Barbecue - What It Means To Me -

I am consciously openning a can of worms that doesn't need to be opened. BBQ, potentially a topic that could be argued for the rest of eternity - with no right answer. We all have our favorite road side barbecue stops along the interstate that we insist on stopping at during road trips, even if it means driving twenty miles out of the way, just so we can indulge in the incredible smokiness of the beloved slow roasted pig... or beef..... Having gone to school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama it didn't take long for me to realize that Dreamland BBQ was an institution. For the first year and half I lived in this sleepy, college town I merely heard the myths of this BBQ sanctuary, because, of all things, I couldn't find it! Nestled in the woods, after passing through farms, and crossing streams there was an old wooden billboard with faded lettering signifying the appropriate turn for Dreamland BBQ. Drive too fast and you will miss it....this I guarantee.... Their slogan "Ain't Nothin' Like 'em Nowhere," is what I think we all feel about our favorite BBQ joints. They, however did things a little different - Fast cooked ribs, a homemade sauce, a stack of white bread, iced tea and Coca-Cola in cans. It was that simple - no coleslaw and no pulled pork or baked beans, or other seemingly obligatory sides and condiments that accompany barbecue. They had one type of sauce, one type of meat, cooked one way for years upon years. And it worked. People loved this place, though things have changed. Dreamland is now franchised and offers much more than the basic offering that they were once known for.......I always enjoyed Dreamland and would consider it heresy if I were to return to Tuscaloosa and not stop by this mecca of barbecue in Alabama, but it is not my favorite barbecue stop for several reasons. I much prefer a slow roasted, tender, ethereal and falling off the bone type rib, but also above that, I prefer pulled pork. I prefer those pulled or chopped bits that are slathered in dry rub that have then been tossed in pig juices, absorbing the incredible flavor of pork fat.

I went to Dallas for a wedding a couple years back, and naturally the first thing I ate upon my arrival was smoked beef brisket. This was the rehearsal dinner. We know they are serious about their meats in the Lonestar State, and to Texas BBQers, a smoke ring isn't created from the puff of a cigarette or a cigar, but is rather a heavenly chemical reaction that takes place in the meat when it properly smoked, cooked low and slow......a beautiful pink ring forms in the flesh of the meat, signifying the pitmaster's expertise. North Carolina BBQers bicker back and forth about vinegar based sauces versus tomato based sauces, and the state is essentially divided in half geographically between east and west regarding this controversy. In Memphis their Babyback ribs are served dry, and you head a couple states over to Missouri, and in St. Louis barbecue is made with spare ribs. They are equally passionate and convinced that their's is the best, and well, the only way to do barbecue.

A week from now I will be in the mountains of North Carolina. The autumn leaves in the mountains will be subtly turning from green to yellow, then eventually to red before falling to the ground below. This signifies that the air will begin to cool, and we will begin to drape ourselves in sweaters, cardigans and scarves. My favorite BBQ joint is in these foothills. It is along a windy road that connects two small towns, both of which are hung in the mountains and begin to look deserted this time of year. Cars are scarce, as the smoke from the hickory wood barbecue pit levitates towards the sky, spiraling into the abyss disguising istelf among the omnipresent fog. I gather with my cousins and huddle around the fireplace that is warming our hands as the barbecue warms our souls. Fog hangs lazily in front of us obstructing our view of the valley thousands of feet below, but we know what's down there, and we know it is beautiful. This is about as good as it gets. Time spent with family, eating some of the world's best barbecue, telling stories of the good ole days - back before we had jobs, responsibilities and college degrees. I am ready to be there now. I am ready to see them, and ready to eat barbecue. I'm just glad it is pulled pork, and there are two options for sauces. One vinegar based, and the other tomato. I know which one I am leaning towards.....It doesn't get much better than this..... It really doesn't....