USA: the home of the BBQ

Having a barbecue is not just a force of habit, it expresses the quintessence of America and goes far beyond the concept of a barbecue which proves popular all over the world, both in terms of the number of fans and techniques. Starting with the ‘low and slow' cooking philosophy, through to the vital importance of sauces. However, the beauty of a BBQ lies in the fact that from coast to coast, via all the inner States, there are a host of differences that make it a thrill to discover. Here is our tour.

Pulled pork, two words that describe one of the most mouth-watering dishes in the State lapped by the Atlantic Ocean: consisting of pulled strips of pork shoulder, also known as Boston Butt. The first step is the preparation of the rub, the sovereign blend of BBQ spices which needs to be applied before cooking.

What really matters when cooking pulled pork is the smoke: to create the desired effect, chips of maple or cherry wood are burned for an hour, to give the meat that delicate flavour. It takes a nine-hour wait to serve pulled pork in its traditional bun.

Is something missing? In North Carolina white vinegar or cider based sauces are a must, whereas in South Carolina, not much choice is left to the customer: it is the State of mustard, accompanied by four staple ingredients (tomatoes, ketchup, vinegar and pepper). Three unmissable venues: Lexington Barbecue in Lexington, Buxton Hall in Asheville, Scott's Bar-B-Que in Hemingway.

Chicago is famous all over the world for being the most populous city in the “Prairie State”. And when it comes to barbecues too, it has its very own take, called the aquarium smoker. The name is a little misleading but it does describe what we're talking about quite clearly: this barbecue looks like an aquarium, just with fire instead of water.

The system causes the wood to release a unique scent, constantly impregnated by the juices of the meat being barbecued on the upper level dripping onto the lower level. Two types of meat end up in the aquarium: pork ribs - which are referred to as rib tips - accompanied by the ever-present French fries and pork and sage sausages. Our recommendations are all in the city of the Blues Brothers: Smoque in Irving Park, Offset in Humboldt Park and Honey 1 on Grand Boulevard.

Memphis is the city where the noble art of music permeates the air, along with the “popular” scent of char-grilled meat. Two versions of pork ribs are firm favourites among the varieties of barbecued meat: dry ribs and wet ribs, which are served in sauce.

The former are seasoned with a layer of spices before being cooked, whereas the latter are marinated. Obviously, it's the spices that make the difference:  paprika, Cayenne pepper, cumin and garlic powder. And obviously the inevitable BBQ sauce for the final touch. Both versions can be found in the finest restaurants, and both are worthy of being tried. Here are three recommended venues: Central BBQ and The Bar-B-Q Shop in Midtown and the charming Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous in the South Main Historic District.

Missouri - Kansas City in particular - is the home of pork ribs, a dish which all barbecue enthusiasts can agree on. In this case too, wood, spices and sauces contribute to creating that unique meat flavour. Here, sauce for the ribs as well as the brisket (another typical State favourite cut for BBQs) isn't just a condiment that adds flavour, it's an integral part of the recipe. In St. Louis, on the other hand, another dish which is just as famous as ribs is snouts: the pig's nostrils, which are strictly barbecued until they become crispy and dipped in sauce before being served. Try some snouts at Smokee Mo's in St. Louis. As for barbecued ribs, two popular venues in Kansas City are Joe's and Jack Stack BBQ.

In the eastern part of the great state, barbecues are an Afro-American tradition of the South. Here, it's called soul food and involves pork ribs and brisket, which are seasoned and cooked before being smoked. Traditions in central Texas instead mostly derive from European butchers, who arrived here during the first bout of immigration.

Beef is the predominant meat: there can be no shortage of brisket. In this case too, the meat is cooked low & slow, for up to sixteen hours in order to achieve the smoke ring, the pink strip on the piece of cooked meat. Brisket is served sliced and usually accompanied by spicy sauces. Valid stops for our ‘BBQ tour' include: Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Hutchins BBQ in Dallas, CorkScrew in Houston.