Last night, over Burns Night drinks, I got into a debate with a certain North Carolinian about the nature of proper barbeque. Taking a more liberal stance, I admitted that I was willing to accept pork, chicken, or beef covered with a tomato-based sauce. She screamed something in the spirit of "Begone, Satan!" (not those words, but there was a look in her eye that frightened me...maybe it was just the Strongbow) and told me that barbeque can be pork, only pork, and must have a vinegar-based sauce.
Whatever, Leigh.*
We let the matter drop, but I left the pub with a desire for barbeque comparable to Leigh's nacho cravings. Only one problem: no one over here does proper barbeque.
To really make decent barbeque, you need a grill or a smoker. There should be fire involved, and the end product should have delicate overtones of charcoal or mesquite, or something else that lets you know it's been slow-cooked over an actual flame. Then there's the sauce - tomato, vinegar, and even mustard are all legitimate bases for it, and prize-winning family recipes are the way to go.
That said, I'm in a dorm in Scotland. Certain elements, like a real grill and a real sauce, just can't be had.
Undaunted, I went to Tesco and picked up a pack of chicken breasts (yes, chicken), then headed over to the condiment aisle for sauce. There was only one type of barbeque sauce in the entire store, and it was by HP. HP, the makers of "brown sauce." What the heck is brown sauce?!? Even Shaw's, the Grocery Hellhole of New Haven, had more than one type of barbeque sauce. Well, I figured I didn't have room to be choosy, since God knows I don't have a trusted sauce recipe of my own, so I took what I could get and headed back to the dorm.
My dad has started doing this barbeque-ish thing with leftover pork roasts, basically shredding the meat and dumping a bottle of sauce on top. It works in a pinch. Not trusting myself to use the grill on the stove, as it always makes my meat come out dry, I boiled the chicken (after looking up how long one needs to boil chicken...yeah, I'm a mess in the kitchen). Lacking a food processor, I settled for shredding the result, burning my fingertips in the process, then dumped half the bottle of HP into the dish and mixed it up.
It's not half bad. Jim & Nick's isn't going to come calling any time soon, but I now have a few more dinners sitting in my refrigerator. The Fourth of July is looking more promising...
*To sum up the issue (thanks, Wikipedia):
Although regional differences in barbecue are blurring, as are many other aspects of U.S. regional culture, variations still exist, and it is still possible to get into heated discussions of the superiority or inferiority of particular regional barbecue variants.
Alabama
In Alabama, there are currently more barbecue restaurants, per capita, than any other US state. Alabama barbecue most often consists of pork ribs or pork shoulder, slow cooked over hickory smoke. Pork shoulder may be served either chopped or sliced; some diners also specify a preference for either "inside" or "outside" meat. Alabama barbecue is typically served with a spicy, tomato-based sauce. Two Documentary films have been made concerning the Alabama barbecue phenomenon, "Holy Smoke over Birmingham" and "A Taste of Hog Heaven,"
Famous Alabama barbecue restaurants include:
-Dreamland Bar-B-Que
Founded in 1958 in Tuscaloosa, there are now over 8 locations statewide. In the original restaurant in Tuscaloosa, there are no side dishes, only ribs, bread, and sauce served on paper plates.
-Big Bob Gibson's BBQ
Founded in 1925 in Decatur, the people from Big Bob's have won many world championships in pork and chicken, as well as for their award winning sauces. They are particularly famous for their unique "white" sauce with a mayonnaise and vinegar base. This style of barbecue was well-documented in Fannie Flagg's bestselling book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was cooked and served at the Whistlestop Cafe that is at the center of the story.
-Golden Rule Bar-B-Que
One of the oldest barbecue restaurants in Alabama, The Golden Rule has remained a faithful representation of times long past. Founded in 1891 in Irondale, the original location was a roadside stop for travelers making the journey to and from Atlanta. Although the location has changed many times due to progress and growth, the original concept has stayed the same: Slow-roasted, finger-lickin' barbecue.
North Carolina
Within North Carolina, there are multiple regional traditions, all based on the slow-cooking of pulled or chopped pork. On the east coast, the dominant ingredients in the sauce are vinegar and hot peppers. Proceeding west into the Piedmont (as in Lexington), the sauce (called "dip" by the locals) becomes more tomato- or ketchup-based, but usually not as thick as commercial (Texas-style) sauces. In the eastern part of the state, the whole hog is typically used; in the west, sometimes only pork shoulders are used for barbecue. But under any circumstances, North Carolinian use of the term "barbecue" will refer to slow cooked pork, and not to backyard cookouts, or any sort of beef, chicken or other meats, regardless of how they are prepared although it is commonly acceptable to call chicken barbecued if the sauce is the same used on pork. Some North Carolinians will deny that "barbecue" exists outside of North Carolina.
In general, a hog half (Eastern) or shoulder (Lexington) is placed in a "hog cooker" over wood coals and cooked slowly, usually overnight. What wood to use is subject to some debate (often oak or hickory; never pine). In modern times, gas, electric, or charcoal heat are often used for convenience, although most will agree that the long exposure to hardwood smoke improves the flavor of the final product and is generally preferred. Other variations include cooking times, turning during cooking, and how finely the meat is chopped after cooking. For both Eastern and Lexington style, hushpuppies, barbecue slaw, boiled potatoes, corn sticks, Brunswick stew, and collard greens are commonly served as side dishes at North Carolina barbecue restaurants. Also popular is the "barbecue sandwich," consisting of barbecue, vinegar/pepper sauce, and sweet cole slaw served on a hamburger bun. Lexington's Annual Barbecue Festival is well known within the state and normally held on one of the last 2 Saturdays in October of each year.
A gathering centered on the cooking and consuming of barbecue is frequently called a "Pig pickin'" by North Carolina residents, and is popular for church gatherings, family celebrations, reunions, weddings, funerals and often as an event which occurs before the start of a collegiate football event.
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