Hate to bust anyone's bubble, but REAL barbeque ain't cooked on grills that you can buy at Walmart or Home Depot. Nor is it smoked with pellets, shavings, or pressed wood brisquettes......and it's not cooked using propane or electricity. Also, it's mostly a south of the Mason-Dixon line thing...........sorry Yankees.
It is cooked on a pit, over a bed of hardwood coals, low and slow, usually by old men who've been doing it for so long that they could do it blindfolded. Here in my part of the world, in the western part of Kentucky, just north of the Tennessee line, that means pork shoulders, cooked for about 16 hours, and the served pulled. Very little seasoning goes on the shoulders to begin with, usually they are mopped with a sauce while they're cooked, and served sauce on the side. Most places also cook chickens and ribs. I do like brisket, but that's a Texas innovation, and was not originally cooked here.
Some places also cook mutton, and I like good mutton, but I have found few places that really know how to do it right.
Hate to burst your bubble but Real BBQ doesn’t have sauce on it! If you’re ever on the west coast feel free to stop by for some Red Oak BBQ that will blow your mind. Ain’t that right Fatcity!
Hate to bust your bubble, but I very seriously doubt that anyone from the west coast knows very much about how BBQ is supposed to be cooked. The sauce I'm referring to, is a very thin vinegar-tomato based mixture that is mopped on the meat to keep it moist during the cooking. Not everybody does it, but it definitely helps.
On a more serious note, we all get used to eating our regional food, and think it's the best. I've never eaten BBQ that came off a grill or smoker, that could compare to what we refer to as pit style here, and I've eat a lot of BBQ. When I refer to BBQ, I'm talking about pork or chicken that's been cooked for hours, not a hamburger or pork chop that's been cooked on a grill. I'm the same way about fried fish, as I think what we have in this part of the country is by far and away the best I've ever had. Fried chicken as well. It's only natural that we like our locally cooked food, as it's what we have grown up eating. As an example, I've eaten Carolina BBQ and Kansas City BBQ, both places that are supposedly known for their good BBQ, and to me, it wasn't even close as good as what I can get locally. But, I've also had BBQ from some places here in Kentucky that are supposed to be the best, and I didn't care for it.
Everyone is different as to what we like, and while I think my part of the country makes the best BBQ, it's only natural that someone else will think theirs is better. Also, the term "BBQ" means different things to different folks. Nothing wrong with that either.
