You already know I'm obsessed with barbecue. Now, let me clarify my obsession a little further. I’m obsessed with QUALITY barbecue.

This primarily applies to eating at a barbecue restaurant, versus professional barbecue contest judging. There is a difference between competition barbecue and restaurant barbecue. In competition, the pit masters/cooks are trying to produce the very best and highest quality product for a single entry at one time. In restaurant barbecue, the pit masters/cooks are trying to produce a high degree of quality that has to be maintained for many orders and indefinitely; while there are other items on menu that also need to be produced and customer needs to be attended to. So, the quality of restaurant barbecue is sometimes lower due to the lack of undivided focus. However, I can afford to be just as critical of restaurant barbecue as when I’m judging because I’m paying for it.

And, I know this too is going to open a whole can of worms, as what is considered as quality, or good, or great barbecue is subjective. However, there have to be some standards or points of differentiation that come into play, or else all barbecue could be considered the same. And that would be a sacrilege to America and all that is holy in barbecue.

First, I’ll begin my explanation of quality barbecue with the word Barbecue itself. I consider it to mean ‘meat that is cooked low and slow with smoke’. Yes, this is the most basic definition, but it’s accurate and the most logical starting point.

Second, I’ll explain the word Quality in my eyes. Its barbecued meat that when I look at it, makes me want to immediately devour it in large quantities until I’m full AND take some home to eat again later. Then, once I taste it, I know I definitely want to eat it in large quantities and get a “piggy bag”. So, its both the initial look and the all-important taste and texture.

Third, there are certain things that can never be part of the overall barbecue cooking process in order for it to be quality. They devalue the good name and lineage of barbecue. They are nothing more than shortcuts. In a word, it’s CHEATING!

Regional: I have my favorite regions of barbecue from a flavor profile standpoint, but can respect the skills of the pit masters/cooks and palates of the locals from each of the four major barbecue regions.

Sauces: I also have my favorite types of sauces, but am very often pleasantly surprised when I branch out and try some thing new.

Reputation: I don't gauge quality barbecue by what is presented the cooking channels shows. The media exposure may get me in the door, but the food is the star of my experience. There are a few famous barbecue restaurants that have been touted on the "best of" shows that I have been highly disappointed with.

Meat that is properly cooked and tender - Ribs - a slight tug to get the meat off the bone, but not falling off the bone, when bitten into. Pulled Pork & Brisket - easy to bite into or cut, but not tough or mushy. Chicken - consistent white or dark meat color throughout, clear juices (no red or pink), and crisp skin.

Good smoke taste - mild to medium smokiness complimenting the meat & spice flavors, smoke ring on ribs. I love smoke on meat!

Nice spice taste - a nice overall flavor from a variety of spices without being too hot or too bland, complimenting the meat and smoke flavors. The rub needs to standout.

Good sauce – when sauce is provided, either already on the meat or on the side, it should have a pleasing aroma and be in a small amount. Too much sauce and you can’t taste the flavor of the meat (or can be covering up improperly cooked meat), and too little sauce and the meat can dry out or not have it optimal flavor potential.

Good Sides - quality barbecue meat needs quality tasting side dishes to compliment the overall meal. This is too wide of area to explore. However, I like cole slaw, barbecued beans & collard or mustard greens with my meal.

"What is quality barbecue?" is the most controversial question in the world of barbecue. It’s on par with who assassinated John F. Kennedy? Why did Charlie Sheen go stupidly ballistic trashing his career? There are possibly a hundred or more criteria that can be applied to the question if all of America was polled.

However, it is important for every barbecue lover to have some high standards for the barbecue they choose. It is also important to provide positive and constructive feedback to the establishments they have chosen. The feedback can only help the barbecue community stay focused on providing true, great tasting barbecue fare to their customers. That’s us!

Always look for ‘”quality” barbecue, whatever your definition, and except nothing less!


-- Marc 
"Where there's smoke, there's probably barbecue!"

I was honored when Herb Kane asked me to be a blog columnist on this website.  As I thought more and more about what I'd write in my first and future blogs, I realized that barbecue had become more than just a hobby to me.  It had become a passion, just short of the need for therapy.  Although there are a few people in my life that would say I definitely need barbecue therapy. 

Initially I learned the finer points of barbecue when I lived in Texas, and Iearned even more about barbecue, pork barbecue in particular, when I lived in Tennessee.  However, it wasn't until I moved to the Midwest 6 years ago and missed traditional Southern barbecue that I got involved in judging and seriously cooking it myself.  This is when my barbecue passion really began, and has continued to grow stronger year after year.  

I also had an epiphany when think about my blogs, realizing that barbecue is a personal experience as much as it is a public experience.  While barbecue people are always willing to discuss grills, cooking techniques, sauces, rubs, and their favorite places to get great barbecue with anyone, and barbecues are open, family events, there are certain nuances about barbecue and things we like to do that appeal to us as individuals.  These are things that we may or may not ever reveal, or things that other people may not understand about us.  Examples may be always using the same set of tongs when cooking barbecue, taking a shot of Jack Daniels before lighting the grill, or taking photos of every barbecue product that comes off the grill and adding them to a 'cooking library'.  This is what makes barbecue personal.

Today I'm going to "come out of the pantry" and reveal my personal barbecue nuances. 

1.  Trying new dry rubs and sauces.  This is one of the things I love most about barbecue, much to the detriment of my cholesterol and blood sugar.  Like pork, sauces rule!  Sampling different brands, styles, and regional sauces is a big thrill to me (along with the other things in life like SportsCenter, bourbon, and sex).  And using them with various meats and seafood makes the experience more enjoyable.  My pantry is always filled with a double-digit number of "to be tried" bottles of sauce. 

2.  Trying new barbecue restaurants.  This is also a personal thrill for me.  Barbecue has become a huge business over the past few years, and new restaurants are opening all over the country.  Great barbecue can be found in places never believed possible before.  As an example, my former home of Chicago, IL has a number of excellent barbecue establishments within a one hour drive of downtown.  Also, Mike Mills' original 17th Street Bar & Grill, voted 'Best Barbecue in America' in 2009 by Bon Appetite magazine, is located in Murphysboro, IL.   As a "Marc Axiom" when evaluating a barbecue restaurant, if you don't smell smoke when you initially walk in, walk out!

3.  Documenting all the products I've tries & restaurants I've eaten at.  Yes, this seems a little extreme, but  there are a number of reasons why I do this.  First, I often get asked what sauces and rubs I prefer and where is the best place in town to go for barbecue.  Having the list helps me make better recommendations and allows me to provide more detail in my recommendations; which in turn helps people make the best choice(s).  Second, there are times when I want to use a rub or sauce I've used before to create a certain flavor profile and the list helps me remember what product that is.  Third, it prevents me from purchasing a product that I didn't like again by accident.  And finally, the listing is a record of my barbecue experience and history.  This is important to a true barbecue enthusiast.

4.  In search of the "perfect" rib.  My barbecue obsession is pork ribs - to cook and eat.  When I go to a barbecue restaurant for the first time, I always order the same thing: pork ribs, beans & cole slaw.  Similarly, at an Italian restaurant I always get the lasagna the first time.  This is my initial judgment of the establishment and serves as an even playing field to compare with other restaurants I've eaten at.  When I judged a Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) barbecue contest in Wisconsin a few years ago I ate what I consider to the most "perfect" rib I've ever tasted.  As it was a contest, I wasn't able to find out 'who' cooked it and 'how' they cooked it.  Finding that perfect rib, finding out how to replicate it, and replicating it would be the culmination of my search.  Then again, there may be a more perfect rib out there than the one I just found.  So, II guess I'll probably always be searching.  What a "perfect" ribs is the subject of a future column.

5.  The amazing smoky meat.  There are many great things about barbecue, but the meat itself is the greatest to me.  And it has to have a good smoke flavor, no matter what type of wood is used.  After all, that's what we strive to perfect.  It's also what makes us "urban legends" in our neighborhoods and with friends and family when we can cook it well.  I love the taste of smoke on all meat, as well as salmon.  And to get an excellent piece of smoky barbecued meat, it's has to be cooked low and slow.  No exceptions!   Another "Marc Axiom".  I know shortcuts can be taken to produce a smoked effect, but it's always results in a lower quality product.  Excellent smoked barbecue is addictive.    

While some of these things may not seem all that crazy to a lot of people (or maybe they do), they fuel my barbecue passion.  So, find your own personal barbecue experiences, hold them close to your heart, and have fun with them.

Yes, barbecue is our culinary heritage, the fastest growing food segment in America, and a community event, but it also can be personal.  Or stated in classified terms..."barbecue confidential". 

Marc 
Where there's smoke, there's probably barbecue!