West Tennessee Whole-Hog BBQ – The Vanishing Art
West Tennessee’s rich tradition of whole-hog barbecue should be on every food lover’s radar. Renowned pitmaster Pat Martin is at the helm of this dying art, and his new cookbook, “Life of Fire,” offers insight into what he refers to as an “endangered species of regional barbecue”. According to some estimates, there are very few traditional joints left, so this style of BBQ really is in danger of extinction.
West Tennessee’s style of whole-hog BBQ used to be part of daily life for those living in rural, small communities in the region. Because pigs were prominent in the area (not to mention cheaper to take care of than cows), this style of barbecue could feed a lot of people for little to no money at all. Today, the Tennessee whole hog sandwich is considered a vanishing art, with Pat Martin, founder of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, among a handful of chefs keeping it alive. At Martin’s, which has several locations in Tennessee and beyond, the meat is served with a vinegar-based sauce.
Kentucky Mutton Barbecue – The Forgotten Specialty
When most people think of barbecue, mutton doesn’t come to mind – but it should. The one type of meat Owensboro is perhaps most well-known for – mutton (a sheep over a year old) – dates back to the 1800s. We are the last pocket in America where this tradition survives, and that’s not an exaggeration. Mutton is our most distinctive claim to barbecue fame, with relatively few establishments still serving it. The “Mutton Tree” is concentrated in western Kentucky, with Christian County and Hopkins County forming the trunk of the tree, branching out into Union, Henderson, and Daviess counties for the upper foliage. Owensboro is mutton central, with all four barbecue restaurants serving it.
The cooking method is what transforms tough sheep meat into something magical. Using hickory wood and an acidic basting combination of water, vinegar, salt and peppers that breaks down the meat, and then slow cooking, helps turn the meat into the tender meal diners enjoy. Old Hickory Bar-B-Q owner John Foreman said that it is the combination of the hickory and the length of time it is cooked – 22 hours for their mutton – along with what they do after that makes it special. If you want to visit Owensboro to eat some, you might want to do that sooner than later. Local tastes are increasingly turning toward the brisket and pork dishes more commonly known throughout the rest of the South. But for the time being, mutton barbecue is still available, every bit as much a Kentucky tradition as bourbon and bluegrass.
Chicago-Style Barbecue – The Urban Innovation
You wouldn’t expect Chicago to have its own barbecue style, but this Midwestern city has quietly developed something pretty special. While Kansas City reigns as the supreme BBQ king of the Midwest U.S., Chicago is a city worth checking out for much more than its hot dogs and deep-dish pizza. Its BBQ tradition reflects The Windy City’s diversity and rich history of butchery and immigration. According to NPR, Chicago became a major meat-producing capital once its iconic livestock market, Union Stock Yard, opened to the public in 1865.
Though it’s not a traditional barbecue city, Chicago’s food scene has been influenced by migration from across the USA and beyond. Over the course of the 20th century, as people moved steadily to the city from the south, Chicago’s culinary cultures blended to create a barbecue style all of its own, defined by sausages and pork rib tips (the part of the rib cut away to make flat, St. Louis–style ribs). One of the most unique BBQ cultures in the U.S. can be found in Chicago. With its own unique BBQ philosophy and BBQ style, Chicago’s BBQ style is unlike any other due to its inspiration from African, Native American, and European style BBQ. However, one thing that Chicago BBQ is known for are ribs. Dry rubbed and smoked over red oak, Chicago is known for flavor-packed ribs smoked for around three hours and served with french fries and bread.
Virginia’s Original Barbecue – The Colonial Ancestor
Here’s something that might surprise you – Virginia might actually be where American barbecue truly began. While other regional styles have gone on to become more famous, some people, like Virginia-based food historian Joe Haynes, contend that Virginia barbecue is the original. Haynes argues that barbecue evolved from the cooking techniques of Powhatan Indians, indigenous to an area that’s now part of Virginia, who slow roasted food over hot coals. Today, pork is the main event, and the style leans heavily on its sauces.
What makes Virginia barbecue fascinating is its sauce diversity. There are four major sauces: the tomato-mustard blend of Tidewater (best exemplified by Old City Barbeque in Williamsburg), the Worcestershire sauce flavours found in different regions. The original styles of barbecue are thought to be those that originated in the easternmost colonies, like the vinegar-based “whole hog” barbecue found in Virginia and North Carolina. The technique of adding sauce to the meat as it cooks came from British colonists who incorporated the idea of basting to preserve the juices within the meat with the Caribbean barbecue technique. North Carolina’s vinegar-based sauces are also a remnant of these Briton’s penchant for the tart sauce.
West Texas Cowboy BBQ – The Direct Heat Rebel
Unlike the case in other regions, West Texas BBQ is cooked over an open flame. It’s a rustic style, born from the cattle drives and ranching culture where meats like beef and goat were – and still are – grilled quickly rather than smoked. So, yes, although this is an integral part of Texas style barbecue, it is technically grilling. But who cares about technicalities when the food tastes this good?
West Texas barbecue, also known as “cowboy style,” has its roots in the history of cattle drives and cow camps of the American West, and it reflects the practical and straightforward ethos of cowboy culture. This barbecue style is characterized by a direct-heat method similar to grilling, in contrast to the slow smoking common in other regions. Meats are cooked over mesquite wood, imparting a strong, smoky flavor. With its hearty meats, mesquite smoke, and direct-heat cooking, it’s a flavorful testament to the culinary traditions of the American West. The mesquite gives everything a distinctive flavor that’s completely different from hickory or oak – it’s more intense and almost earthy.
Alabama White Sauce BBQ – The Mayo Revolution
Alabama barbecue deserves way more attention than it gets, mainly because of its signature white sauce that sounds weird but tastes incredible. Alabama is most famous for its own unique style of barbecue sauce: white sauce. This was created at the legendary Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q restaurant, which has been operating in Decatur, AL, since 1925. The white sauce was originally used as a dipping sauce for the famed whole smoked chickens served at this old-school shrine to ‘cue. Today, it’s used on every element of Alabama BBQ, including the state’s favorite meat: pork.
What gives white sauce its signature color is the sauce’s base: mayonnaise. Lemon juice, salt, black pepper, horseradish, vinegar, Worcestershire, sugar, and hot sauce are then typically added. Alabama is known for its smoked chicken which is traditionally served with Alabama white sauce, a mayonnaise-based sauce including vinegar, black pepper, and other spices. The sauce was created by Bob Gibson in Decatur, Alabama during the 1920s and served at the restaurant bearing his name, Big Bob Gibson’s Barbecue. Chicken is first smoked in the pit and then coated or dunked in the white sauce. The sauce is also served at the table where it is eaten on a variety of other foods.
Georgia Mustard Barbecue – The German Connection
Georgia’s barbecue scene is more complex than most people realize, with multiple regional styles that reflect the state’s diverse immigrant history. Georgia has a lot to offer BBQ lovers! It was on the golden shores of Georgia where first European livestock (beef, pork, etc) encountered Native American barbecue cooking techniques (1524). Georgia the first place the word “barbecue” was first recorded in the US (1540) it was also the first documented occurrence where pork was slowly roasted over a barbecue pit (1563). Georgia is the first place BBQ sauce was bottled and sold (1907) it can also claim the first BBQ in space (1968).
In Georgia, you’ll find plenty of BBQ joints specializing in chopped pork that’s topped with a mustard-based BBQ sauce kicked up with brown sugar, cider, and vinegar. Brunswick stew, a tomato-based stew with lima beans and other vegetables, is a popular side dish. The sweet yellow gold of a mustard-based barbecue sauce is steeped in tradition and tastes much better than you would expect. German immigrants made up a large patch of the original settlers in South Carolina, and they came with mustard, or at least with their love for it. Mustard is thinned with cider vinegar, and lots of brown sugar and other spices are added that give it a flavor profile that is not too unfamiliar with most traditional barbecue sauces. It is commonly added to the pulled pork before it is served to the customer.
Santa Maria Style BBQ – The California Original
An all-time-favorite in the state of California just might be the Santa Maria Style of BBQ, located on the central coast of California. This style represents the West Coast’s contribution to American barbecue culture, though it’s often overlooked by traditional BBQ enthusiasts who focus on the South and Midwest. Santa Maria style uses a specific cut of beef – tri-tip – that’s seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic salt, then grilled over red oak coals.
What makes Santa Maria barbecue unique is its simplicity and the specific wood used. The red oak gives the meat a distinctive flavor that’s different from hickory or mesquite, and the cooking method is more akin to grilling than traditional low-and-slow barbecue. It’s typically served with salsa, French bread, and pinquito beans – a small pink bean that’s native to the Santa Maria Valley. The tradition dates back to the 1800s when Spanish vaqueros would cook beef over red oak fires during cattle roundups.
Your Barbecue Bucket List
If you’re serious about understanding American barbecue, you need to experience these styles firsthand. Plan barbecue road trips to Kentucky for mutton, Tennessee for whole-hog, Alabama for white sauce chicken, or Texas for authentic barbacoa. Visit the remaining traditional joints before they close forever. Talk to the pitmasters who still practice these old methods – they’re the keepers of knowledge that’s not written down anywhere.
These aren’t just meals; they’re cultural experiences that connect you to centuries of American food tradition. Each bite carries the story of immigrants adapting their homeland techniques to new ingredients and conditions, creating something uniquely American in the process. The question isn’t whether these old-school styles are worth rediscovering – it’s whether we’ll act fast enough to save them before they vanish completely. What are you waiting for?
