions. However, 
and has over one hundred         it is particularly famous for 
barbeque restraints to back up   its sauces, which are thick,  
that claim, many of whom         rich, tangy, and spicy. The   
participate in the annual pork   sauce is basted on during the
cook off that is listen the      last few moments of cooking,  
Guinness Book of World Records   and more can be added         
as the largest pork barbeque     thereafter. Dry rub, too, is  
contest anywhere.                common on Kansas City style   
                                 barbeque.                     
The contest, part of the                                       
celebration called Memphis in    In St. Louis style barbeque,  
May, draws some 90,000 cooks     ribs are the flagship dish.   
and spectators. Competitors      These famous spare ribs are a
come from fifty smaller cook     rack of ribs with the chine   
offs sponsored by the main       bone and brisket bone removed.
contest. It even runs a series   They are cooked with a sauce  
of training seminars for         that is less vinegary, tangier
potential barbeque judges.       and thinner than its cross-   
Good barbeque, they say, is      state equivalent, closer, in  
all about being tender,          fact, to that served in       
without being too mushy, and     Memphis.                      
being smoky, without being                                     
overpowering.                    Whether sweet or spicy, dry   
                                 or wet, slow cooked or grilled
Ribs commonly come wet,          over an open flame, barbeque  
that is, with barbeque sauce     is one of the most diverse of
of some kind, usually mild and   all American foods, and one to
sweet in Memphis and basted      which many cities lay claim.  
on before and after cooking,     Each has its own unique       
or dry, with a dry rub of        character, so get some bread  
herbs and spices that is         and crackers, or some cole    
applied during or right after    slaw, or even beans, all      
cooking. Regardless of which     traditional barbeque side     
style is favored, the taste of   dishes and give them a try.   
the meat should come through                                   
this is what separates good                                    
barbeque from something                                        
lathered with barbeque sauce                                   

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a food and nutrition expert specializing the Mexican, Chinese, and Italian food. Visit http://www.food-and-nutrition.com/for more information on cooking delicious and healthy meals.


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