Sunday, January 06, 2008

In Defense of Memphis-Style Barbeque

On the Memphis vs. Texas BBQ debate that we had a while back, I've firmly come out in favor of the pure beef of Texas. But I would be remiss if I did not have a kind word to say about the pork BBQ of Memphis served with Wonderbread and cole slaw:

I never fully understood Total Depravity until I had Memphis-style barbeque.

7 comments:

DannyG said...

You are a brave man, opening this can of worms. I can hear the Methodist equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys loading their shootin' irons as we speak!

Anonymous said...

John,

as you know, I am a native son of Memphis, "Birthplace of Rock and Roll and Land of the Bar-Be-Que".

What you are calling Texas BBQ is NOT BBQ at all. It is cow meat cooked on a Grill. I'm not saying it isn't good, but IT IS NOT BAR-BE-QUE.

Just because something is cooled on a grill over an open flame doesn't make it BBQ.

BBQ IS PORK!!! Not Chicken, Not Turkey, Not Deer, and NOT COW.

Calling anything other Pork, BBQ is from Satan himself.

Anonymous said...

Well, coming from a town that calls itself the BBQ Mutton Capital, I just have to jump in here. I've lived in Texas (brisket is brisket and it's good, but it's not BBQ!) and I've dined in Memphis (I love good pork!), but I was raised on slow-cooked, open-pit, well-mopped mutton. The Big Place (define: tourist trap) in Owensboro, KY, offers a great spread, but I'd be happy to tell anyone where to go for the good stuff that the natives prefer.

Danny's right - you are a brave man for bringing this up. ;)

Mark said...

Oh, Good Lord. That picture says it all. A blob of pig with cole slaw heaped on it.

I'm going to toss my cookies.

Mark said...

Keith (and all the rest of you Southerners who are going to dogpile on me):

By definition, barbecue is ANY meat that has been slow-cooked over wood or coals. You can claim that pig is the only real BBQ, but it's an argument fueled by emotion, not by fact.

John said...

BBQ mutton? I'd like to try that!

Mark said...

BBQ mutton? I'd like to try that!

John, you're slipping over into the dark side.