It wouldn't be Dixie without

Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
B-B-Q. Pulled pork, however you want to call it. The gauntlet has been thrown, the die cast. There's a recipe in one of my "Barbecue Bible" cookbooks, with the sauce basically being a vinegar. I believe they referred to it as a S. Carolina BBQ. Now, I know I can do better than that. I've had better already. So I need you good Southern folk, or even Northerners who want to step up to the challenge, to dust off the old family recipe. I will, over a progress of time, be cooking all of them. There's a butcher near at hand who regularly has large hunks of pig meat at good prices. And given that I've yet to see a recipe that calls for less than 4lbs of good, off the hoof protein, good leftover ability is definitely one of the categories for judging.

Who's brave enough to step up? Who's willing to lay family honour on the line? Who's so sure of their recipe that they believe even a fumble fingered Super-Northerner can't screw it up?
 
Southron BBQ is very regional. What is standard in western NC won't fly in central NC. Memphis BBQ uses a lot of dry rubs. Some places use mustard sauce, others use tomato based. We had a good throw down about this a couple years ago when Inky wanted to try and convince us Southroners that some place in Cali made the world's best. His ears might still be swollen from the boxing they took.

That being said, BBQ was not a huge favorite in my family when I was a child. What BBQing I do I have taught myself and learned from friends. I don't have a homemade sauce recipe. Depending on the cut of meat, the tastes of my intended diners, and other factors I will use as many as four different purchased sauces in varrying combinations. I tried dry rub once and screwed up a nice rack of ribs, haven't been brave enough to try again.

I'd be more than happy to supply you with the purchased sauces I use, but I somehow don't think that's what you're after. Go by racebuds and ask abooja though. She has a few that sound fantastic. They might even be posted in the kitchen sink forum there.
 
look for molasses based sauces.

I have a receipe, but it is asian biased, I liked it on pulled pork, don't know if you will.

molasses
Concentraited OJ
Ginger
Pepper flakes
soy
pinch of 5 spice
rice wine vinegar
seasame oil
chopped shallots
garlic
applesauce
 
The most important thing about barbecue (pulled pork, beef brisket or ribs), IMO, is not the sauce. Cook it slow over a wood fire. I like hickory myself. The sauce is a condiment. To each his own. That's why there are so many regional differences but any time you find good barbecue, regardless of sauce, you can bet it's been cooking since yesterday.

BTW Prof, you wouldn't like the sauces I make since an important ingredient is always Tobasco or some other hot sauce. As far as mild sauces go, I usually take a recipe I have from TGI Friday's and season it up some. I rarely make any sauce the same twice, I taste as I go. Stay away from the really tomato-y ones though. Might as well just use ketchup.

I'll dig up a base recipe when I get home if I think of it.
 
Almost forgot: The sauce you mop your 'cue with while it's cooking is different (and much thinner) than what you put on when you're about to eat. I generally use the second stuff sparingly myself.

BTW Paul, you know you can by "smoke" flavoring, right? I've got a beer and cayenne pepper recipe that works pretty good in the crock pot if you're interested. A little piquant, but tasty. :D
 
Liquid smoke?

Had something with that once, and it was HORRIBLE (I think they used half a bottle.

Now it is one of those foods that I can't think about without being nausiated.

But send me the sause receipe.

and I can and do slow cook in the oven, lowest setting for many hours, with dry rubs too.
 
I've got two bottles of liquid smoke at home. I use it in the jerky marinade. Had to buy it south of the border. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere in the area carries it.
 
Using half the bottle was the problem. Its quite powerful. Youre supposed to only use a few drops in a whole batch of marinade or sauce. The flavour imparted is supposed to be a gentle aside... not a punch in the mouth.
 
SouthernN'Proud said:
We had a good throw down about this a couple years ago when Inky wanted to try and convince us Southroners that some place in Cali made the world's best. His ears might still be swollen from the boxing they took.
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I'll answer that by saying I've tried a lot of different Southern barbecue. Have you tried true Santa Maria-style barbecue?
 
SouthernN'Proud said:
Yeah, we got a little place right down the road that specializes in it...
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With the right type of grill and the red oak firewood and everything? If the OTC BBQ ever makes it to your area, I'll have to make a stop there and see if it's any good.
 
Inkara1 said:
With the right type of grill and the red oak firewood and everything? If the OTC BBQ ever makes it to your area, I'll have to make a stop there and see if it's any good.
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Is your sarcasm meter broken, or is mine???

Unfortunately, nothing really to contribute here being a northen boy. I gets my BBQ from Corky's via FedEx, or via a few local places in NYC and in Boston that have what I think is mighty tasty BBQ. And after all, it's about ones own opinion of what tastes good (though I still want to make it to true BBQ land and try the real stuff. NC, Memphis, KC, Texas)
 
Well, not knowing his area, there very well could be a mom-and-pop place in a converted house on the corner or something.

I guess I should confess my southern barbecue tasting was in Dallas. I wish I could remember the name of the place.
 
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The secret to any good BBQ is in the marinade, and the wood you cook over. If you have a good marinade, and some wood from a nut-bearing or fruit-bearing tree, you can makethe most undesirable cut of meat a taste adventure. I've posted my home-made marinade here before(uses bourbon), and my choice of wood (pecan), but I've always said that you spice your meat how you like. If you're not sure, try several different types of marinades on smaller, individual 'kebabs' until you find the flavor you like. Just make sure you marinate at least 24 hours before you BBQ...
 
Santa Maria-style BBQ has a really good marinade. It's called "using a good cut of meat that already has a good flavor."

:D
 
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