Grilling is OK, but it ain't BBQ

I love BBQ, all kinds. But I am definitely partial to Texas style. There are many different types of BBQ in this country, and wherever you were raised is usually the type you a partial to. Some of the popular types are Kansas City (not much smoke, a lot of sauce), North Carolina (usually vinegar based sauce and mainly pulled pork or whole pig). South Carolina is the only state that includes all four recognized barbecue sauces, including mustard-based, vinegar-based, and light and heavy tomato-based. Memphis BBQ is best known for tomato- and vinegar-based sauces. In some Memphis establishments and in Kentucky, meat is rubbed with dry seasoning (dry rubs) and smoked over hickory wood without sauce; the finished barbecue is then served with barbecue sauce on the side. Texas BBQ usually consists of beef brisket, beef and pork ribs, sausage, and my favorite, pork butt (which is actually the shoulder), and usually consists of a dry rub and a heavy application of smoke through out the cooking process. A lot of different types of wood are used in Texas, especially mesquite since it is so plentiful. I prefer a mixture of pecan and hickory because of the flavor and I fell like the heat is easiest to control.

Now let's talk about grilling. Having your friends over and throw some steaks or fajitas on the grill is all good, but some people think they are creating BBQ. Nope. A grill does not equal BBQ. BBQ requires an application of smoke, held at a temperature between 225-275 degrees, for a longer period of time; usually anywhere between 6-24 hours. The reason for this long process is that the meats that are used in BBQ are tougher and less expensive than a top quality steak or pork chop, and the time helps break down the muscle fibers and fat into something blissful.

I don't want to sound like a BBQ snob or anything, but BBQing (yes, it's a verb in this state) just isn't grilling. I guess I feel the need to make the distinction because BBQing is my favorite type of cooking, and when it is finished, I really feel like I have created something that took care and patience. And patience is something I lack in my day to day life, so maybe it helps me practice it. The pictures are of a pork butt that I BBQed for the first weekend of college football. Total cook time = 10 hours.