If you want to get technical, here are the differences.

· The mantra of barbecue champs is "low and slow". Barbecued foods are typically cooked at around 225 degrees F for many hours, whereas grilled foods are cooked at a higher temperatures  - 300 to 700 degrees F - and for a shorter time than are barbecued foods, sometimes just minutes.   

· Barbecue is pretty much restricted to meats, whereas almost anything edible can be grilled.

· In barbecue, meat is cooked with indirect heat and smoke generally from burning hardwoods, whereas grilled foods are cooked over direct heat even flames. 

· Large pieces of less expensive meats that require low, slow cooking to tenderize them are typically used in barbecue, whereas more expensive cuts in individual servings that are at their juiciest when seared on the outside but not cooked all the way through tend to be used for grilling. (Grilled Buffalo steak pictured above.)

· Though you can add a smoky flavor to your grilled foods by putting a pan of clean wood chips (such as hickory, mesquite or oak) on the grill along with your foods, only the long exposure to smoke that barbecuing (or cold smoking) involves truly imbue the food through and through with a smoky flavor. 

   I don't claim to be a master of the grill, but I can pass along a few basic principles that are worth knowing. 

· Meats should be at cool room temperature when you put them in the smoker or on the grill.

· Choose the right technique for the food that you are cooking and understand the technique that you are using. (For example, what type of meat are you cooking and how is it best cooked? -slow cooked for tenderness or seared for juiciness? Or are you just cooking fruits or vegetables?) 

· If barbecuing, do not open and close the cooker any more than necessary. You want to retain both the heat and the smoke, though you need to keep your cooker's vents clear to keep the air moving the cooker. Otherwise, you may want to keep the lid open to keep a close eye on your food and the flames. 

· Never press the meat down - you'll just squeeze the juices out of it - and resist the temptation to keep turning it over and over and over.   

· Let meat rest before you serve it and remember that your meat will keep cooking as it rests, so you should stop cooking it shortly before it is done.  

· Employ safe grilling practices such as having a fire extinguisher handy.  

(Pictured above: Pulled Chicken from Cox Brothers) 

    Bill and I often joke around about famous people who almost stayed at The Morning Star. A few famous people have in fact stayed here, though. One, a star of the Lethal Weapon movies, arrived at our door for check-in with a bag full of ribs that he had just picked up flying through Memphis. I was barely able to get a "hello" in before being asked to heat the ribs from the guest's favorite BBQ joint. He and Bill hung out, talked basketball, ate ribs and drank Sweet Tea. I was just glad not to have ruined the food. 

    How well do you know the differences between barbecue styles? It has taken me a while to be able to keep them straight, and unfortunately, I'm not too sharp on the subtler variations.  The styles are distinguished by what type of meat is used, what type of heat it is cooked over, whether and how it is served with sauce, and the type of sauce (if any) used.  So, keeping these criteria in mind, here are the main the styles.

    In Texas, of course, beef is king. Beef Brisket, ribs and sausage, salted and peppered before being cooked with oak smoke are typical of Texas barbecue. It is typically served dry or with a thin, spicy tomato and vinegar based sauce. (Pictured above, part of Texas Star Barbecue Platter that we ordered take-out from Hibachi Hut. It was too big to fit on one plate.)  

    Pork is predominant in Memphis style, especially ribs (dry or pre-sauced). Chopped pork and bologna are also popular as well as a dish called barbeque spaghetti which I believe is barbecue sauce and chopped barbecued meats served, you guessed it, with spaghetti noodles. The tomato and vinegar based sauce is slightly sweet and much thinner than Kansas City sauces. 

    In North Carolina, you'll find hole hogs cooked over gas or hardwood, the meat served chopped with a vinegar and pepper dressing and coleslaw. 

    Similarly, South Carolina style goes for whole hog, but it's got to be wood-smoked. The meat is served chopped, and doused in mustard sauce. Thanks to Marvin Woods' The New Low-Country Cooking I've really become a fan of mustard based barbecue sauce. 

    With Kansas City style, just about anything goes in terms of meat - beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken, turkey. Typically cooked with hickory smoke and basted with a thick tomato and molasses sauce - the kind I thought of growing up as being definitive of barbecue - then served with plenty of sauce on the side. 

   In response to my informal poll of The Morning Star Update readers, most people said "It's all good!" Amongst those expressing a preference, however, Texas style was the winner. For a more detailed look at American barbecue, Serious Eats has a descriptive article about and slide show introduction to the main traditions found in the US.

    Researching barbecue over the past few months, I have come to appreciate just how much I enjoy a really good sauce to go with it. I decided to come up with my own sauce and wanted to integrate my favorite barbecue sauce flavors. This is what I came up with - a spicy hot, sweet, smooth tasting mustard and vinegar based sauce.

1 1/2 c. prepared Dijon mustard

1 c. rice wine vinegar

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1/4 c. bourbon 

2 t. smoked paprika

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. ginger powder

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

2 T. maple syrup 

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients except for the maple syrup and lemon juice in a 2 qt. non-stick saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring frequently and scraping the sides of the pan. Cook until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the sauce is a rich dark caramel brown color. Stir in the maple syrup and lemon juice. Taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Baste on meats toward the end of barbecuing or grilling, or serve on the side.  (Fire Sauce on an open-face grilled chicken sandwich is pictured above.) 

salt

pepper

    Place the green and red cabbage and pineapple in a large bowl and  toss together. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar and mustard. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in the poppy seeds. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour desired amount of dressing over cabbage and toss until evenly coated. Chill until serving. (Note: after more than a few hours, the dressing will turn pink from the red cabbage.It still tastes fine; it's just pink.) 

     Helen from Georgia told me that if I was going to write about barbecue, I needed to write about Sweet Tea and Vodka Sweet Tea - these being a southern specialties that go well with barbecue 'n all.  

Sweet Tea

8 c. cold water

5 tea bags (we like Earl Grey) 

1 1/4 c. granulated white sugar or 3/4 c. fructose

4 c. ice cubes

Place water in a large pot and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat. Add tea bags. Cover and steep for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove tea bags. Stir in sugar or fructose until completely dissolved. Place ice cubes in a large pitcher. Pour tea over ice. Stir until ice is melted. Refrigerate until serving.

Sweet Tea Cocktail 

    For each serving, fill a tall glass with ice. Add 1 oz. vodka and 1/2 oz. Peach Schnapps. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. Fill glass the rest of the way with Sweet Tea. Cover with a shaker cup and shake for 30 seconds. Garnish with lemon or lime slices.  

Massages at The Morning Star 

Manhattan Barbecue Joints

  One of the most popular food styles in our local culinary culture is barbeque. Some neighborhoods even have their own BBQ contests. If you are a visitor to town and want to try some local barbeque flavor, there are a couple of Manhattan favorites that you shouldn't miss.

    Cox Bros. BBQ specializes in what it describes as Manhattan (Kansas) style barbeque - saucy, sweet and spicy bbq, chicken and turkey included Pictured above, Bill's favorite - Brisket Tacos topped with Pineapple Coleslaw. 

    Hibachi Hut (used to be 2 restaurants Hibachi Hut and Texas Star Cafe), features Texas barbeque and is known for its ribs and brisket.   

    Also popular are Famous Dave's, specializing in St. Louis style ribs, and Pat's Blue Ribbon which attracts the Aggieville student crowd. 

Kansas in the Movies 

   After going through the 150 "Best" Kansas books list last month, I started thinking about movies set in or filmed in Kansas. I couldn't find an official "best" guide; so I decided to work on one. The Washburn University webpage, Kansas in the Movies, and the Kansas Historical Society's webpage, Cool Things - Western Movies Set in Kansas, as well as The Update readers, helped me to get started making on a "best" list. 

    The Morning Star's list of Best Kansas Movies:

The Wizard of Oz (1939) starring Judy Garland, a little girl and her dog are caught in a tornado and find themselves in a fantastical land, set in Kansas but filmed in California 

Winchester '73 (1950) starring Jimmy Stewart and Shelly Winters, follows the story of a rare gun and the men who seek to possess it, set in Kansas but filmed in Arizona 

High Noon (1952)  starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly and Lloyd Bridges, about a lawman facing a criminal gang on his own, set in Kansas but filmed in California, won 4 Academy Awards      

Kansas City Confidential (1952) starring John Payne and Preston Gray, film noir about an ex-con trying to clear his name, set in Kansas City and Mexico  

Picnic (1955) starring William Holden, Kim Novak and Cliff Robertson, a drifter's arrival in a small town of the morning of the annual Labor Day picnic changes lives, set in and filmed in Kansas, winner of 2 Academy Awards 

In Cold Blood (1967) starring Robert Blake and John Forsythe, about a pair of murders confronting their own actions, based on true events, set in Kansas but filmed in Colorado 

Paper Moon (1973) starring Ryan & Tatum O'Neil, about a charming grifter and the orphan he falls for, set in Kansas and filmed in Kansas, Missouri, Florida and California, winner of 1 academy award.  

A Boy and His Dog (1975) starring Don Johnson, a post-apocalyptic movie about a young man and his telepathic dog as they search for women and struggle for survival, set in Kansas but filmed in California 

Superman (1978) starring Christopher Reeve and other stars, about the planet's first super-hero, set in Kansas but filmed in England 

 City Heat (1984) starring Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Jane Alexander, about a private eye and a police lieutenant reluctantly working together to solve a murder, set in Kansas City but filmed in New York 

Wyatt Earp (1994) starring Kevin Costner and other stars, semi-biographical Western film about this famous individual, set in part in Kansas, filmed in New Mexico and various other locations  

Pep Squad (1998) a cult film about small town high school students attempting to cover up the accidental killing of the school principal, set in and filmed in Kansas 

Ride with the Devil (1999) starring Toby McGuire and Jewel, disquieting movie about individuals who took the morally wrong side during the Civil War and hence the title, set in Missouri mostly but filmed in Kansas, worth watching for the history of the area

Dates to Remember 

through July 30th: "Our Favorite Places", Strecker Nelson Gallery

July 1st: The Wailin' Jennys, Arts in the Park

July 4th: Thunder over Manhattan, Cico Park

July 9th: Little Apple Jazz Festival

July 12th: Avery Beer Tasting, Della Voce

July 12th: "Society Cream: the Purcells", Riley County Historical Museum

July 13th: Burgundy Wine Dinner,  

4 Olives  

July 15th: Wildcat Legends for Charity Dinner & Auction, KSU Alumni Center

July 21st - 25th: Riley County Fair

July 21st - 25th: Kaw Valley Rodeo

July 29th - 30th: Peter Pan, McCain Auditorium

July 30th: Haunted Manhattan Ghost Tour, departs from Applebee's parking lot 

    On the same morning that I photographed the clouds below, Roger from Colorado said to me, "I really have enjoyed looking at your fossils." Being absolutely clueless as to what he was referring, and having come to recognize that Roger has a pretty dry sense of humor, I thought that he was joking. But he wasn't. Roger discovered that the limestone lining the top of the porch wall is filled with thousands of these tiny fossils dating back to when Kansas was covered by ocean. He even went up to the Geology Department at KSU to identify them for me. They are fusulinids. Thank you for the insight, Roger! 

The Storm that Wasn't 

One morning in mid-June, while serving breakfast on the front porch, I noticed that every time I brought a dish out the the clouds looked more and more like they were shaping up into a storm.  At one point, I excused to myself to run in and get my camera. I took this photo from the front yard at about 8:45 a.m. and then ran down the street to get some more shots. About 10 minutes later the formations were gone altogether and all that remained was a hazy low cloud cover. Yes, Dorothy, we are in Kansas. We got lucky that morning.

Links of Interest

Visit Manhattan 

Humble Abode 

Strecker Nelson Gallery 

KSU Sports