What are the major styles of BBQ and their differences?

What are the major styles of BBQ and their differences?

There are so many types of barbecue out there to choose from, how can you possibly know where to start - or what you might prefer?  Today, I'm going to help you solve that problem."

Every state in the country has its own version of barbecue, and regional differences exist even within many of the states. I have found that you can buy the ingredients and equipment you need for any style at a good BBQ store.

Here are some of the most popular BBQ styles:

Alabama barbecue uses a mayonnaise-based sauce with chicken. You just brush the Alabama white BBQ sauce on the meat in the last few minutes of grilling.

Kentucky BBQ is unique, with barbecued mutton a favorite in the western part of the state. A special sauce called black dip includes Kentucky Bourbon, and is a perfect match for the strong taste of mutton.

Missouri barbecue usually means Kansas City BBQ. With over 100 barbecue restaurants, Kansas City is world famous for barbecue and hosts the American Royal BBQ, the Worlds largest BBQ contest.   Kansas City barbecue uses beef, pork, poultry, and sometimes fish.  We especially like burnt ends, the tasty cuts from the ends of a smoked beef or pork brisket. You can choose between sweet, tangy, or spicy tomato-based sauces.

North Carolina is famous for pulled pork sandwiches. In the eastern part of the state chefs cover chopped meat from a whole pig with an apple cider vinegar sauce and a touch of red pepper flakes.  A few hundred miles to the west the pork comes from just the shoulder of the pig, BBserved with a tomato-based sauce.

South Carolina, like its neighbor to the north, favors pulled pork, slow cooked and shredded. But sauces vary throughout the state. In the southern part of the state, and into Georgia, BBQ chefs use a spicy vinegar sauce sweetened with brown sugar and ketchup.  We once enjoyed a mustard-based sauce in the north of South Carolina.

Tennessee favors pork BBQ, especially pork ribs. In Memphis, home to over 100 barbecue restaurants, pork ribs may be cooked in the “dry rub” style or the “wet rib” style.  Dry rubbed ribs are rubbed with a spice mix, smoked, and then served with BBQ sauce on the side.  To make wet ribs you douse the meat with barbecue sauce after cooking.

Texas favors beef brisket for barbecue, followed closely by chopped beef and beef ribs.  Pork has its place in Texas BBQ, also, like spicy pork sausages and pork ribs. Whether it’s beef or pork, most Texas BBQ is rubbed with a special dry BBQ rub and then smoked. Sometimes Texas BBQ comes with sauce on the side.

It’s fun to experiment with different styles. And easy to find the smoker, grill, rub, sauce, and other supplies you need—no matter where you live.

About the author:  Chris Marks (Competition BBQ Team the Three Little Pigs) has won the American Royal BBQ contest 8 times, the prestigious Jack Daniels World Sauce Championship, and 43 national BBQ championships.  He has over 600 individual BBQ titles.

He is also the current owner of the Three Little Pigs restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri and leads the Ace of Hearts BBQ Specialty Company.