BBQ

[Gumby]

I have no idea how we survived before we had a smoker.

 

[harllee]

Here in NC there a 2 kinds of BBQ (I'm talking PORK chopped or sliced BBQ not some kind of beef brisket which is not real BBQ and definitely not ribs)--there is Eastern BBQ and Piedmont (Lexington) BBQ. There have been many books written on the difference and wars over which is best even among families. I am an eastern BBQ person myself (don't tell my mother) but will on occasion eat Piedmont BBQ from Lexington NC. I will not eat BBQ from a chain or franchise, that stuff is not edible. Real NC BBQ has to be cooked in a pit not some some of electric cooker. The best BBQ restaurants only serve BBQ and nothing else (except slaw and hushpuppies and maybe an occasional hot dog). There are no good fancy BBQ restaurants--the best ones look like shacks.

 

[motley]

And yet, when I lived in Raleigh, I was amazed to find there was no truly great BBQ place around. I even went to some outdoor BBQ festival once and had numerous samples...all underwhelming.

 

[harllee]

And yet, when I lived in Raleigh, I was amazed to find there was no truly great BBQ place around. I even went to some outdoor BBQ festival once and had numerous samples...all underwhelming.

Your problem is that you were in the big city of Raleigh, there are no good BBQ places in big cities. You need to go somewhere like Wilburs in Goldsboro or Kings in Kinston.

 

[motley]

Well Raleigh's a kind of medium-sized city, not what I'd call "big" but I get what you're saying (Lexington isn't exactly NYC!) - still I would find it hard to believe places like Memphis, KC, Austin, etc don't have great BBQ places. AFAIK there wasn't even one somewhere NEAR Raleigh, like Morrisville, Wake Forest, Holly Springs, etc.

 

[jazz4cash]

I never tried it, but it is highly rated. But Memphis, like NC, doesn't have bad BBQ - those places close quickly because there's so much good BBQ around. So I am sure Central is great too.

I recall checking “best BBQ near me” while in Memphis and the top rated place was in MS.

 

[Texas Proud]

Wow... some people must not like 'real' BBQ if you do not want brisket.... even rib... much less BEEF ribs...

 

[motley]

?

Brisket is great. But isn't BBQ.
Ribs are great. But aren't BBQ.

And thanks, now I'm starving for almost any kind of meat in the middle of the night

 

[CosmicDreamer]

I like both, although IMO they are "BBQ" in name only...

Yeah, I can see what you mean. But I actually love how different the whole experience is, especially if you get to try it out in Japan or Korea.

 

[Lagniappe]

Came all the way to Setúbal and ended up eating some really good BBQ ( Rafeira Taproom & Bayou BBQ) And the owner also opened a brewery and had a wide variety of beer styles (we've been drinking Especial, a light adjunct lager). The town (a Lisbon suburb) is famous for choco frito (fried cuttlefish) and seafood, and we had a lot of that, but the BBQ was so good! The owner's parents live in NC and he lived in Colorado (beer) and Georgia (barbeque).

I am going to check that place out next month. Glad to hear an endorsement!

 

[harllee]

Well Raleigh's a kind of medium-sized city, not what I'd call "big" but I get what you're saying (Lexington isn't exactly NYC!) - still I would find it hard to believe places like Memphis, KC, Austin, etc don't have great BBQ places. AFAIK there wasn't even one somewhere NEAR Raleigh, like Morrisville, Wake Forest, Holly Springs, etc.

The reason there is no really good NC BBQ places in Raleigh and nearby towns is the health and safety regulations in these towns prohibit wood fired BBQ pits and in these towns --BBQ places are forced to use electric pits. The BBQ cooked on an electric pit is not good in my opinion. To find a BBQ place with wood fired pits you need to go to small towns places with looser regulations like Lexington NC or places down east like Kinston, Goldsboro or Greenville NC.

 

[motley]

Huh did not know that -

 

[Texas Proud]

?

Brisket is great. But isn't BBQ.
Ribs are great. But aren't BBQ.

And thanks, now I'm starving for almost any kind of meat in the middle of the night

And that is where you are different than almost any search that I can find...

So where is YOUR definition of BBQ? From what I see it includes almost (if not all) meats... BBQ is the process, not the meat...

 

[motley]

Interesting; I've never seen brisket or ribs referred to as BBQ or anything other than brisket and ribs.

BBQing is a process, but it is also very much about the meat. My definition is that, my own, and I realize not an "official" or even common one. IMO BBQ is made with pork (sorry you Texans )...not beef and sure as heck not chicken. That doesn't mean the other stuff can't be great, I just don't consider it BBQ.

 

[Koolau]

Heh, heh, next, we should talk about (wait for it) Chili! That will bring out the controversy. (Like is it really chili if you have any pasta in it?)

 

[Gumby]

Maybe it's a regional thing. I don't recall anyone around here saying just "barbecue". Seems that almost everyone says "barbecued (pork/beef/lamb/chicken)". If I'm using the smoker, I usually say "smoked (ribs/ pork butt/ brisket/etc.)"

 

[motley]

Heh, heh, next, we should talk about (wait for it) Chili! That will bring out the controversy. (Like is it really chili if you have any pasta in it?)

Hey start your own controversial food thread, I'm workin this side of the street!

 

[motley]

Maybe it's a regional thing. I don't recall anyone around here saying just "barbecue". Seems that almost everyone says "barbecued (pork/beef/lamb/chicken)". If I'm using the smoker, I usually say "smoked (ribs/ pork butt/ brisket/etc.)"

Oh man you're pouring gas on the fire lol

 

[MichaelB]

Heh, heh, next, we should talk about (wait for it) Chili! That will bring out the controversy. (Like is it really chili if you have any pasta in it?)

I have never heard of pasta in chili.

 

[Gumby]

I have never heard of pasta in chili.

My mother put diced potatoes in a dish that she called chili, which we ate about once a year.

 

[Koolau]

I have never heard of pasta in chili.

There you go. I told you it was controversial.

 

[braumeister]

Maybe it's a regional thing. I don't recall anyone around here saying just "barbecue". Seems that almost everyone says "barbecued (pork/beef/lamb/chicken)". If I'm using the smoker, I usually say "smoked (ribs/ pork butt/ brisket/etc.)"

Lots of different attitudes, I guess. I've always considered anything cooked on a grill or a smoker to be in the same category.

I'm a certified barbeque judge (KCBS) and go to a lot of competitions to judge a lot of amazing bbq produced by incredible competition teams. The standard setup is to judge four different entries:

1. Chicken
2. Pork ribs
3. Pork (either pulled or sliced)
4. Beef brisket

They are always done in that order, and the judging is done completely blind -- they work very hard to keep it fair and consistent. There are also other types of competition, but that four meat type is the main one.

 

[braumeister]

I have never heard of pasta in chili.

Outside of Cincinnati, I doubt if anyone has.
But here we consider the spaghetti an essential ingredient. The key point is that we don't call it chili, we call it "Cincinnati chili".

 

[MichaelB]

There you go. I told you it was controversial.

Outside of Cincinnati, I doubt if anyone has.
But here we consider the spaghetti an essential ingredient. The key point is that we don't call it chili, we call it "Cincinnati chili".

I love chili and would try any recipe once. Potatoes, pasta, beans, whatever. I’m an adventurous diner and believe chili is one of those dishes that has no single proper or right way to prepare.

 

[motley]

Outside of Cincinnati, I doubt if anyone has.
But here we consider the spaghetti an essential ingredient. The key point is that we don't call it chili, we call it "Cincinnati chili".

Oh the humanity! Get that pasta away from my chili

Yeah Cincinnati "chili" sounds really weird, but weird things can be good too