Prieto - Southern Living Ultimate Book of BBQ

CONTENTS For a long time, we Southerners were rigidly parochial in our barbecue preferences, insisting that real barbecue was whatever local style we ate growing up. In recent years, though, aided by television shows, books, and the Internet, were becoming increasingly well-versed in the abundant and diverse varieties found across the South. We enjoy sampling a wide assortment of sauces, meats, and side dishes, and deciding for ourselves the ones we like best. This book brings those various recipes together into a single volume that surveys the many different ways that Southerners cook and enjoy barbecue today. It starts with the basicsthe history, the cuts of meat, the equipment. And then its time to get cooking.

For master-level guidance on all things meat, Southern Living turned to Christopher Prieto, champion pitmaster and proprietor of PRIME Barbecue near Raleigh, North Carolina. Raised in Houston, Prieto learned early on the beef-centric flavors of Texas-style barbecue. After honing his skills on the Kansas City Barbecue Society circuit, Prieto set up shop midway between the whole-hog and pork shoulder regions of North Carolina. Prieto draws upon this cross-regional experience to give step-by-step instructions for cooking old standbys like beef brisket and pork butt, as well as more esoteric cuts like beef ribs and spatchcock turkey. His insights are supplemented by tips from some of the Souths most noted pitmasters, like Tim Byres of Smoke in Dallas, Justin and Jonathan Fox of Atlantas Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, and Carey Bringle of Nashvilles Peg Leg Porker.

Low-and-slow may be the traditional barbecue mode, but Southerners love to grill hot and fast, too, and this book provides an array of ideas for grilling beef, chops, fish, and chicken. There are insider tips on how to keep vegetables from sticking to the grill, inventive ways to use backyard grills, and even recipes for grilling pizzas. We tend to associate barbecue with summer, for thats the peak season for outdoor dining. But the bold flavors of barbecue canand shouldbe enjoyed any time. Several soups and chilis offer a touch of smoke for cooler days, and hearty cuts like beef chuck rolls and dishes like grilled balsamic Brussels sprouts are perfect year-round. Theres even a selection of rainy day recipes for the stove-top or slow cooker.

No meal would be complete without plenty of side dishes, and the editors have selected the best Southern Living has to offer. Some are barbecue iconscollard greens, hush puppies, baked beans. Others, like grilled watermelon with prosciutto, have a more contemporary flair. And, of course, there are recipes for the full range of regional sauces, from the fiery eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce to the tangy Alabama white sauce, plus six varieties of coleslaw. Taken together, its a comprehensive survey of the techniques and styles of contemporary Southern barbecue. Whether youre looking to entertain with pit-cooked pork shoulders or grill a few steaks for a casual family meal, there is much to choose from within these pages.

So get that fire going. Its time to eat. ROBERT MOSS,
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
JANUARY 2015 BBQ
DEFINED To say barbecue in the South is a big deal is an understatement. Its about sharing an age-old tradition with family and friendsenjoying the fundamentals in life: food and fellowship. BBQ THEN & NOW Regions throughout the country take real pride in their barbecue, and it is a culinary delight that is quintessentially American. While few will argue that achieving delicious barbecue takes deft seasoning and just the right amount of smoke, to a Southerner, it requires a little bit moreit also takes care, dedication, and attention.

Southerners love to debate the finer points of sauce and style, but barbecue brings people together far more than it pushes them apart. On any given day at the local barbecue joint, youll see high-powered executives in tailored suits sitting elbow to elbow with stay-at-home moms or construction workers. In backyards and at community gatherings, youll find toddlers, teenagers, and old-timers sipping sweet tea side by side and enjoying pulled pork, sliced brisket, and pork ribsmaybe all three. Ask 10 different Southerners where the best barbecue can be found and youre bound to get 10 different answersand each of them is likely to name a barbecue joint theyve been visiting for years. Ask a pitmaster for his recipe for barbecue and hell have an answer, too: Its top-secret. Many barbecue operations are family affairs, and often recipes go to the grave.

But while most Southerners agree that bona fide barbecue requires cooking meat low and slow over a fire, they often disagree about what type of meat or sauce makes the best. There are even skirmishes about favorite sides and drinks. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone is more than happy to share it. A BRIEF BBQ HISTORY Cooking meat over a fire is nothing new; its basically been around since fire was discovered. And smoking is an age-old way to extend the life of meat when refrigeration isnt an option. Our modern-day barbecue blends these two ancient methods, with adaptations from different cultural and regional influences.

Who settled a particular area of the country, the way they cooked and seasoned their meat, and what products were available affected what kind of barbecue became the specialty of each region of the South. A lot of fanciful explanations have been offered to explain where the term barbecue came from. Many have claimed its the French phrase barbe queue , which means head-to-tail cooking, like whole-hog barbecue in North Carolina. Others say its from the Bar BQ Ranch in Texas, where they branded BQ on the cattle. The dictionary-makers, though, point to the Tano people of the Caribbean, whose word baribicu referring to the frame of sticks over which they dried and cooked meatbecame barbacoa in Spanish and barbecue in English. SOUTHERN ORIGINS All over the South, youll find a patchwork of barbecue styles, with countless variations in meat and sauce.

The many nuances to this American favorite changed over time as the result of a range of different influences. The barbecue technique that took root in Virginia and the Carolinas evolved from a process the British borrowed from Native Americans: drying or cooking meat on a grill of green sticks over a smoldering fire. They combined the methods they learned with those they brought from England, basting the meat with butter or vinegar to keep it moist during cooking. During the 19th century, salt and black or red pepper were the typical seasonings in the sauceand you can still find this formula today, especially with Carolina-style whole-hog barbecue, which is doused in a vinegary-pepper sauce. As Americans moved westward, they took with them their traditions of pit-cooking meat outdoors, carrying barbecue across the Appalachians into Kentucky and Tennessee, and then across the Mississippi into Texas and beyond. Immigrants from other cultures added their tastes and recipes to each region, too, resulting in myriad flavors and styles.