BBQ Sammies & Salad for #marketfriday

over 2 years ago

Recently in Discord, @princessj190 mentioned that she had plans to chill with some friends and eat barbecue, which prompted @dreemsteem to report that she'd recently had Korean Barbecue. All that talk about barbecue made me realize it had been quite some time since I'd had it, so I had to seek a remedy for that!

Since I currently am living in the countryside outside of a small town (population apx 3000), there are no barbecue places nearby. I'd probably have to drive for 30 minutes at full highway speed 60 mph (96.5 kph) to reach the nearest BBQ place that comes to mind. But, fortunately, my local market has a decent barbecue, prepackaged, in the meat case. It isn't as tasty as fresh BBQ from a restaurant, but it's acceptable and certainly more convenient!

The brand is Brookwood Farms, headquartered in Siler City, NC (US). It is sold in a one-pound (454g) plastic tub. According to the packaging, it is pit-cooked, and already has BBQ sauce mixed-in. It is a ready-to-eat and is quite good for a pre-packaged item. I find it quite satisfying straight out of the fridge without heating, but brief heating would be a simple thing for those who prefer such. I've had it several times in the past and was never disappointed, as their product is consistently good quality.

For anyone not familiar with the word "barbecue," you might know it in different languages around the world. It is any meat that is slow-cooked for a long time with a lower heat than might be used to prepare a quick meal. Barbecue is often cooked over a charcoal or wood fire, outdoors, and with a cover to retain the heat. Sometimes, it is done in a pit dug in the ground, with the fire lit in the bottom, the meat placed on a rack suspended slightly above, and the pit is covered with rocks or a piece of sheet metal, then sealed around the edges with dirt to keep the heat inside. Cooking times vary depending on the temperature of the fire and how the meat is cut, but an entire day is not uncommon, and some light the fire to cook all night long while they sleep. Because of the longer cooking-time over lower heat, the meat is tender (more so than rapidly cooked meat) and juicy.

Chicken is often cooked this way. In my part of the world, however, pork is the meat of choice. I've heard it said that beef is almost always used in Texas, though, and they don't count anything other than beef as true, bona-fide "barbecue." 😂

My brother told me that Texas beef barbecue is usually sliced, but in the southeastern US, barbecue pork is often "pulled" (from the bone) into stringy pieces and subsequently chopped with a meat cleaver. Regardless of what meat is used or the method to prepare it, it is often placed on a plate with side items such as baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, and many other favorites. Barbecue sandwiches are common, too, with sauce and a pickle. While on a business trip to eastern North Carolina one time, a barbecue restaurant I visited featured a "Carolina Barbecue Sandwich" on their menu that had pulled pork and cole slaw between the buns!

It is also interesting to note that as one travels through the southeastern US as I have, the sauce that is used with barbecue varies from region-to-region. I distinctly remember different sauces being used in western North Carolina as opposed to eastern North Carolina. South Carolinians have their own recipe, as does Memphis (Tennessee) and other places. Some sauces are vinegar-based, some are tomato-based, some are mustard-based, and all have varying balances of tanginess -versus- sweetness, as well as different viscosity (thickness).

When I bought the barbecue this week, I bought some soft, drool-worthy brioche rolls and made barbecue sandwiches. Instead of the traditional side dishes, I opted to visit the salad bar of my local market. I got a container and filled it with wild greens, cherry tomatoes, onions, roasted red pepper, sliced zucchini (called "courgette" in some parts of the world), sliced yellow squash, nuts, raisins, bacon crumbles, and fresh fruit. I got enough salad to feed me for three meals, and it was a wonderful accompaniment to the BBQ sammies!

Do you have barbecue, or something similar, in your area? How do you prepare it? What sauces do you prefer? Let the #marketfriday folks know!