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Pitmasters hit the mark with smokin' ideas for all-American tradition
It didn't seem to matter that a chilly spring rain had been falling for most of the weekend. By late Sunday afternoon hundreds of New Yorkers still were crowded into the narrow, cordoned-off block of East 27th Street. Some individuals clustered around the music tent, listening to the Fins, a popular blues band from New Jersey. Most, though, were lined up expectantly, clutching umbrellas and waiting for their turn at the food tents.
What had drawn crowds of New Yorkers to this soggy East Side get-together was the promise of the kind of food that many people would be delighted to stand in the rain for - world-class barbecue.
Restaurant critic Dotty Griffith in her book "Celebrating Barbecue" provides some perspective on Americans' obsession with "cue."
"Barbecue is the most American of foods; to hell with apple pie," she writes. "If Congress decided to declare a national dish, barbecue should win by acclamation."
A lot of voters might be inclined to support that legislation, too, as evidenced by the thousands of New Yorkers who defied the elements to attend the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, a two-day festival featuring seminars, films, music and several top pitmasters doing what they do best: making barbecue.
Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group, which operates the popular Manhattan barbecue haven, Blue Smoke, as well as the acclaimed Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern, hosted the block party.
"Barbecue appeals to maybe the broadest demographic of any food I've ever tasted or served," Meyer says. "It's impossible to eat barbecue and not smile."
Edwin Mitchell, owner of Mitchell's Ribs, BBQ & Chicken, agrees. He drove from Wilson, N.C., to participate in the block party. "Barbecue crosses all kinds of social lines," he says. "It always seems to be associated with good times or celebrations. That's why it has such a passionate meaning to everybody."
That kind of devotion has engendered some heated debate about preparation methods over the years. In general, though, most experts rally around the proposition that there are four fundamental types of barbecue. The Carolinas put emphasis on pit-cooked pork flavored with vinegar- or mustard-based sauces. Memphis pitmasters serve pork barbecue either dry or...