In the United States,barbecueis practically synonymous with summer.
This slow approach to cooking meat dates back to the Caribbean in the 1500s.
Between the Carolinas alone, you’ll need two hands to count the different barbecue varieties.
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The sauces:Eastern-style North Carolina barbecue is often considered to be one of the original approaches to barbecue.
It involves basting the meat in a vinegar-based sauce enhanced with a little sugar and red pepper.
This thin sauce is also served on the side of your barbecue meal for dipping purposes.
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The details:
While the Eastern method uses the whole hog, Lexington purists only go with thepork shoulder.
Theirs is a spicy mix of vinegar, black pepper, salt, and cayenne.
This sweet and tangy sauce is arguably the one the state is most known for.
Melvin’s BBQ/Yelp
“But these days, the lines have blurred.”
The options atDuke’s Barbecuein Waterloo orMelvin’s Barbecuein Charleston are some of the most famous.
“South Carolinians know it’s effectively a ginned-up quarrel aboutcondiments.”
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After all, why fight when you might eat?
Texas
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Everything is bigger and more complicated in Texas.
The Lone Star state has almost as many approaches to barbecue as South Carolina does.
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Wet or dry, that is the question when it comes to Texas barbecue.
In the deep south, near the Rio Grande, you’ll find Mexican-style barbacoa.
Texas barbecue is all about the beef.
Melissa Cookston
After that, the meat is then left to rest, marinating in its own juices for optimal flavor.
Texas-style barbecue is celebrated at the annualTexas Monthly BBQ Fest Weekend, held in Austin every November.
The easy way to makehealthier comfort foods.
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Kansas City barbecue is famous for its burnt ends.
You won’t need a wet wipe when you come to this part of the South!
The lack of sauce makes for a neater barbecue experience.
The details:Memphis is known for its flavorful slabs ofdry ribs.
The city’s super-slow cooking methods over a hickory fire result in a falling-off-the-bone tenderness.
Expectlots of sandwicheswhen you head to this southern state, from pulled pork options toribs on rolls.
In 2015,Texas Monthlydeemed it “the year of Alabama barbecue.”
And it’s only gotten hotter ever since.
“I like to think of Alabama as the best of both worlds.”
