by Fred Bondurant

Much Ado about Got a taste for Texas? A craving for Carolina?

Memphis style, Texas style, flavor and almost always contains Carolina style, Kansas City style. an acid, often vinegar, which helps What does it all mean? Which tenderize the meat. Caution is in style should I be eating? For those order, as over-tenderizing with a Mof us who love barbecue, this marinade will result in a less desir- question must be answered. And able texture of the meat. Slow cook- how hard could it be? There are ing breaks down the meat proteins hundreds of tomes, Web sites, and better than acids or other chemicals articles about the subject. With do. Dry rubs impart flavor, draw out

some research, surely I could find MADDEN BY KELLY ILLUSTRATION juices, and form a nice paste on the the Holy Grail of and surface, which caramelizes nicely nail it down in simple terms. Little and helps keep the meat moist. did I know what I was getting into. Apply the rub the night before you There is a segment of the pop- plan to cook. ulation that approaches this with A rub is easy to make and adapt religious fervor. Each has a special to your particular taste. Ingredients or secret step that makes his commonly found in rubs include or hers absolutely the best. Let’s paprika, salt, black and/or red pep- start with some basics, and how per, garlic powder, dry mustard, even these are often in dispute. chili powder, oregano, thyme, onion powder, and sugar. The paprika Where There’s Smoke… gives a nice dark color to the fin- At the outset, “grilling” should ished meat. Sugar does this also, to be differentiated from true barbecue. 200 to 220 degrees (although it ranges but be careful of the amount of sugar and Grilling is normally done with tender cuts from 180 to 270 degrees) and smoke is the intensity of the heat, as it might burn. of meat over high, direct heat for a short involved. Curiously, that eliminates the pig Also, avoid onion salt or garlic salt; use time. Barbecue is slow with indi- cooked in a pit at the luau: no smoke. only the pure powders. Southwest-style rect heat of (typically) less tender cuts, and rubs often include cumin, coriander, and smoke is a key element. From there, things To Soak or Rub? other peppers. Allspice adds an interesting start to get muddy. With smoking, a Before being cooked, the meat must be sweetness. Kosher salt is a good choice, as method of preserving, the temperature is prepared. Two common methods are (liq- it is easier to work with in the rub and you only about 140 degrees. Barbecue calls for uid) marinade and dry rub. Marinade adds will be less likely to over-salt.

80 JULY/AUGUST 2004 are served after the meat is can literally be falling off the bone. A fork mined by the first (dominant) ingredient cooked; they are not used during the cook- can be inserted into the shoulder or butt listed. As I perused recipes, this seemed to ing process. But more on sauces later. and turned (pick one) 90 degrees, 180 hold true. However, many commercial degrees, or 360 degrees, depending on sauces list sugar as the first ingredient! Fire It Up! whose test is used. Alright, alright, here’s a Retail sauces are a big business. There are The cooking apparatus can include all rule of thumb: one and one-half hours per more than 1,300 kinds, nearly all - fashion of exotic devices, but a kettle-style pound. Some devotees cook for ten, twelve based. One of the nation’s largest barbecue grill works just fine. The fuel of choice is hours or more to impart more smoke and contests is the American Royal, held in charcoal (yes, some are very specific about assure the toughest cuts of meat are fork- Kansas City. Sauces compete in eight cat- the brand). Wood chips also apparently tender. The low temperatures and enclosed egories: mild or hot versions of tomato-, give quite acceptable results. system help keep the meat moist. vinegar-, mustard-, and fruit-based. Of , this sparks the next contro- If you are impatient, there are some versy: What wood should be used? Any shortcuts. At the risk of being drummed Write Your Own Rules pine or resinous wood should be avoided. out of the corps, I will mention a few for So, let’s sum up. Although pork is tra- Hickory is a traditional choice, oak is used those whose time frame is more toward the ditional, you can use almost any meat, in many professional , and apple grilling system: The aforementioned mari- which is pretreated with a marinade or seems to be in style of late. Mesquite is nades work, but keep in mind the caveat rub; imagination is the only limitation. often the first choice in Texas and the about over-tenderizing. Precooking in a The heat must be low, indirect, and Southwest, but aficionados in other areas slow oven and then finishing on the grill involve wood smoke. Plan to spend some of the country claim it imparts a less-than- with some smoke can give an acceptable time cooking. The sauce traditionally is

The sauce traditionally is served with the meat after cooking, and certain sauces are historically associated with certain areas of the country. pleasant taste. result. Ribs can be parboiled to tenderize served with the meat after cooking, and The fuel should be placed on one or them, and then finished on a grill. certain sauces are historically associated both sides of the kettle, or around the Marinades can include liquid smoke. with certain areas of the country. Today perimeter to give the desired indirect heat, Smoked paprika could be added to the rub. you will find a lot of overlap; every and drippings will not flare up and scorch region is proud of “its” barbecue, and the mean. The lid retains the smoke so it What’s the Meat? each barbecuer is proud of his or her spe- can work its magic. Another very basic decision is the meat. cial basting liquid, rub, or sauce. Schools of thought differ on whether The tradition in the Deep South is pork As far as my quest for the Holy Grail of the meat should be basted during cooking, shoulder or butt, ribs in Memphis, and beef barbecue, the bad news is: there isn’t one. let alone how often. (Now, we barbecue brisket in Texas, although any kind of bar- The good news is: there isn’t one. This folks don’t actually baste; we mop. And we becue can be found in any part of the coun- stuff is for enjoyment and camaraderie and do it with an implement that resembles a try. Turkey, quail, duck, and other meats the rules are your own. With a little effort, small mop.) The liquid used is another can be barbecued, but these birds are more you can create your own legendary rub and topic of dissension; at least, there is a wide often smoked. sauce. A barbecue party is great fun; range of choices. The simplest is nothing everyone can bring slaw, beans, more that plain vinegar, a bit of butter, and Saucy Attitudes salad, or some other side dish, and enjoy a few dried peppers. (I have had this bar- Now that the meat is ready, we need some great socializing during that lengthy becue, said to be Georgia style, and could that sauce. This is what is supposed to real- cooking period. hardly believe how delicious it was with ly distinguish styles. Vinegar-based sauces Excuse me now, I have to go mop my such a basic moppin’.) It is done at inter- in North Carolina…sorry, that’s Eastern shoulder—and get a refill.n vals that will keep the meat moist, but North Carolina. Western North Carolina not so frequently that the heat is released tends toward mustard bases. Tomato- Fred Bondurant, a self-taught cook and too often. based (some say ketchup-based) sauces are connoisseur of good , was motivated How long do you cook it? Till it’s done! farther west. early on by the discovery that dates really The internal temperature method doesn’t Early research taught me that sauces appreciated a guy who could cook. Julia work here. The test is if the meat is tender, were predominately vinegar- or ketchup- Child is his inspiration and he gave his and there are all manner of standards. It based, with a few mustard-based, deter- first cooking classes in the 1970s.

WWW.TIMESOFTHEISLANDS.COM 81 cuisine by Criss Menassa

When I was a small child with the garden. ILLUSTRATION BY KELLY MADDEN BY KELLY ILLUSTRATION growing up in Massachusetts, I didn’t realize until I it was widely known that my was elevated to the rank of grandpa was a little off his culinarian just how justi- Wrocker. It wasn’t because he fied my grandpa had been made his own wine, rolled his own to 1940. Family heirlooms (like my in treasuring those heirlooms. cigars, or even because of the goat “lawn- grandpa’s) are varieties that families have While writing this article I couldn’t mower” in the back yard. kept for generations. Created heirlooms avoid being catapulted back to that little It was because Grandpa wouldn’t come from two known parents—either girl with the scraped knees and the dirty grow a tomato unless it had come from two heirlooms or an heirloom and a fingernails awaiting the first red orb of Heirloom Tomatoes Grandpa wasn’t so crazy after all

Greece. Not just anywhere in Greece, hybrid, resulting in a seed that can stabi- the season. I remember the smell of the either. It had to have originated from the lize desired characteristics and eliminate earth, the heat from the sun, and the scent island of Lésvos—and not just Lésvos, undesirable ones. And mystery heirlooms of the tomatoes. For me it was almost but from Mytilene, an ancient Greek city are varieties produced by the cross-polli- holy. When I finally got my first bite of on the Aegean Sea. nation of natural heirloom varieties. the fruit, I knew I had just tasted summer. His brother mailed him the seeds and The love, care, and extent to which my Juicy, meaty, hearty, wet, and warm. All Grandpa would keep them in little folded grandfather went to plant his treasured my senses were involved. Those days and paper packets. If you watched from a dis- tomato seed were legendary. He would that man led me down the path to cuisine tance, you would think he had just pur- begin the process in May, tilling, digging, of simple pleasure. chased something illicit. and dropping the precious swag into the Today I am a , which means that I Today, those seeds are considered holes. Cultivating compost and collecting am far too busy to get on my knees and heirloom. manure in the summer were favorite spread manure, although I would love the Heirlooms fall into four categories: times for me. When my parents were opportunity to do so. I must rely on out- Commercial heirlooms are those that are wishing school was a mandatory 365 side sources to obtain my heirloom toma- open pollinated and were cultivated prior days, I would be dropped off to “help” toes. There are hundreds of varieties,

82 JULY/AUGUST 2004

such as Green Grape, Stupice, Green Zebra, Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, and Cherokee Purple. (I’m giving seri- ous thought to ransacking some old steamer trunks in the attic in search of a little folded packet.) But for me, those jumbo reds were the end-all and be-all to a great summer salad. My grandfather kept it simple. He would slice a tomato, fresh from the vine onto a plate, then drizzle over it some extra virgin olive oil (of Greek origin, of course). Then he would crack fresh pep- percorns with a hammer (I told you he was nuts), sprinkling just enough on each slice. Last, he would dust them with a little salt, and serve. Pure heaven! If I had been especially good and hauled more than my share of muck to his toma- to mounds, I was rewarded with a slab of GALLERY OF KITCHENS feta cheese to go with my tomato. 13251 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33919 You don’t need to be a hotshot chef to create a memorable recipe for an heir- phone: 239/482-5552 fax: 239/482-3245 loom tomato. All you need to begin is a 5567 Taylor Rd., Naples, FL 34109 great tomato, and whether you do the phone: 239/596-5739 fax: 239/596-7459 growing or someone else who cares enough to cultivate the very best, it all www.galleryofkitchens.com begins with a seed. So, you see, Grandpa wasn’t so crazy after all.n SUMMER REFRESHMENT

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