On 15 Aug 2004 13:32:13 -0500, "Bob" >
wrote:

>I recently got the book _Celebrating Barbecue_, by Dotty Griffith. It's
>quite interesting, providing an overview of what the author calls "America's
>4 regional styles of cue."
>
>The four styles recognized are Carolina (hot and sour), Memphis (sweet, hot,
>and smoky), Texas (savory, smoky, and a touch of sweet), and Kansas City
>(sweet-sour and hot).
>
>I've been itching to use my new grill anyway (the Bar-B-Chef Texas Charcoal
>Grill; see www.bbqgalore.com/store/item.bbq?invky=5824202), and since I had
>the day off yesterday, I made a Memphis-style barbecue using this menu and
>recipes from the book:
>
>Memphis-style Dry [pork] Ribs
>Tennessee-style Barbecue Sauce
>Barbecue Baked Beans
>Mustard Potato Salad
>Creamy Coleslaw
>
>(That's the book's "Memphis Rib Plate" menu. I also had potato bread,
>lemonade, and watermelon.)
>
>I was particularly happy with the way the rather-tart potato salad worked
>with the rather-sweet barbecue. I was also happy with the way the grill
>handled indirect-heat cooking; its design makes it easy to add coals and/or
>wood to one end of the grill to maintain the low-and-slow temperature
>required for real barbecue. (The charcoal and wood are kept on one end of
>the grill while the meat cooks on the other. There's also a pan of water
>kept over the coals to keep the cooking area humid, which promotes
>tenderness.)

Nice to see a keener trying new stuff.

Placing a water pan over the coals only accomplishes the making of hot
water. It does NOT accomplish humidity nor tenderness.

Water pans are better placed under the meat so as you don't get
flare-ups. Folks ECB's also use them as temperature stabilizers, but
your machine is gas powered and you don't need a water pan for *that*
purpose.

>
>I think I'll have at least three more barbecues. I won't be able to make
>*every* recipe in the book; there are recipes given for barbecuing whole
>hogs, and I don't have the space (or the appetite) to do that. But based on
>this experience, I recommend the book for anybody who wants to explore the
>American barbecue continuum.
>
>
Have a look at 'Smoke and Spice' - it's a pretty good bible.
>Bob
>
Harry