I Love Barbeque
I love barbecue! And I love all the opinions that barbecue stirs up. I never imagined that my Monster Potato post would elicit so many comments.
First, a little barbecue background. I grew up in North Carolina so the mighty pig (specifically a vinegar-doused pulled pork sandwich topped with vinegary green slaw) is my emotional touch point. If someone dares to serve me a “North Carolina” barbecue sandwich made with purple cabbage and mayo on a sesame-seed bun, I’m apoplectic!
That said, when barbecue became my life’s pursuit, I traveled all over and became an equal opportunity barbecuer. I truly believe that all the authentic styles/regions should be critiqued in their own region—99.9% of the time, people prefer and fight for the barbecue they grew up on. If I had to choose between a pulled pork sandwich from Wayne Monk’s restaurant in Lexington, NC, or anything else, I’d choose Monk’s sandwich! Once you embrace all the barbecue styles and cultures, your life only gets richer (and maybe your waist gets a little thicker!).
It’s "old hat" to some, but topping a baked potato with chopped smoked meat and barbecue sauce was news to me—and I see from the comments that there are fans from all over. As far as being “real” barbecue…the potato is topped with real barbecued meat, smoked over post oak low and slow. And, obviously, top your potato with as much or as little as you like—my recipe is only a point of departure!
For the past four years, I have been involved with a barbecue restaurant share group that includes the top restaurants/joints/dives in the country. Believe it or not, there are all kinds of other non-traditional dishes on most barbecue menus that utilize the smoked meat. Some of the most popular are Barbecue Pie, Barbecue Pizza, Barbecue Nachos, Barbecue Chili, etc. Guess why? These pitmasters and restaurant owners are trying to make a buck and an item that can get people talking (like the potato) brings cash and folks into the restaurant. I expect that you will find a Monster Potato on my menu at Hill Country sometime soon!
Restaurateurs don’t necessarily want you to eat the whole thing; they are giving us what we’ve asked for. Americans don’t like restaurants that serve small portions. Whether they eat it all or should eat it all is another matter; consumers vote with their dollars and like it or not, American consumers love and buy big portions. As far as cooking the potato, I agree wholeheartedly! My mother taught me to prep a “baked potato” by rubbing it with a little Crisco and pricking it a few times with a fork. I’ve never done it any other way for russet and/or sweet potatoes. I’d never use foil myself, but most restaurants do it for sanitary reasons.
No matter how you cook it, how you see it, or how you feel about it, the plain truth is that it is good eatin’! Be sure to come back next week when I give a little face time to a North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwich! In the meantime, tell me about your best barbecue experience in the comments!
KingArfer on March 05, 2008 at 08:17 PM
I don't know why they call it Carolina "Pulled" Pork. I've BBQ'd pork shoulder for years and made pulled pork plates with beans and slaw, or for sandwiches. I always marinated with a dry rub overnight and pulled the cooked pork into shreds. I added hot BBQ sauce immediately to the hot pulled meat. When I moved to TN was the first time I experienced the pork not pulled, but chopped (although they called it "pulled pork BBQ"). I didn't care for it. I moved to SC about three years ago, and that's how they do it here, too. They take perfectly good smoked shoulder and chop it up like corned beef hash. The chopped stuff loses the tender chewy texture of the pulled strands of meat and comes across as mushy. Then they serve it on the bun with no sauce. On the table are several different styles of bottled sauce: "sweet", "smoky", "mustard", etc. Of course, the sauce is cold, or room temperature, and it's not "married" to the meat as when it's mopped on during the cooking or mixed in with the hot, just pulled meat and the flavors of the sauce and meat allowed to blend. I don't know if that's how they do it in NC, but if so, you can have your Carolina so called "pulled" pork.
Andrew on March 05, 2008 at 08:54 PM
I'm sorry to see so many poor Philistines who have been swayed by the heathen rituals of non-Memphis style bar-b-que. Memphis in May sports the biggest and best bar-b-que contest ever to have graced God's earth, and is thus the most important annual event ever conceived by man.
Perhaps the best bar-b-que joint in the entire county, however, resides in lowly Lexington, TN. Scott's BBQ (with the traditional "Coke is it!" sign) is whole hog done right, where the owner doesn't get to sleep at night for tending the pig. If you do go down to check it out, come early. They usually run out of meat around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.
John Dunshee on March 05, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Unfortunately, Oregon and Barbecue is almost an oxymoron. Reo's Ribs in Aloha is about the only true barbecue place I can think of. Their ribs are good but not spicy or vinegary enough for me.
I've lived all over the world and my favorite is the buried pig barbecue that they have in Hawaii and the Philippines. You have to get someone that knows what they're doing or they'll screw it up.
Betsy on March 06, 2008 at 06:42 AM
For the definitive outdoor-cooked pig: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/cochon-de-lait.html
OldSoldier on March 06, 2008 at 07:19 AM
I'm former military 22 years. Grew up as an Army Brat. So I've had BBQ from all over.
If you've ever had Texas style brisket done right, then you'd know you're talking through your hat.
Same for pulled pork (or chopped, which is what we got around Ft Bragg). Slice of heaven if its done right. Had beef done the same way, and its incredible.
Some of the best ribs I ever had were in St Louis at the mom & pop place on th way to Ft Leonard Wood.
And you "Nothing other than KC beef is real BBQ" people are dumb as a fencepost when it comes to BBQ. Each has its own quality.
Your own Winslows does dry-rub (and yes, pork), and does pulled pork as well - and the dry rub, smoking and cooking the do its good enough that you don't need to drown it in sauce like most KC BBQ. Go give it a try and see that it stands up to the over-sauced grub you call BBQ.
You see, thats where you KC people miss the boat. You are shoudl be depending dry-rub spices, aging, wood, meat, time, smoke and grill. Take your sauce away and you have nothing.
Of course expecting any amount of non-bias from someone from KC is expecting too much, thus the continued BBQ Bigots posting here. Maybe its that KC inferiority complex they have going with Denver and St Louis. KC BBQ is good, but so are the others. Most KC is way overrated. The best thing about KC is they have high quality beef there to start with.
And I have to agreed with most folks above: You get north of Richmond or west Of KC (other than Texas), you can pretty much give up hope of finding excellent BBQ. God help you if you are in California (desert warfare center) or Washington state (Ft Lewis).
But the absolute worst was one attempt at BBQ I had outside the base at Frankfurt, Germany. It was horrid! (Surprisingly the best overseas BBQ I had was in Munich Germany - I guess the Bavarians learned it from the decades of US troops stationed there)
G.L. from Knoxville on March 06, 2008 at 07:47 AM
Susannac,
You're close to a good barbeque place, Lloyd's down 281 South, on the left just past Lowe's. I grew up in Birmingham and have had many great sandwiches there. They're huge and meaty. My last visit was a bit disappointing, mainly because of a lackluster bun, but we complained and they may have taken care of that problem.
Lloyd's goes way back, probably to the 1930's or 1940's.
Brutus on March 06, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Rob Steele, hie thee over to Revere to Uncle Pets' BBQ. Undoubtedly the best in Greater Boston. Bring the whole family and try the beef ribs, and order extra Asian slaw (Uncle Pete's wife is Asian and her slaw is the bomb).
I can vouch for Dan (Hot Meat) Stevens' comments. (He's proof that a Mainer can know good 'que!
RM on March 06, 2008 at 04:36 PM
"John Dunshee on March 05, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Unfortunately, Oregon and Barbecue is almost an oxymoron. Reo's Ribs in Aloha is about the only true barbecue place I can think of. Their ribs are good but not spicy or vinegary enough for me."
Agree that Reo's ribs are sometimes ok, but by and large I head into town for BBQ. Try Podnah's Pit 1469 NE Prescott St Portland, OR
Rodney makes true Texas style brisket as well as pork and lamb ribs. Definitely worth trying.
Tom C on March 15, 2008 at 10:21 AM
My votes:
> Austin TX - Rudy's
> Fairfield CT - Wilson's Holy Smoke BBQ
Becky on January 01, 2009 at 10:42 PM
There is no better barbecue in the world than that found at Red Bridges' Barbecue Lodge on Highway 74 in Shelby, NC. It is nonpareil.
Becky on January 01, 2009 at 10:43 PM
There is no better barbecue in the world than that found at Red Bridges' Barbecue Lodge on Highway 74 in Shelby, NC. It is nonpareil.