IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT any native New Mexican would defend the reputation of their beloved red and green chile — whether they are from Lemitar of Hatch — barbecue loyalists are most devoted to the ‘cue that’s closest to home. You’re not likely to find a Kansas City native championing North Carolina barbecue. Nor will you find a native of Lockhart, Texas touting the superiority of a Memphis pork sandwich. It just doesn’t happen.

And though New Mexico isn’t among the so-called “Big Four” described below, it is a place where hundreds of thousands of people live who love to barbecue and love to eat barbecue.

Who knows, maybe one day ABQ BBQ’ers will turn the Big Four into the Big Five. But who really cares as long as there is something cooking on the grill

BY SAMARA ALPERN

Meat. That is what barbecue is about. And all else is secondary. 

   A near Masonic culture surrounds the practice of cooking meat and various loyalties to smoke, sauces, sides, rubs and rituals divide the barbecue world into carnivorous tribes and clans. But the one thing everyone can agree on is that it all starts with the pig. Or the cow. Well, already now you’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest. 

Although there are nearly unlimited schools of barbecue, in the United States four regional styles claim dominance. You’ve got your Memphis and your Kansas City; the Carolinas call themselves the “Cradle of the ‘Cue” and, of course, Texas is respected for little else than their specialty of smoked brisket.

Here’s your guide to the dark and smoky world of meat:

MEMPHIS

Memphis digs the pig. Pulled pork is popular, but what sets Memphis apart are the ribs and dry rubs. Rubs are dry herbs massaged into the meat before cooking. Ingredients run the gamut, but common seasonings include paprika, sugar, cumin, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne and dry mustard. After a nice rub down, the ribs are slow cooked in a smoker until the meat is “fall-off-the-bone” tender. Sauce is generally thin and made with a tomato and vinegar base. 

CAROLINAS

Carolina barbeque is for pork purists. No sauce, no seasoning, just a whole hog or pork shoulder, slow cooked at a very low temperature for 18 hours or more. For moisture, a little vinegar might be used, but the pig is essentially roasted and naked. Then the pig meat is pulled from the bones. Sometimes the meat is served with a sauce and sometimes as is. Cole slaw and hush puppies are the traditional sides. 

KANSAS CITY

No allegiance to any one animal in Kansas City.

“Here, if it moves, we cook it,” remarks Carolyn Wells, executive director of the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

Like Memphis, KC people also dry rub and smoke their barbeque. Selecting the best hardwood for smoking is key, with hickory reigning in popularity. But the real standout feature of the Kansas City style is the sauce. Kansas City sauce is based on tomatoes and vinegar, but molasses sets the KC version apart from the rest, adding sweetness and also body. KC  barbecuers claim their sauce is the thickest. The most famous Kansas City sauce is KC Masterpiece, available at supermarkets worldwide. 

TEXAS

There’s no place in America that is identified more with cow meat than Texas. Whether the beef is slow cooked in a smoker or a pit with hot coals a la matanza, beef is what’s for dinner, lunch and often, breakfast. Beef ribs and (to an even greater extent) brisket are the most popular cuts.

The Texas-style barbecue sauce falls between the thin Memphis sauce and the thick Kansas City sauce in consistency. While the cow is undoubtedly king, there is some pork to be found — in fact, it pre-dates beef in the Lone Star State. Texas is a big place and over Houston way, they are more influenced by the Southern-influenced love of pork. On a personal note: I have family in College Station, Texas and one of my favorite photos includes grandma, grandpa, aunt, cousins and siblings smiling cheerfully over a gigantic picnic table of cow carcass. It looks like something between The Flintstones and Saw.

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