Summer of BBQ: Midwest

By: David Shoemaker | June 28 2010
Posted in Cook It - Chicago

The key to good Midwest barbecue is sauce. More specifically, lots of sauce. In fact, barbecue is not quite ready to eat until it has been slathered with enough sauce to warrant the question, "Would you like some meat to go with your sauce?"

Photo: The Bitten Word

As a general rule, Midwesterners will eat anything that at one point walked, ran, swam, or flew; can fit on a Weber grill; and is coated in a savory barbecue sauce.  Nonetheless, there are certain Midwest barbecue favorites, including pork rib racks, steak, and chicken.

But how exactly is sauciness distinctive of Midwest-style barbecue? A prime example is the story of one of the most beloved and recognized barbecue sauces in the country. One day 25 years ago, a young Chicagoan introduced his sauce—a family recipe he had refined—to the world at the nation's largest rib cook-off. Apparently, the world was pleasantly surprised. Today, the popularity of Sweet Baby Ray's is growing more rapidly than any other sauce, and it is the current number-one premium barbecue sauce in grocery.

Chicago may take the medal for sauce, but for authentic Midwest barbecue, look no further than Missouri. You know a city is serious about its BBQ when it has its own barbecue society, and Missouri has two—Kansas City (the world's largest organization of its kind) and St. Louis; check out these sites for some great sauce recipes and suggestions for how to take your pit skills to the next level.

Over the years, St. Louis-style pork ribs have become renowned, all thanks to the role of the sauce—usually Maull's—in the preparation. The meat is seared and slow-cooked to doneness. At this point, the simple procedure begins: dip/brush, warm, repeat. After the sauce is applied by brushing or dipping, the ribs are returned to the grill and rotated frequently over low heat. After several cycles, the tender, caramelized ribs are imbued with incredible flavor and are ready to be enjoyed.

The culinary heritage of Kansas City, the self-proclaimed "world capital of barbecue," has been enormously influenced by barbecue. Like St. Louis, it, too, has earned special attention from around the country for what distinguishes the style from all the others—the sauce. Though tomato-based like its St. Louis cousin, Kansas City sauces tend to be a bit tangier and sweeter. Check out what follows for a variation of an authentic Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, which came from the Foodie With Family blog.

Kansas City Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup good quality ketchup
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, according to heat preference
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Cool to room temperature before transferring to a jar or squeeze bottle. Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly covered container.

Photo from slideshow: The Bitten Word