The Southern Cultural Icon: Barbecue
| Barbecue has been around since the
discovery of fire; it's so popular in the South it's considered a
cultural icon. The word "barbecue" (barbeque, Bar-B-Q,
B-B-Q) comes from the framework used by Indians in the Caribbean,
named "barbacoa" by early Spanish explorers. Over time
the word came to mean the method of preparation, and often even
the event where it's served.
Some of the states most well-known for their barbecue are North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama along with Missouri and most definitely Texas. Barbecue in the South almost always means pork, with a few exceptions; beef is most often the meat of choice for Texas barbecue and mutton is commonly used in some areas of Kentucky. In North Carolina, pork shoulder is
cooked slowly with a little salt or no seasoning at all, then
pulled from the bone in chunks or shreds. The finishing sauce, if
one is used, is applied after the cooking. Eastern North Carolina
sauces are almost always vinegar and seasonings, while the western
part of the state uses ketchup in their sauces. |
