Where can you find the best BBQ in the US?

[DawnM]

Just now, wintermom said:

This is also a hush puppy, right? Still not as tasty as the deep fried corn bread ball, though. 

I don't know, I thought they went out of business, but maybe they are still in business.   I wouldn't eat them, they are worse than jerky to eat.  It may be more of a Kansas City thing.

[wintermom]

Just now, DawnM said:

I don't know, I thought they went out of business, but maybe they are still in business.   I wouldn't eat them, they are worse than jerky to eat.  It may be more of a Kansas City thing.

We could definitely do a bunny trail on beef jerky! I love it, and it's a very big thing in Canada.

[theelfqueen]

I think I'm blaming you when I make hush puppies this afternoon. My family does NOT need fried balls of cornmeal Magic but now I do. 

[Spy Car]

50 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

It's really simple but so good!  We do

1/4 small head of cabbage

2 grated carrots

3 green onions, sliced thinly

1/2 to 1 green apple, sliced into matchstick sized pieces

1/2 to 1 jicama, same as the apple.

Handful of cilantro leaves, chopped

Mix everything together.  In a small bowl, whisk together:

2T Honey

2T olive oil

2T apple cider vinegar

juice of 1 lime

1/4t cayenne

salt & pepper

Pour over the slaw a little at a time until it's dressed the way you want it  (we've cut the dressing in half and had enough).

 

It's much lighter tasting than a mayo based slaw and the apple & jicama retain their crunch.  We use it as a topping for pulled pork bbq sandwiches as well.

 

My grandmother was born to German immigrants in St Louis.  Almost everyday she would make a coleslaw that was very similar to what you describe.

She didn't use jicama or lime and usually used just a touch of sugar (rather than honey), but she would improvise.

I loved it. As a young child making coleslaw was the very first "dish" I ever learned to make myself. It was literally the start of my culinary adventure. I still make coleslaws in the same fashion--and am prone to improvising using items like your recipe includes.

If any food feels like a cultural touchstone to me, it is grandmother's German coleslaw. I still use her venerable carbon steel knife to sliver the cabbage heads nice and fine and I think of her as I make it.

Bill

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

Oh come on. Be brave! Your pallet is just as good as anyone's. ☺️  I think as long as you don't say that your favourite bbq was from Alaska, you'll probably be safe. Do they make bbq in Alaska? 

BBQ'd salmon.  Or maybe other fish too.  https://www.sizzlefish.com/products/grill-box-4

ETA:  they do bbq the "traditional" pork and beef and chicken too.  I have no idea how good it is.  But I know that if I went to Alaska, I would want the seafood. 

Edited May 13, 2022 by Jean in Newcastle

[wintermom]

1 minute ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

BBQ'd salmon.  Or maybe other fish too.  https://www.sizzlefish.com/products/grill-box-4

That would be amazing! I had fresh salmon grilled on a little hibachi grill out in BC once. The fish was cooked within a couple hours of being caught by my dad. Best bbq I've ever had. We just wrapped the salmon in foil, added butter and lemon.

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 minute ago, wintermom said:

That would be amazing! I had fresh salmon grilled on a little hibachi grill out in BC once. The fish was cooked within a couple hours of being caught by my dad. Best bbq I've ever had. We just wrapped the salmon in foil, added butter and lemon.

Here in the PNW I love a grilled salmon - teriyaki flavor is my favorite (though I have to make it gf).  But I've grilled salmon with bbq sauce too.  Purists might blanche at the thought but I find it yummy. 

[wintermom]

23 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

My grandmother was born to German immigrants in St Louis.  Almost everyday she would make a coleslaw that was very similar to what you describe.

She didn't use jicama or lime and usually used just a touch of sugar (rather than honey), but she would improvise.

I loved it. As a young child making coleslaw was the very first "dish" I ever learned to make myself. It was literally the start of my culinary adventure. I still make coleslaws in the same fashion--and am prone to improvising using items like your recipe includes.

If any food feels like a cultural touchstone to me, it is grandmother's German coleslaw. I still use her venerable carbon steel knife to sliver the cabbage heads nice and fine and I think of her as I make it.

Bill

It's so interesting how the same vegetable can be used in very different ways depending on where in Europe it's used. My ukrainian grandmother used it to may cabbage rolls. In Norway they cook cabbage and lamb together to make fårikål:

Edited May 13, 2022 by wintermom

[Annie G]

15 hours ago, wintermom said:

What does bbq mean to you, from the south? Without knowing that, meat with sauce, such as sloppy joes, could possibly fit.

Low and slow on a smoker, such as brisket or Boston butt. 
When we grill things, like burgers, brats, hot dogs, chicken, we call it grilling or a cookout.  BBQ is different. 

[wintermom]

1 minute ago, Annie G said:

Low and slow on a smoker, such as brisket or Boston butt. 
When we grill things, like burgers, brats, hot dogs, chicken, we call it grilling or a cookout.  BBQ is different. 

Do you make bbq yourself or leave it to the pros?

[Annie G]

15 hours ago, kbutton said:

P.S. If it was as good as my mom's, of course she was excited. 😉 My mom's gets rave reviews. Alas, I can no longer eat it, so I am jealous (nightshade intolerance).

That's what I was missing, lol! 

It was not good. I love a good sloppy Joe. This was not even as good as using canned sauce. And it sure as heck wasn’t BBQ.

[Annie G]

24 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Do you make bbq yourself or leave it to the pros?

Both. Now that we’re back living in NE GA, very near NC/SC/TN, we have a LOT of BBQ restaurants to choose from. But we also have a smoker so we do brisket and pork.  The grands have requested ribs so we may do that this summer. 

[WildflowerMom]

http://southernsoulbbq.com/
 

That's our favorite place.   If you're ever in SE Georgia, try it!

[Lecka]

We do not make our own barbecue.

Number one, we don’t own a smoker.

Number two, they are tended all day prior to a barbecue.  Maybe even overnight.  I am not a huge expert.  It’s not that they require constant tending, but people have to tend it.

Number three, we have been invited once to a pit barbecue cookout, where they did slow roast a pig.  It was Puerto Rican and it was really good.  We were invited for the last 5 hours of cooking time.  They had started a day or two earlier with getting the pig, preparing the pig, preparing the pit, etc.  Then they had tended it for probably a day.  
 

I can make pulled pork in a crock-pot and it is good.  I can also make “pulled chicken” in a crockpot with boneless skinless chicken thighs.  I have my preferred commercial barbecue sauce, which is Head Country Original. 
 

I can also make barbacoa in a crock-pot and it is good.  
 

But no, I don’t know how to use a smoker and we aren’t interested.  They are expensive and take up a lot of space.  People who have them love them, though, and they smell wonderful!  
 

A lot of the best smoked meat in my region will be made somewhere outdoors and it will be sold for 2-3 days here and there.  Whoever is running the smoker is there constantly and sells meat by the pound.  
 

I believe it is cooler to do outside than inside.  

 

 

[Spy Car]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

It's so interesting how the same vegetable can be used in very different ways depending on where in Europe it's used. My ukrainian grandmother used it to may cabbage rolls. In Norway they cook cabbage and lamb together to make fårikål:

Yum.

As a parenthetical note, since feeding people is my "love language" and I'm absolutely preoccupied with what's going on in Ukraine, I've been making mass quantities of Holubtsi (Ukrainian stuffed cabbage rolls), borch, dumplings and other goodies.

One very small way to feel a sense of solidarity. 

Bill

 

[Lecka]

https://www.raysbbqok.com/menu/
 

Locally this is considered the best barbecue, and the most popular item is the ribs.  
 

 

[Ottakee]

The BEST Open pit bbq in South Carolina was at Leaver’s just outside of Columbia.   It was a cafeteria style line in a cinder block building with 8ft church tables and folding chairs.   They had the best ever rice as well.

The last time we were there (ok, 15 years or so ago) there was a man playing music in the corner and you did the chicken dance…..and he had a rubber chicken.

the best bbq places are the most hole in the wall or out in the middle of no where places with torn up parking lots.

Sadly leavers is now closed due to a drug bust….but the food sure was good

Here is a link to a story with pictures

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by Ottakee

[Spy Car]

My favorite BBQ place was Flint's Bar-B-Que on Shattuck Ave in Oakland.

Flint's was "black" BBQ at its finest. We'd often head over to Flint's when the nearby Eli's Mile High Club (a blues bar) closed for the night. Even at 1 or 2 in the morning there would be people sitting on curbs or the fenders of cars devouring some of the best food in all creation.

Flint's had a real brick pit and you could smell the heavenly meat and wood smoke for blocks--which I think eventually created problems for the business with the air quality management district .

But back when life was cheap, sitting on the curb with a "beef order" was about as good as life got. And one definitely got the Wonder Bread "sponge."

Their sauce was unique. I always wondered if it contained coffee? Dark brown. Delicious.

Gone now, I'm afraid. Should have been a national landmark. That good.

 

Bill

[frogger]

21 hours ago, wintermom said:

Pulled pork is bbq? What if you make it in a crock pot, but use a home-made sauce?  There is so much I need to learn. 😅

Well, there isn't smoke in a crock pot. 😉DH usually starts a pork shoulder in the middle of the night or the night before depending on when we are eating. Season and smoke. No sauce until you dish up. 

I've heard of using liquid smoke. 

The thing is with good BBQ you don't need a sauce. Sauce is an addition not the whole flavor. I can't stand to ruin brisket with a sauce. Same with ribs. Pulled pork I eat with sauce but the mustard based sauce is in combination with the pulled pork flavor. If you smothered it in mustard sauce in a crockpot so you could call it BBQ I actually think that would be hard to eat. 

I realize language changes and we have to accept that. The fact that BBQ as a method of cooking encouraged special sauces kind of changed things. If you had a fried meat sauce but decided you wanted to make it in the crockpot so you put the meat in the crockpot but covered it with Fried Sauce would it become fried? But like I said language changes depending on how people use it.

Edited May 14, 2022 by frogger
Misplaced article

[frogger]

6 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

BBQ'd salmon.  Or maybe other fish too.  https://www.sizzlefish.com/products/grill-box-4

ETA:  they do bbq the "traditional" pork and beef and chicken too.  I have no idea how good it is.  But I know that if I went to Alaska, I would want the seafood. 

Hmmmm. We do grill fish but we also "smoke" it. Smoking seems more like traditional BBQ but we don't call it BBQ, we call it smoking. Language is funny. 

[frogger]

7 hours ago, wintermom said:

Oh come on. Be brave! Your pallet is just as good as anyone's. ☺️  I think as long as you don't say that your favourite bbq was from Alaska, you'll probably be safe. Do they make bbq in Alaska? 

I missed this. I already said my favorite BBQ was from Alaska! 🤣Since my dining room is in Alaska. 

Edited May 14, 2022 by frogger

[Jean in Newcastle]

20 minutes ago, frogger said:

Hmmmm. We do grill fish but we also "smoke" it. Smoking seems more like traditional BBQ but we don't call it BBQ, we call it smoking. Language is funny. 

Well, my favorite way of eating salmon is  alder smoked the traditional Native American way. 
 

But this non southern girl who grew up overseas tends to think of anything with bbq sauce as bbq- especially if it’s grilled on a bbq grill. 

[frogger]

1 minute ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Well, my favorite way of eating salmon is  alder smoked the traditional Native American way. 
 

But this non southern girl who grew up overseas tends to think of anything with bbq sauce as bbq- especially if it’s grilled on a bbq grill. 

Yeah, that is what I mean by smoked. I was just thinking how funny language is; based more on history than science or anything technical.

 Our smoking is traditionally lower temp and the people who lived here earlier and smoked their fish weren't the same ones who traditionalized BBQ - so different words. 

[ScoutTN]

We were gifted a hand-me-down smoker, but haven’t used it yet because there are so many hole in the wall places and food trucks that do amazing smoked meats very near us. 
 

I have cooked pulled pork in the crock pot and in the oven and it is good, but nothing beats the smoked meat taste.

[Lecka]

Oh, of course it is better if it’s from (for me) a barbecue place than if I make it at home in a crock-pot!  It’s totally better!  But that is true of a lot of things I make at home, lol.  
 

Edit:  it is very popular with my kids, and very easy to make this way.  
 

And it’s not like I can make brisket this way!

 

My mom makes good ribs in a crock pot, but no, not comparable to Ray’s BBQ.  But she can pick up ribs on sale sometimes and have an easy meal that is very popular.  
 

I say “more power to you” to all the home smokers, but what I do is really common.  And people do it who smoke sometimes on weekends or for special occasions.   

Edited May 14, 2022 by Lecka

[TechWife]

On 5/12/2022 at 11:18 PM, wintermom said:

But this is not political, eh? This is all about the taste, texture and sauce, right?

Um...

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by TechWife

[Emba]

I love Texas barbecue, which is smoked brisket. I grew up on it, I served it at my wedding, pit barbecued by my dad.

 But I can’t say it’s the best, because I’ve not been able to try other regional variations. 
 

i work at a barbecue shop now, and we have brisket, smoked sausage, smoked Turkey, ham, pulled pork and ribs. I like most of it (not a big fan of ribs) but brisket will always be my favorite. 
 

The classic sides around here are pinto beans, Cole slaw, and/or potato  salad. And a piece of white bread.  We have several other things at the place I work, including a super sweet custard corn bread (another divisive topic: I don’t eat the stuff because corn bread should not be sweet), sweet corn, green beans, and Mac and cheese. We also have a variety of fried things, including fried okra.

eta: it’s all dry rubbed bbq

Edited May 14, 2022 by Emba

[Clarita]

20 hours ago, Spy Car said:

Gone now, I'm afraid. Should have been a national landmark. That good.

 

I was writing down all the information to go and try it out. 😞

We have an electric smoker and it lives on the patio. It's great we don't have to sit out there with it just watch the temperature gauge in case something happens or to know when it's done. I like it because it means I'm not cooking. I think it's a worthwhile investment just for the brisket, a great party food. It's also how we do our thanksgiving turkey, that requires more babysitting in terms of having to go out there and baste it. 

[Spy Car]

1 hour ago, Clarita said:

I was writing down all the information to go and try it out. 😞

We have an electric smoker and it lives on the patio. It's great we don't have to sit out there with it just watch the temperature gauge in case something happens or to know when it's done. I like it because it means I'm not cooking. I think it's a worthwhile investment just for the brisket, a great party food. It's also how we do our thanksgiving turkey, that requires more babysitting in terms of having to go out there and baste it. 

Sorry. It would require a time machine. But Flint's was legendary. 

Bill

[ktgrok]

On 5/12/2022 at 11:31 PM, wintermom said:

What does bbq mean to you, from the south? Without knowing that, meat with sauce, such as sloppy joes, could possibly fit.

I'm in Florida, which isn't really the south...we have too many transplants so we have to clarify everything, lol. "A barbecue" can mean a cookout, where food is cooked outdoors. So maybe grilled, maybe smoked, who knows. 

But I know from my former boss from NC, and from watching Gone with the Wind, that "barbecue" the noun is chopped/pulled pork that was cooked low and slow with smoke. 

On 5/12/2022 at 11:38 PM, wintermom said:

Pulled pork is bbq? What if you make it in a crock pot, but use a home-made sauce?  There is so much I need to learn. 😅

It's like, faux barbecue then, lol. I just call it pulled pork (or chicken if I do chicken). It's decent, especially if you take it out of the pot, drizzle with sauce, and put it under the broiler to crisp up some of it and caramelize the sauce a bit. But it's not truly barbecue. I wouldn't use barbecue to describe it, I'd probably say pulled pork with barbecue sauce. 

On 5/13/2022 at 12:00 AM, wintermom said:

When is the pork pulled? Do you add the sauce while cooking it, or after you take it off the bbq?

You cook first, until it is tender enough to shred. Then you pull. You can even get cook hand rake things to pull/shred it with - I got my dad some for father's day one year. Sauce is on the side, to add if you want it. Not required. The meat is dry rubbed with seasonings before cooking, but no sauce while cooking. 

On the other hand, "barbecue chicken" around here is grilled chicken with barbecue sauce added toward the end of the cooking time, so it caramelizes and thickens up. Yum. That's the only food I call 'barbecue" that isn't cooked low and slow. I mean, it's a bit low, not fast like a steak or something, but not hours and hours low. I use skin on thighs and legs and high heat for a few minutes each side, then move to indirect heat and cook until done, adding sauce toward the end. 

On 5/13/2022 at 12:25 AM, wintermom said:

Is sloppy joe and pulled pork bbq usually served in a bun or on piece of white bread? Is the bread supposed to be on the side, or to be used to hold the meat in? 

Ok, so sloppy joe isn't barbecue because ground beef isn't barbecue. Period. But yes, sloppy joe is always served on a bun - usually/always a hamburger bun. Although thinking on it, maybe it would be yummy on texas toast..mmm. I've also done a sloppy joe skillet meal where I made it in a cast iron skillet, then topped it with corn bread batter and stuck it in the oven. Also not barbecue.

Pulled pork is generally served with various sides, including often bread. Some places do corn bread, some texas toast type, or most often a white dinner roll (soft, not hard or crusty). 

That said, many places will also offer the option of a pulled pork sandwich - likely on a bun. 

On 5/13/2022 at 12:29 AM, Spy Car said:

Most Americans would not give it a second thought if someone said they were going to fire up the BBQ and barbecue some burgers. Or to invite others for a BBQ where hamburgers and hot dogs were served. Super-common usage.

But that makes some other people's heads explode. That is "grilling" and not BBQ.

People who are into "real" barbeque take it very (very) seriously.

Bill

 

Yeah, we'd definitely say grill, not barbecue, for burgers and such. Only exception is barbecue chicken, which is cooked on the grill, with barbecue sauce - but bone in, indirect heat. Grilled chicken is more common - generally boneless breast with various seasonings. My preference is to pound to an even thickness, marinate in moho sauce or italian dressing or a homemade marinade of citrus juice, garlic, parsley, etc, then grill. 

On 5/13/2022 at 5:51 AM, Ottakee said:

In our area of West Michigan a South Olive BBQ is ground beef Cooked and crumbled (like for a sloppy joe) but then it is mixed with a can of tomato soup, a can of chicken gumbo soup, a squirt of mustard and a spoon of brown sugar.  Served on a hamburger bun.

I have no words, lol. 

On 5/13/2022 at 9:07 AM, sweet2ndchance said:

When I lived in eastern NC we called this a "pig pickin'". Typically a big gathering with lots of people. Always slathered in a vinegar-y sauce. I only lived there for a few years but I still crave it now and again.

Another typical side for eastern NC BBQ is Brunswick stew. I never developed a taste for that though lol.

One year my boss had a pig pickin for our company Christmas party! She hired some friends of employees - young guys in their 20's - to do the work. 

Brunswick stew though, YUM. chunky, not with ground beef. (there is a theme here...no ground beef in a barbecue restaurant/meal!)

On 5/13/2022 at 9:12 AM, Dmmetler said:

I personally like Memphis style for Pork, Carolina for Chicken, and Texas for Beef Brisket. I will also say that I do not add sauce-I like dry rubbed pork ribs or brisket, then slow cooked, or marinated chicken or pulled pork. 

 

 

On 5/13/2022 at 10:50 AM, wintermom said:

That makes a lot of sense. I grew up in Alberta, where our beef is excellent. I like it rare/medium rare, and it should be tender and the juices flowing red.

To me, BBQ sounds a lot like "salvaging tough meat to make it edible" prefected very, very excellently. 😉 

That's it! 

On 5/13/2022 at 11:28 AM, shawthorne44 said:

I've joked that I was born in Minnesnowda and that is why I think Ketchup is a tad spicy.    
 

DD5 once said that red kool aid was "a bit spicy". 

On 5/13/2022 at 2:00 PM, stephanier.1765 said:

So, so good! Now I'm wanting hush puppies too and I just ate lunch. LOL

Me too! Although I prefer their sweeter cousin, the corn fritter. 

[lynn]

Buccees  they are located mostly in Texas but have expanded to Alabama and Georgia.  

We really like our local bbq places on North Alabama.  306bbq, Lawlers, Chucks in Auburn, Al,

[fraidycat]

I haven't read all the replies, but comparing @Spy Car's definitions to my region's use, it sounds like what we call Smoking is what "they" (purists?) call BBQ - low and slow, wood and smoke. If you are inviting someone for a meal, it would be specified as low and slow by Smoked 'hunk of meat'.
 

BBQ here is an event (going to a BBQ), a verb (BBQing food on outdoor grill), a noun (I bought a new BBQ), an adjective to describe where/how the food was cooked (BBQ'd burgers/steaks/hot dogs, vegetables, etc.) But it is not the name of any one particular food.

 

Also, I have a Kitchen Aid mixer. It gets used almost every week - but NOT for mixing or baking. It is for shredding meat.  If you have a stand mixer, do yourself a favor and stop shredding by hand. 😁

[Halftime Hope]

On 5/13/2022 at 10:12 AM, DreamerGirl said:

I do love my veggies. But cooked with or as side with meat. 😋

TX BBQ is something else. The smokey meat, falling off the bone, seasoned well. 😋

We don't eat Pork, so I do not know about that. But we have tried their chicken and Turkey too.

Some thanksgivings, we order turkey from the BBQ place until we discovered Cajun Fried turkey. So it is always a pull between those two.

Sausage is also supposed to be really good.

They also have something called chopped. All saucy and meaty.  It makes excellent sandwiches. 

That would be chopped brisket. It has the BBQ sauce mixed in with the chopped meat and served on a buttered and toasted bun.  

If you go to a Costco, do not, I repeat do not, buy their ribs that they sell above the rotisserie chicken. I don't know what they are trying to sell, but those are a horror -- not BBQ. They are not smoked, and they have the same damn spices on them as the chicken. I cook better rubbed baby back ribs in my Instant Pot and finished with BBQ sauce in the oven, for goodness sake! 

[Halftime Hope]

If you're ever in Texas driving south on 45, between Dallas and Houston, there's a town named Corsicana that is rather inconveniently located, i.e. too early for lunch or too late for dinner, depending which direction you're driving. 😉 

Hubby and I like finding hole-in-the-wall non-chain BBQ joints, and this is one of the best finds we've had in recent years. After trying several BBQ places on back-to-back weekend trips, we came back to this one on a second day. I was looking on a map to post it here, and I just found out it's been written up in Texas Monthly. https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/k-and-k-bar-b-que-corsciana-review/  (There is a typo in the URL, but click it anyway.)  

[Lecka]

The other big debates… cornbread — should it be cakey or crumbly?  And, dressing or stuffing?  
 

I like the “wrong” kind of cornbread (I like sweet, cakey cornbread), but my mom makes awesome skillet cornbread.  It’s better crumbled into food, though 😉

 

I feel free to call food “barbecue something” if it’s  cooked with barbecue sauce.  At home.  I would expect more from gas station barbecue 😉.  But I don’t think it’s wrong for every day home cooking.  
 

Edit:  ftr gas stations often have excellent barbecue, lol. 
 

Edited May 15, 2022 by Lecka

[wintermom]

I happened to make a quick trip to Syracuse, NY today, and dh wanted to stop at a Cracker Barrel for lunch. I saw hush puppies on the menu, so I tried them. I'm thinking that hush puppies from Cracker Barrel is not the best place to eat them. They were a little weird. 

I also tried fried apples (delicious) and cole slaw (pretty good). I'm not a fan of cabbage in general, but I can see the draw of cole slaw.

[wintermom]

44 minutes ago, Lecka said:

The other big debates… cornbread — should it be cakey or crumbly?  And, dressing or stuffing?  
 

I like the “wrong” kind of cornbread (I like sweet, cakey cornbread), but my mom makes awesome skillet cornbread.  It’s better crumbled into food, though 😉

I like sweet, moist cornbread, too. I never thought of crumbling corn bread into food. That's an interesting idea. I'll try it the next time I have the opportunity. 

[ktgrok]

23 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I happened to make a quick trip to Syracuse, NY today, and dh wanted to stop at a Cracker Barrel for lunch. I saw hush puppies on the menu, so I tried them. I'm thinking that hush puppies from Cracker Barrel is not the best place to eat them. They were a little weird. 

I also tried fried apples (delicious) and cole slaw (pretty good). I'm not a fan of cabbage in general, but I can see the draw of cole slaw.

I've never had them at cracker barrel, only at seafood places, but hush puppies ARE a little strange. Not a donut, not a biscuit, not a bread...they don't know quite what they are. 

[Lecka]

Cornbread and beans is really good!  

[KungFuPanda]

You are all making me want hush puppies.  I usually make them when I do a fish fry.  I think of it as deep fried cornbread with some peppers to spice them up.  

The landscaping company where I work sells firewood and the BBQ places often come to get truckloads of hickory.  I'm guessing the wood used is regional and would make an impact on the flavor.  We only sell hickory and oak, so I would never meet any BBQ places that use a different wood.  I'd bet that different regions would have different wood preferences based upon what they could traditionally get locally.

[Pawz4me]

8 hours ago, wintermom said:

I happened to make a quick trip to Syracuse, NY today, and dh wanted to stop at a Cracker Barrel for lunch. I saw hush puppies on the menu, so I tried them. I'm thinking that hush puppies from Cracker Barrel is not the best place to eat them. They were a little weird. 

I also tried fried apples (delicious) and cole slaw (pretty good). I'm not a fan of cabbage in general, but I can see the draw of cole slaw.

You are correct. CB isn't the best place to eat anything. 😉 Their breakfast is usually somewhat edible if one is in a pinch. The rest, not so much. Their cornbread is truly disgusting, so I'm guessing the hush puppies are probably equally vile.

Edited May 15, 2022 by Pawz4me

[gstharr]

On 5/13/2022 at 2:34 PM, Spy Car said:

 

 

Bill

Man, that brings back the memories.  I ate there about twice a month in the late 80s. It was as good as it got.

[shawthorne44]

I normally avoid chain restaurants like the plague.    In fact, a part of a former job was to take a few customer engineers out to lunch while I was visiting them.  They'd ask for my preference of types of places since I wouldn't know the area.   I'd say, "Let's go to your favorite non-chain restaurant."   Otherwise everyone wanted to play it safe and go to Applebee's (gag).   I ate at some amazing places that way.  

BUT, I was pleasantly shocked by the quality of Cracker Barrel recently.   We were driving to Florida for vacation and DD asked to eat at someplace that had both mashed potatoes and mac and cheese.   She'd been amazing and we were in vacation mode, so we said Yes.  Being a chain we knew Cracker Barrel fit.   I forget what we ate but it would have been middle-of-the-road Southern.   I always try to order within the restaurant's theme.  

It is so rare to get really good hush puppies that I never order them.  This fish take-out place in Gettysburg is an exception.  
 

[Faith-manor]

All I can say is if Bill opened a restaurant in Cali, I would travel all the way from Michigan just to eat his food!!! 😁

[Spy Car]

2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

All I can say is if Bill opened a restaurant in Cali, I would travel all the way from Michigan just to eat his food!!! 😁

I was delighted to read this--that is--up to the point you called my state "Cali." LOL

You want to trigger me? Don't do that, or no soup for you!  

Feeding people healthful and delicious meals has always brought me joy. Not sure why, but it genuinely makes me happy.

Bill

 

 

 

[KungFuPanda]

15 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

I was delighted to read this--that is--up to the point you called my state "Cali." LOL

You want to trigger me? Don't do that, or no soup for you!  

Feeding people healthful and delicious meals has always brought me joy. Not sure why, but it genuinely makes me happy.

Bill

 

 

 

Eating healthful, delicious meals makes me happy. I think we can work something out. 😁

[stephanier.1765]

16 hours ago, Lecka said:

The other big debates… cornbread — should it be cakey or crumbly?  And, dressing or stuffing?  
 

I like the “wrong” kind of cornbread (I like sweet, cakey cornbread), but my mom makes awesome skillet cornbread.  It’s better crumbled into food, though 😉

 

I feel free to call food “barbecue something” if it’s  cooked with barbecue sauce.  At home.  I would expect more from gas station barbecue 😉.  But I don’t think it’s wrong for every day home cooking.  
 

Edit:  ftr gas stations often have excellent barbecue, lol. 
 

 

15 hours ago, wintermom said:

I like sweet, moist cornbread, too. I never thought of crumbling corn bread into food. That's an interesting idea. I'll try it the next time I have the opportunity. 

 

14 hours ago, Lecka said:

Cornbread and beans is really good!  

My mother makes the best skillet cornbread. Might be one of my most favorite foods. It definitely was my favorite food growing up. And yes to crumbling in food and absolutely to crumbling in beans. A poor man's meal, for sure, but it is all kinds of delicious. My brother and I would add ketchup to the top. My parents would use relish. 

[cbollin]

and the judges have given their awards this year at the World Championship BBQ cooking contest in Memphis....

and a fun side story about how a team from Brazil are spreading the love of BBQ

https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/05/15/brazilian-barbecuers-use-memphis-may-experience-help-popularize-american-bbq-home-country/

and Mexican BBQ in Memphis too on this story https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/05/14/wcbcc-grand-champion-be-named-tonight/

[wintermom]

5 hours ago, cbollin said:

and the judges have given their awards this year at the World Championship BBQ cooking contest in Memphis....

and a fun side story about how a team from Brazil are spreading the love of BBQ

https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/05/15/brazilian-barbecuers-use-memphis-may-experience-help-popularize-american-bbq-home-country/

and Mexican BBQ in Memphis too on this story https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/05/14/wcbcc-grand-champion-be-named-tonight/

The names of the teams in the second link are excellent! Bastey Boys is my favourite! 

Award winners:

• Grand Champion
  • 1st: Blues Hog
• WHOLE HOG
  • 1st: Blues Hog
• SHOULDER
  • 1st: Sweet Swine O’ Mine
• RIBS
  • 1st: Heath Riles BBQ
• Patio Porker Division
  • 1st: Pork-A-Tude
• Exotic
  • 1st: Bastey Boys

[Zinnia2]

Thanks for this thread!  I spent the weekend down rabbit holes of all kinds of barbecue, and we decided to add an extra stop to our summer vacation to try out a new style for us (South Carolina style hash served with rice).  It was a fun "research" project away from reality.  Just what I needed.