HOME FROM THE ROAD: NATIONAL BBQ MONTH

April 28, 2012

So my quest for the country’s best barbecue region has finally come to an end. I’m back home, my sauce splattered clothes are in the wash for a third spin cycle, and the sweet smell of charcoal and smoke still lingers faintly as I sit back and reflect on my journey.

Ya know, barbecue is a funny thing. I originally set out on the road to find America’s best barbecue city after having read that such a thing actually exists on a major online news source. But after a few weeks traveling the back roads and backyards of America, I realized that my original assumption was correct — good barbecue is good barbecue whether it’s spicy, sweet, tangy, smoky or some combination of those four.

Sure you may have a personal leaning towards one particular style, but that doesn’t mean you won’t pull up a chair and dive in to a big ole plate of Texas brisket or Memphis dry rub ribs just because they aren’t covered in your near and dear North Carolina piedmont sauce.

No. The fact is that it doesn’t matter if you’re in Austin or in Boston, in Denver or in Detroit, the shared love for outdoor cooking runs deep regardless of region and its ability to bring people together is undeniable.

Don’t believe me? Step in to any road-side barbecue joint and I virtually guarantee you’ll soon be striking up a conversation with perfect strangers about favorite cuts of meat, best types of wood for smoking, favorite barbecue memories and so on.

It is with that I welcome our united barbecue and grilling nation back to a bigger and bolder Grilling.com. And given the fact that May is officially known as National Grilling Month, we thought we’d kick things off with a regional recipe tour hosted by our very own VIP bloggers.

Up first is John Dawson of PatioDaddioBBQ.com who heads to the Lone Star State for this “hot and fast” take on Texas brisket.