The Ultimate BBQ Roadtrip?

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maluszynski

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Dear Brethren, (and sisters?)

I am a swedish photojournalist, with a more than average (at least for Scandinavia) interest in BBQ.

I have photographed a number of competitions, including the Jack, for various magazines.

With the growing interest for BBQ here in the North of Europe, there's been an idea stirring (gently smoking) in the back of my head recently:

What about making a photo/travel/bbq book - with tips, tricks, and recipes for the BBQ-hungry public of the Nordic countries just discovering the wonders of American BBQ?

I'm just at the idea stage for this, and have not even started pitching the idea to potential publishers. First I need to figure out what, how, when and where. And I thought maybe I could get some expert advice here.

I am currently thinking about doing it in the form of a road trip through BBQ-Country USA. I suppose this means mostly the south and the midwest? (Correct me if I'm wrong!) with stops at a number of places, preferably out in the sticks - at smoke joints, or even better - in people's back yards. To talk about a bbq, their best tips for beginners and to photograph the people and places that constitute the backbone and uphold the tradition of great BBQ. It could be anyone from living legends to Joe BBQ and his smoker built from an old barrel, bathtub or whatnot. The more colorful the characters, the better!

So, to the questions:

-What would be the itinerary for the ultimate BBQ Roadtrip through the US?

-Which stops are absolutely unavoidable? (Places to eat or visit for other reasons related to BBQ?)

-Which characters from the world of BBQ do I have to meet and talk to?

-Are you one of them?

-Do you have other ideas for what a travel/bbq book should contain other than an itinerary, addresses of places to have some good bbq, tips for beginners, photos of the people (and their smokers) and places where live? I'm thinking there also needs to be a chapter about the history and evolvement of BBQ. Anything else?

-Would you in any way like to be involved in a project like this? How?

I would love to hear from you! Any thoughts and ideas are welcome.

Also - if you think this post should be filed under a different category than Roadtrips, let me know and I'll move it.

Cheers,

Chris
 
I'm in!

Seriously, I really like the concept of a book on American BBQ culture that focuses on the backyard and everyday pros of BBQ. The Brethren is a great place to start. Folks like Boshizzle, Pitmaster T, BBQchef33, BigMista are all huge personalities or scholars of the craft. If you're interested in California Santa Maria BBQ, we have that kind of expertise here as well.
 
I always see that Chris Lilly and Aaron Franklin always do interviews so I would think they are approachable.

Also keep in mind that there are many different styles of BBQ in different areas the US. Carolina, St. Louis, Memphis, Texas, and California. Texas is known for Beef, Carolina for Whole Hog, Memphis for Dry Rub Ribs, St. Louis for Slathered Ribs, and California made Santa Maria Famous and the new Fusion Q as well. Then within those areas are even more differences like Carolina Style: Some chop the pork while others pull it apart, and different parts of the Carolina's have many different types of sauces (see map in the link below).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/what-are-the-major-bbq-st_b_3329295.html

There are many great places to visit, but the best places have found to eat at throughout the us are the little roadside vendors.
 
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Hi guys, thanks for encouraging me!
Of course the book will have to deal with the different styles, so I will have to make sure to make stops that represent all the important ones.
Re California - Santa Maria - I don't know about it, but will do my homework! Wow, this is really exciting!
I think I'll have to plan probably around 4 trips of maybe 7-10 days each to cover the areas involved. Probably starting in the Carolinas and heading southwest to end up in California at the end. I should probably make a little film too…
Keep the ideas coming, and let me know if you'd like to be in this project!

Chris
 
Always welcome at my door in California!
 
i've done a little of what you want to do in the area of the east coast from ny to florida and i would say be prepared for the other end of the bbq spectrum. by this i mean bbq served from bus tubs with an ice cream scooper. luke warm bbq with flies on it. bbq that smells like tuna fish. bbq from famous places that laugh when you ask where the smoker and woodpile is. workers that are so dirty that some of their dirt ends up on your drink cup. that is why it is so great when you find that perfect sandwich served in a deer hunting supply store. it is important to remember that most bbq is not great. we take a proletariat food source and elevate it to a gourmet cuisine. i think this and the bbq tv shows kind of obscure what bbq really is. yes, bbq is a noun, but it is also an idea and an opinion.
 
Not sure how much time you have but I'd start with pork the cinder block pits in the southeast. Definitely get some brisket from the brick pits in Texas. Tri-tip on the Santa Maria grills in CA. Finish up in Kansas City, where you can get beef and pork together in the same restaurant.
 
This is QUITE an undertaking that you are endeavoring to attempt! But I LOVE the idea!!!

Definitely spend a week in the Carolina's. North Carolina is split in two distinct areas with whole hog cooking and vinegar sauce in the East, while primarily pork shoulders with a vinegar/tomato sauce in the west (there are two other areas that most are not aware of - a hybrid of mostly vinegar with a little tomato in the central part of the state, and a cubed pork with thick tomato sauce in the mountains). Then South Carolina has the same two primary types as North Carolina (vinegar and vinegar/tomato), but add a distinct area with mustard based sauce as well.
There are MANY Q-joints that represent the two states well, and then there are several distinct individuals that add color to the whole barbecue equation such as: in North Carolina - Ed Mitchell, Jim Early (founder of the NC BBQ Society and ambassador for NC BBQ), Bill Eason (the winningest man in NC BBQ history), and several pitmasters from the more well-known Q-joints. In South Carolina there are several other individuals that deserve mention and potentially time in your document.

I would suggest spending an equal amount of time in Texas where there are MANY establishments for brisket and beef ribs, and also time in the Kansas City and Memphis areas, not to mention hitting numerous other areas throughout the USA including: Owensboro Kentucky for mutton bbq, Northern Alabama for white bbq sauce, southern Virginia for sweet pork, south Georgia for more pork, and other areas.

Then, of course, there are competitions throughout the USA that are interesting for different reasons and styles: The American Royal (the Open has over 600 teams cooking at one time!), The Jack (which you have already experienced, but needs to be exemplified), the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show, Memphis In May, the Big Pig Jig, and others.

WOW! I'm truly looking forward to following your progress with this endeavor! PLEASE keep us posted, and if you start a website or something similar for on-going information or whatever I know that some others as well as myself would be interested in knowing about it!

GOOD LUCK!!!
 
I am by no means a pitmaster, but you are welcome at my house for some backyard cooking! During the summer, just about everything gets cooked outside!
I love this idea, but here in Massachusetts BBQ is more of a home cooking thing. There are a few BBQ specific places around, but they are more chain type restaurants. We aren't privy to our own 'style'.
Following this thread with great interest!!
 
rookiedad said:
i've done a little of what you want to do in the area of the east coast from ny to florida and i would say be prepared for the other end of the bbq spectrum. by this i mean bbq served from bus tubs with an ice cream scooper. luke warm bbq with flies on it. bbq that smells like tuna fish. bbq from famous places that laugh when you ask where the smoker and woodpile is. workers that are so dirty that some of their dirt ends up on your drink cup. that is why it is so great when you find that perfect sandwich served in a deer hunting supply store. it is important to remember that most bbq is not great. we take a proletariat food source and elevate it to a gourmet cuisine. i think this and the bbq tv shows kind of obscure what bbq really is. yes, bbq is a noun, but it is also an idea and an opinion.
Click to expand...
This is the real idea for a great documentary and book, to really get at the folks who do BBQ for fun, for charity, in all manner of conditions.

Fact is, I am not sure I want it to become any more trendy than it already has, and I am fine with folks buying BBQ from my friends in the business. But, so many think APL, or Myron, or Franklin or BBQ Pitmasters is BBQ, and I think it misses what the real story is.
 
And, I would like to see you reach out to folks like Eric and Phil from BBQ Brethren Outreach, and cover a story about their Ronald McDonald House BBQ's, or BBQ Relief and what they do, or reach out to TxSchutte about the troop and veteran feeds they do, or Butt Burner and his work.

BoShizzle and Pitmaster T and their recording of first person history of Virginia and Texas BBQ, or Shenco Smoke and his attempt to resurrect and keep alive the traditions of Shenandoah Valley BBQ.
 
cowboyupbbq said:
Not sure how much time you have but I'd start with pork the cinder block pits in the southeast. Definitely get some brisket from the brick pits in Texas. Tri-tip on the Santa Maria grills in CA. Finish up in Kansas City, where you can get beef and pork together in the same restaurant.
Click to expand...

bbq.tom said:
Definitely spend a week in the Carolina's. North Carolina is split in two distinct areas with whole hog cooking and vinegar sauce in the East, while primarily pork shoulders with a vinegar/tomato sauce in the west (there are two other areas that most are not aware of - a hybrid of mostly vinegar with a little tomato in the central part of the state, and a cubed pork with thick tomato sauce in the mountains). Then South Carolina has the same two primary types as North Carolina (vinegar and vinegar/tomato), but add a distinct area with mustard based sauce as well.

I would suggest spending an equal amount of time in Texas where there are MANY establishments for brisket and beef ribs, and also time in the Kansas City and Memphis areas, not to mention hitting numerous other areas throughout the USA including: Owensboro Kentucky for mutton bbq, Northern Alabama for white bbq sauce, southern Virginia for sweet pork, south Georgia for more pork, and other areas.
Click to expand...

I like these ideas, personally.

Focus on the styles of BBQ, not the places. You might not want to highlight the "best" NC style joint, but present all the styles.

But also include the non commercial stuff. One of the older users here, MikeG (RIP) use to tell us of his annual "Footh of July" in Alabama, buring the pig in the ground on coals, covered in a tin roof sheet, and mud thrown on top. Which makes the Hawaiian luau pig buried in banana leaves just as relevant of a style in the United States.

And there are SO MANY regional variations here. The northern states (and some western) experienced The Great Migration whereby between 1910 and 1970, 6million African Americans moved north and west, bringing their own BBQ traditions with them. Chicago style aquarium smokers are a result of transferring those traditions up north.

You have the entire German migration that shaped south Texas in the early 1800's. Why the great BBQ joints and texas sausage places have German sounding names is not by accident.

Yes, I agree. Your endeavor can take many tangents and still have plenty of room to cover.

Explore them all, write about it, and get your fellow Netherlandians to come and explore some very good eats, and along the way,,,,,,, the worlds largest ball of twine, the house of mud, Ripleys believe it or not, Prehistoric Forest, etc.

Get off the interstate....take the local highways, and see America that we all love
 
If you come to North Carolina, plan on going to the Skylight Inn in Ayden. Go to their web page, http://www.skylightinnbbq.com/welcome , read and check out the videos at the bottom of the page. These will give some insight to Carolina Q. Also, check out the book Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina BBQ. Lots of good information. This sounds like a great project. Let me know if you make the trip here. I live about 30 minutes from Lexington, NC.
 
Wow! This is amazing. Thanks guys. Keep the suggestions and ideas coming.
I'm thinking I'll plan my first trip in the spring of 2016.

Cheers,

Chris
 
If you come to South Carolina, you MUST visit Scott's BBQ in Hemingway S.C..
 
7-10 days per region is reasonable. You can do some serious research about the region before you make the trip, arrange tours and interviews, etc.
 
PatAttack said:
If you come to South Carolina, you MUST visit Scott's BBQ in Hemingway S.C..
Click to expand...

I agree Pat, but I think that Maurice's has more "color" (sorry, couldn't help myself!). The propaganda that is rampant at Maurice's almost makes the place a "must see" - just because.
Personally, I'm partial to "Bucky's" around the Greenville area, and "Sweatman's" is a must also.
There are just so many good places in the Carolina's, but to find something unique would make the reading more interesting.
 
bbq.tom said:
I agree Pat, but I think that Maurice's has more "color" (sorry, couldn't help myself!). The propaganda that is rampant at Maurice's almost makes the place a "must see" - just because.
Personally, I'm partial to "Bucky's" around the Greenville area, and "Sweatman's" is a must also.
There are just so many good places in the Carolina's, but to find something unique would make the reading more interesting.
Click to expand...

Tom, Sweatman's got bought out by someone and the food doesn't seem to be the same as it was when Bub was running the show. It's still a good stop for the history, though.
 
Before I start digging deeper into this, and laying out routes, stops etc.

Are there any already existing books or documentaries that my idea would be similar to? I don't mean books that focus only on cooking bbq, but that contain the documentary element - interviews, pictures, travel? Or at least that attempt to cover the history and geographical variations of barbeque (that I should read to get my facts straight).

Chris
 
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