To the majority of Northern backyard grillers, a barbecue is an event that involves a gas or charcoal grill, some burgers, hot dogs, maybe a sausage or two, and a cold one to drink while flipping. But to the purists, many (most?) of them in the South, barbecue is not an event or just a type of cuisine; it’s part of a Southerners’ cultural heritage. And because of the vast regional differences that exist from the coast to the gulf, there’s probably no other food that inspires such debate, fierce competition, coveting of hidden recipes, and long standing rivalries over which state has the best, most original, and truly authentic barbecue.
Being a west-of-the-Rockies Northerner, the wide world of barbecue can be a bit overwhelming. But I do know that whenever I’m in the South, there’s no better spot to stop for lunch than a barbecue joint. So if you’re out on the open road this summer and looking to try the regional specialty of somewhere in the “barbecue belt,” here’s what to look for.
First, Some Barbecue and Grilling Semantics
The word barbecue is often misused in the America lexicon, at least according to barbecue purists. Many people (guilty as charged) use it as a verb, as in “I’m going to barbecue these burgers tonight!” or incorrectly as a noun, “Fire up the barbecue—the burgers are ready!” Then there’s the use of barbecue (which is also spelled bar-b-que, BBQ, barbeque, or bar-b-q) as an adjective, such as “barbecued chicken.” In fact, what we’re usually doing when we use the word this way is grilling, and the contraption we’re doing it on is a grill. That’s why you’ll hear some people (again, usually Southerners) call the Weber/beer/hamburger events a “grill-out” or a “backyard cook-out.”
Barbecue, as it’s used in the South, is meat prepared in a certain way, and that way is much different than grilling. Grilling usually involves placing food directly over hot coals; the high heat means food cooks fast. The proximity to flame chars the outside of the food, giving it the blackened appearance and flavor. Barbecuing, on the other hand, involves cooking meat over a low heat for many hours and can encompass different methods of cooking. Smoke from log sections, wood pieces, or charcoal add flavor to the meat. Sometimes the heat source and the meat are in separate sections of a barbecue chamber, a truly indirect method of cooking.
