The deal we made, when you got us out to my parents' place in Arkansas rather than a homeless shelter in the Bay Area, was that we'd pay it forward and write.
Well, paying it forward is happening, but I still owe you words. And this week's words, late due to the busy weekend, have to do with a subject of some contention.
Barbecue.
Now, I'm not just talking about throwing burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Even when we lived in California, we'd marinade some sandwich steaks or tri-tip and cook them over mesquite or, when Mrs proved allergic to mesquite, hickory.
Turns out that this is an independently-developed form of barbecue, a wet style (using sauce) referred to as California style. Primarily using beef, this style uses a sauce or marinade, and direct or indirect cooking over hardwood.
Out here, barbecue is a thing. And it is a thing that is taken seriously. Barbecue tends to follow a combination of Memphis and Kansas City styles here (thank you, Wikipedia!) with pork, obviously being the main meat served. I've also seen brisket offered. From what I can tell, we use a dry rub, slow cook over indirect heat, and serve with barbecue sauce and coleslaw on the side.
Since we finally got a break in the weather, we'll see about getting a grill and firing it up as the last day of barbecuing, Talk like a Pirate Day*, approaches. If I get the time and it goes well we'll take pics and post recipes. If it doesn't, or the weather doesn't hold out, we'll talk about something else.
Things get better. We press on!