Kentucky bar-b-que???????? Is bar-b-que a southern delicacy??? (Owensboro, California: purchase, restaurants)

[IrishTiltedKilt]

I am wondering what Kentucky bar-b-que is like??? Is it the vinegary sauce type or the tomato base type taste?????? It seems like each region in the country prefers a different kind....

Is the key to good bar-b-que the sauce or the smoking, or both????? Does it matter what cut of meat you are using??? Is the type of wood you use a factor? What wood is best????

Can a neophyte purchase one of those smaller, tall metal style type smokers with doors on the front and get any good type smoke on a piece of meat to make it worth the investment??? How long do you have to smoke meat to get a real good flavor???? If you smoke meat, then do you cook it after?

I would like to try and attempt to make some really good bar-b-que, and want to get the best results!

Californians have no idea how to make good bar-b-que! We just pressure cook meat, or slow cook it, shred it, and throw bar-b-que sauce on it. You all in the South, have it looking good, smelling good, and seem to layer flavors.

Also, love how you put cole slaw on your sandwich, wow!

[rnc76]

Frankly, I used to think KY BBQ was good until I moved to Alabama. They know how to do it down here.

Boston butt pork is a typical pork roast that you smoke for pulled pork style BBQ. Whole chickens and pork ribs are also common. Beef and turkey can be found at restaurants but aren't really typical of southern BBQ. Mutton is common in Owensboro style BBQ.

Hickory is typically the best smoking wood for southern style BBQ. I've heard of pecan being used as well, which is a similar wood to hickory. In Texas, they use mesquite and oak I believe.

The sauce IMO should compliment the meat, not overpower it. I say use what sauce you like. If you like a vinegar sauce, use it, if you like a sweeter sauce, use it... I like most of the variations except Kansas City style sauce, made with molasses, super thick and sweet and overpowers the meat's natural flavor IMO.

You can do well with one of those small metal type smokers, it just takes a little practice to get the temperature right. The best style is to have the firebox off to the side and the chimney on the other side with the cook box in the middle. That way, the meat doesn't see direct heat and you draw the smoke across it. Smoking it cooks the meat at a low temperature, the temperature of your smoker should be probably around 250-300.

[Davart]

If you know what you are doing you can smoke meat in a metal garbage can, wood box or terracotta flower pots. I've used cinder blocks and tin in a pinch. Having a fancy store bought smoker isn't the secret to smoking meat ... know how to smoke meat is the secret.

Most wood can be used ...
Oak for long cooking times like 12+ hours
Hickory under 12 hours
Other woods can yield different flavors, I use oak (strong), hickory (mild-medium), pecan (sweet), maple (medium-sweet), cherry (mild-sweet), pear (sweet), apple (sweet), and peach (sweet). Walnut should be cut with other woods, it has a strong woody flavor which is a little bitter. Like anything you can mix woods for a unique taste.

Trash wood like Bradford Pear, Mimosa, crap apples etc should never be used, it stinks and if it stinks odds are it will not taste good. I don't even burn it in the wood burner.

Heat temps IMHO for pork or chicken should be around 190-220, you want the internal temp of the meat over 180. I prefer a smoker temp of 195-210 depending on the smoker you should be able to get you hand within a inch of the surface of the smoker and feel heat but not burn ... it's one of those things you learn from years of smoking. Western KY being closer to the Memphis area has Memphis style BBQ, but you'll find all types in the area ... some better than others.

I prefer a vinegar based sauce heavy on the heat and pepper. Same goes for a basting sauce and lots of beer depending on the size of your cook you'll be by the smoker 8-12 hours or longer. The slower you cook your meat, over a lower temperature the more moist and tender the meat. If you are doing ribs you should be able to pull the rib out clean, anything else is just wrong.

Higher temps dry the meat out ... but that's making jerky and that's a different style of smoking.

Here's a link to a trash can smoker.
How to make a Smoker from a Trash Can