Southern Style BBQ

What are the different types of BBQ you find in the U.S.A? In all reality there are many types of BBQ in the U.S.A. most of which involve dry rubbing the meat and slow smoking using some type of wood or another.  The most commonly used woods are cherry, mesquite and hickory.  There are also different schools of thought on how to smoke meat. Some people swear by open wood pits while others prefer closed smokers. No matter what your preference, real BBQ is smoked. Everything else is just grilled. 

It is possible that I was spoiled by running a kitchen of a southern style BBQ restaurant for almost 3 and a half years, but almost every restaurant I have been to that boasts great southern style is horrible. Most places either don’t smoke the meat long enough, too high a temperature or they smoke it for way to long.  When it is under smoked, the meat is tough and chewy. When you cook the meat at too high a temperature the same thing happens. When you smoke meats too long, the meat may fall off the bone, but the meat dries out and no amount of sauce can save it. It is really a delicate process that takes time as well as trial and error to perfect. This blog was inspired by a recent experience at a high end casual restaurant that boasted good BBQ and turned out to be a real disappointment.

With how many years I have worked in the industry, I understand that all of us in the industry have our moments where we are less than perfect.  No matter how good you are in the kitchen, bad dishes do occasionally go out to the guest. It is for this reason that I believe in second chances.  Look for a review of Bone Yard Bistro in the near future.