I am just posting this, because I read an article this morning entitled New BBQ Regionalism and found some of the ideas bothersome.
1. The author suggests that previously in Northern California, urban blacks held the dominance in the BBQ community, that whites were not a part of the scene. Right off the bat, this is just a little offensive, as if the author had a real understanding of the region, he would know that there were just as many whites as blacks in BBQ in Northern California. This really bothers me more than anything to follow. I bet if you really took a look at this, there are probably just as many whites as blacks cooking BBQ in Northern California, and even in the East Bay area. It is ridiculous to consider race in BBQ, in fact, I bet BBQ is one of the areas that is least segregated in the East Bay Area.
2. The New California BBQ does not include burning wood in pits, it is all about hickory chips in high tech cookers. Really? That is a pile, there are pits all over the Northern California every weekend, with people (I say people, not blacks or whites, people) tending and selling. And while some are selling from high tech ovens, others are using home made pits as well. In fact, I bet the wood and charcoal burning pits outnumber the high tech ovens. What about Phat Matt's which got zero mention, even though they burn hickory and oak, and are neither black or white.
3. How does travelling all over the United States to try out and copy other styles of BBQ speak to a New California Regionalism in BBQ. How does copying KC or Memphis really translate to a Northern Califronia regional style. What about those folks doing really interesting things that speak to the mix of cultures and traditions in our region. Did he mention Mission Chinese, who are making some of the best brisket and pulled pork I have ever had, with just a hint of the tossed salad of cultures we have here, no, he mentions a guy doing a faithful rendition of KC ribs.
4. Since when is a regional style of BBQ defined by a few restaurants opening or closing, what about the folks that have been here, cooking for 30 or more years, making their BBQ fit their and our lifestyle in California. What about all those folks doing tri-tip, or other meats, our way? What kind of BS is it that somehow our BBQ requires others to tell us how to flavor or cook our meat. Maybe I don't want my regional style to be limited to wood chips and thermally controlled insulated stainless steel pits (although I would take one for free of course :becky
.
5. Finally, he exempts a BBQ house that is doing an exceptional job because they are in Napa. So, Napa is not a part of the Central/Northern California region? We no longer allow for someone to be a part of our community because they are in Napa? The pitmaster at BarbersQ cooks local meats over a burning fire, with wood, and I consider that to be pretty good BBQ. Actually, she uses a California sensibility, using only fresh and local, over local wood, serving as much organic and natural as possible, heck, it sounds like California to me.
I gotta go check my brisket.
1. The author suggests that previously in Northern California, urban blacks held the dominance in the BBQ community, that whites were not a part of the scene. Right off the bat, this is just a little offensive, as if the author had a real understanding of the region, he would know that there were just as many whites as blacks in BBQ in Northern California. This really bothers me more than anything to follow. I bet if you really took a look at this, there are probably just as many whites as blacks cooking BBQ in Northern California, and even in the East Bay area. It is ridiculous to consider race in BBQ, in fact, I bet BBQ is one of the areas that is least segregated in the East Bay Area.
2. The New California BBQ does not include burning wood in pits, it is all about hickory chips in high tech cookers. Really? That is a pile, there are pits all over the Northern California every weekend, with people (I say people, not blacks or whites, people) tending and selling. And while some are selling from high tech ovens, others are using home made pits as well. In fact, I bet the wood and charcoal burning pits outnumber the high tech ovens. What about Phat Matt's which got zero mention, even though they burn hickory and oak, and are neither black or white.
3. How does travelling all over the United States to try out and copy other styles of BBQ speak to a New California Regionalism in BBQ. How does copying KC or Memphis really translate to a Northern Califronia regional style. What about those folks doing really interesting things that speak to the mix of cultures and traditions in our region. Did he mention Mission Chinese, who are making some of the best brisket and pulled pork I have ever had, with just a hint of the tossed salad of cultures we have here, no, he mentions a guy doing a faithful rendition of KC ribs.
4. Since when is a regional style of BBQ defined by a few restaurants opening or closing, what about the folks that have been here, cooking for 30 or more years, making their BBQ fit their and our lifestyle in California. What about all those folks doing tri-tip, or other meats, our way? What kind of BS is it that somehow our BBQ requires others to tell us how to flavor or cook our meat. Maybe I don't want my regional style to be limited to wood chips and thermally controlled insulated stainless steel pits (although I would take one for free of course :becky
.5. Finally, he exempts a BBQ house that is doing an exceptional job because they are in Napa. So, Napa is not a part of the Central/Northern California region? We no longer allow for someone to be a part of our community because they are in Napa? The pitmaster at BarbersQ cooks local meats over a burning fire, with wood, and I consider that to be pretty good BBQ. Actually, she uses a California sensibility, using only fresh and local, over local wood, serving as much organic and natural as possible, heck, it sounds like California to me.
I gotta go check my brisket.
