Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Barbecue

No visit to Austin, Texas is complete without visiting at least one of the city’s fine barbecue establishments!

Some people say that barbecue is the only authentic “American” cuisine. “Traditional barbecue” is meat slow-cooked for a long time over a low heat (purists say you need a wood fire for best results). The typical cooking temperature is between 250 to 275 degrees and the usual barbecue cooking time can be for several hours. Why so long? Collagen, the material that holds muscles together, takes quite a long time to turn into gelatin and dissolve, but once it does, it makes the meat nice and tender. Essentially, barbecue is the evolution of a very old cooking technique that involves using the tough, cheaper cuts of meat and cooking them until they become soft and juicy, usually with a dark, tasty layer of goodness on the outside.

Legend has it that when Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, he was exposed to the Native American method of cooking wild game on a large wooden structure, exposed to the heat and smoke of a wood fire. When the explorerers asked about this cooking style, they learned that the word for the wooden platform sounded very much like barbacoa in Spanish. And such, they returned to Europe with knowledge of a new cooking method, one that would eventually become known as barbecue. And your dad grilling up meat in the backyard during summer parties? That’s not really barbecue. The distinction between barbecuing and grilling is the level and intensity of the heat used. And it’s the smoke from the burning wood that gives barbecue its unique flavor.

Before the meat is cooked, however, many cooks season their cuts using a dry rub to enhance the flavor. Each chef has his or own special combination of spices and herbs, but typically the rub contains salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic and onion powders, black and red peppers, alongside a secret ingredient or two. Many barbecuers also use a marinade followed by a dry rub to add both flavor and moisture to their works of culinary art. And as for the barbecue sauce, if they use any at all, it is added towards the end of the process since the high sugar content of most sauces mean they would carmelize and turn black during the cooking process.

So now that we know about how barbecue is cooked (I’ll leave the discussion of the different types of wood up to the experts), so exactly what kind of meat makes for good barbecue? That depends where you’re from! Texans favor beef brisket, which is the cut from the breast section under the first five ribs; the folks in North Carolina feast on pulled-pork sandwiches from pork shoulders smoked over hickory coals; Kansas City is known for its tasty spare ribs. As for Austin, its own style of barbecue was heavily influenced by German butchers who settled there in the mid-1800s. Inspired by Mexican vaqueros, they emphasized beef instead of pork in their barbecue, choosing to hand rub the meat, and to cook it in pits filled with oak, hickory, pecan and mesquite woods.

The Austin Chronicle has a listing of some of its favorite barbecue suppliers. And we’d be remiss in our duties without mentioning two places within walking distance of the convention center: Stubb’s on Red River Street and East 8th Street and Ironworks BBQ on Red River and East 1st Street. The Washington Post rounds up some other BBQ joints for those willing to travel further. And let’s not forget the requisite pilgrimage to the Salt Lick during SXSW.

But whatever your choice of beef, pork, or chicken, be sure to grab a handful of napkins, and load up on some sides as well, including but not limited to potato salad, beans, coleslaw, cornbread, mashed potatoes, an ear of corn or two, as well as a big slice of watermelon for dessert.

So, who’s hungry?