5/22/2015

US Regional BBQ

As Memorial Day weekend kicks off the barbecue season, let's get specific about what it means to barbeque in the US.

There are generally 4 main barbecue styles--with dozens of variations. Differences are never set in stone, and even vary inside regions, family traditions, and restaurants.

The Carolinas can be broken down further into smaller regional styles. They are most famous for pulled pork (and sometimes a whole hog) that has been cooked over hickory wood. Their sauce styles range from vinegar-based in the East to tomato-based in the West. A mustard-based sauce is also served in South Carolina and Georgia. A staff favorite for Western North Carolina style is Bone Suckin' Sauce.

In Kansas City they like a mix of all meats due to the influences from all other regions because of their geographic location. They are especially fond of BBQ ribs and chicken. Their signature sauce has a tomato base and is sweetened with molasses. Our favorite Kansas City style sauce is Rufus Teague.

Texans' meat of choice is beef grilled over oak. Their style of sauce is spicy and tangy with a tomato base and some sweetness. Our staff pick for Texas style BBQ sauce is Stubbs, and we carry the full line.

Memphis is generally known for their dry rub, often on pork ribs, and cooked over hickory wood. We find dry rubs easy to make at home. Try this delicious version of Memphis Dry Rub Ribs from Dave's Diner.

And of course, there is a lot more to grillin' than meat!
We are great advocates of placing the bounty of your garden on the grill--see our June 2013 newsletter.

And check out this Pioneer Woman recipe for Grilled Peaches and Pecans, and these Five Tips to Make a Better Grilled Veggie Salad from Food 52.

The Barbecue Bible

By Steve Raichlen

If you only own one Barbecue cookbook, this is the one. The Barbecue Bible is a huge, fantastic collection of recipes for the grill. It has more than 500 of the best barbecue recipes, inventive, delicious, unexpected, easy-to-make, and guaranteed to capture great grill flavors from around the world.

The latest edition has an FAQ section along with photographs illustrating food preparation and grilling techniques,

"For aspiring gourmets of the grill...there is only one book: The Barbecue! Bible"
-The New Yorker

"The most extensive collection of recipes and techniques...ever published."
-Esquire

Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches

Unique, gourmet, hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches

Coolhaus is passionate about food, and they push the boundaries of traditional dessert by creating unique, sweet-savory flavors you can't find anywhere else. They offer flavors like the Frank Behry (sugar cookie with strawberry ice cream), Mintimalism (chocolate cookie and mint chip ice cream), Mies Vanilla Rohe (chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream), Richard Meyer Lemon Ginger (ginger cookie and lemon ice cream), and Oatmeal Cinnamoneo (oatmeal cookie and cinnamon ice cream).