Know Tea

Since my post about Mark’s barbecue skills prompted a discussion about what actually constitutes barbecue, I wanted to recommend two really great sites.

The first is “3 Men With Nothing Better to Do”, and it is a pretty comprehensive site about all types of barbecue. Check it out. The 3 Men contend that true barbecue means pork, period. They define the “barbecue belt” as Lousiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Kentucky’s fascination with mutton, and Texas’ obsession with beef, the 3 Men contend, places them outside the realm of true barbecue. (A controversial point, I’ll allow: but check out the site and see if they make their case.)

This site, Barbecue’n on the Internet (sorry, I can’t do anything about the cutesy spelling) tells you everything you’d ever want to know about barbecue. It was from this site that I learned this tidbit: do not use “table salt” when cooking. Table salt contains anti-caking agents which, in large quantities, will give food a very bad taste. But there is no need to buy expensive “sea salt”, because all salt for human consumption comes from a sea. Get a box of pickling salt or kosher salt and you’ll be doing just fine. We keep a box of each on hand for cooking now. (You can put pickling salt in your salt shaker too. If you’re worried about it clumping due to humidity, use the old trick of putting a few grains of rice in with the salt. The rice will keep the salt from clumping and is too big to come out through the holes of the salt shaker.)

Barbecue’n on the Internet has tons o’ recipes, including all different types of sauces and rubs. It is truly a treasure trove o’ barbecue lore, as is the 3 Men site.

With Memorial Day weekend coming up soon, you need to arm yourself with this knowledge.

And lots and lots o’ meat.

Birmingham Barbecue, Stop 1

Andrew’s Barbecue
7532 1st Avenue North

Andrew’s is in the East Lake neighborhood of Birmingham. Andrew’s, and its famous running-pig neon sign (too bad you can’t see it in motion), has been a Birmingham landmark since the 1940s. Many barbecue afficianados will tell you that Andrew’s is the best-kept barbecue secret in town.