Homedecortips: BBQ On The Brain

วันพุธที่ 1 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2564

BBQ On The Brain

This Is The Only Rib Sauce We're Using From Now On

Kristin Stangl, Editor

This week, I traded New York City for Kansas City as my remote work location. I've been eating my way through pounds of smoked meats and washing it all down with plenty of crisp iced tea. I'm confident I will be getting plenty of strongly-worded emails about what region of the country really has the best BBQ; but rather than pick a favorite meat-child, I prefer to adore them all.

Kansas City, labeled by some as the "BBQ Capital of the World," is a midwest city that serves plates stacked high with brisket burnt ends (aka little meat nuggets that are tender on the inside and crisp from the smoker on the outside). It's proof positive that no-waste cooking often yields very tasty results. You'll find burnt ends also bobbing among the baked beans in these parts, and I'm not mad about that one bit. Of course, there are pork ribs and tender brisket slices to be had as well, dusted in dry rub and served up with sticky and tangy-sweet sauces on the side.

While I've never met a meat I didn't like, I feel no BBQ meal is complete without brisket, and Texas BBQ agrees by paying honor to this humble cut of beef. Often smoked over hickory and served unadorned (sauce can be served on the side, if you absolutely must), this melt-in-your-mouth phenomenon is an example of the beautiful alchemy of open-fire cooking.

I'm heading to the Carolinas next week, where I'll be dousing my smoked, pulled pork in tangy vinegar based sauces while in North Carolina, and leaning into the golden mustard sauce that sets South Carolina apart.

This Northern gal, who made Nashville, Tennessee home for over a decade feels a certain comfort when tucking in to a plate of Memphis BBQ. Their smokey, dry-rubbed pork ribs come out fall-off-the-bone tender and benefit from their vinegar-based mop sauces.

Alabama smoke pits are chock full of fork-tender pork shoulder. Don't miss their tangy, creamy-white sauce, which is unlike any BBQ sauce in the rest of the country. Chicago makes the BBQ map, thanks to an influx of Mississippi Delta natives to the Southside.

I'm lucky to be diving deep into BBQ on these final days of summer., I hope you'll join me, even if it's from your own backyard.

What to Make This Week

Kansas City Ribs

Sweet and sticky pork ribs with a bit of spice and just the right amount of smoke.

Discover

Smoked Mini-Brisket

Learn how to cook one of the most flavorful cuts of meat to perfection.

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Kansas City Baked Beans

This version of baked beans gets all its flavor from brisket burnt ends.

Discover

How to Make Better Iced Tea

All of the simple things that take your homemade iced tea from good to great.

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