St. Louis-style barbecue
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St. Louis-style barbecue is a term used to describe several similar styles of cooking pork products. These foods are popular in the area around the United States city of St. Louis, Missouri; one need only visit the barbecue sauce section of a supermarket to comprehend the amount of sauce consumed (often sold in gallon jugs) in St. Louis [1]. The cooking styles vary across the neighborhoods and communities of the St. Louis metropolitan area.
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[edit] Pork ribs
St. Louis-style ribs, cut from spare ribs, are a good example of such recipes. In preparation, the brisket bones are removed from the bottom of the rib rack. Slow cooking over low heat is the key to culinary success here, with a good, smokey grill (typically a kettle by Weber-Stephen Products Co., a barrel-style cooker such as a Char-Griller or some sort of covered smoker). Barbecue aficionados in St. Louis like to use the phrase "low and slow" to describe this cooking method. Saucing the ribs is a key to the distinctive flavor, with the liberal use of St. Louis-style barbecue sauce and returning the sauced and re-sauced ribs to the grill repeatedly for caramelizing.
[edit] Pork steak
Another staple of St. Louis-style barbecue is pork steak, which is typically cut from the shoulder part of the hog (Boston butt) and is a fairly fatty cut of meat unless trimmed. The roast is sliced into one-inch thick steaks, rimmed with fat. There are two distinctive versions of St. Louis-style pork steak.[2]
[edit] Simmering in sauce
One St. Louis style of preparation involves slow open grilling until done, then simmering in a pan of barbecue sauce that is placed on the grill, sometimes cooked with horseradish or other piquant flavorings. Beer is often used to keep the sauce from thickening too much, and the meat will become extremely tender if properly cooked in this manner. This manner of preparation is especially popular in south St. Louis.
[edit] Slow-cooking and caramelizing
Another time-honored method is to quickly sear the steaks over high heat, then place on a covered grill or smoker and cook over low heat (170-200 degrees) for several hours. When the steaks are done, they are brushed with or dipped in St. Louis-style barbecue sauce and returned to the grill for caramelizing, turning often. This step may be repeated numerous times before serving. The low heat causes the protein in this usually tough cut of meat to break down [2], while the fat dissolves and is absorbed by the meat. The result is a surprisingly tender and tasty entrée that is the centerpiece (along with a good St. Louis beer) of many a backyard party in suburban St. Louis.[2]
[edit] Crispy snoots
"Crispy snoots" are yet another St. Louis barbecue offering. This refers to barbecued pig cheeks and nostrils, which are a fat-rich cut of pork. These are usually cooked over an open grill until crisp, then served with barbecue sauce for dipping.[3]
[edit] Bratwurst and Salsiccia
A spicy bratwurst or salsiccia sausage is the pride of any St. Louis grill. "Brats" (pronounced locally, "brots") or salsiccia are purchased uncooked from one of the many local meat markets and butcher shops, marinated in beer, then grilled, covered in sauce and carmelized. Many St. Louis grillers keep a pan of saurkraut on the back of the grill to serve with the sausage.
[edit] St. Louis-Style sauce
St. Louis-style barbecue sauce is generally tomato-based, thinned slightly with vinegar, sweet and spicy. It is not as sweet and thick as Kansas City-style barbecue sauce, nor as spicy-hot and thin as Texas-style. A St. Louis-style barbecue is not complete without copious amounts of sauce. Commonly, St. Louisans use beer as a marinade for pork and pork-based sausages such as salsiccia and bratwurst.
Maull's barbecue sauce is a typical and popular local brand of St. Louis-style barbecue sauce. Another popular brand, Ott's, is also made in Missouri. The original version from the late 1940s is currently branded "Silver Dollar City" barbecue sauce. Both Maull's and Ott's are available in several varieties.
[edit]
A typical menu at a St. Louis-style barbecue includes slow-cooked barbecue-flavored baked beans, corn on the cob (prepared by wrapping the ears in foil and cooking over the grill), coleslaw (St. Louisans are divided over 'creamy' and 'vinegar' slaw), and often, a dessert item prepared on the grill. One such offering is fresh pineapple, sliced and dipped in a coconut-rum and brown sugar sauce, grilled until caramelized, then served over hand-cranked ice cream...the latter being a St. Louis staple for over a hundred years. Often, the ice cream component will appear in the form of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, a St. Louis tradition since 1930.
[edit] St. Louis-style barbecue restaurants
When not practicing the art and science in their own backyards, St. Louisans like Super Smokers, which is well-known for pulled pork sandwiches, and Charlotte's Rib, named for a local TV personality, and serving, as the name implies, ribs. Bandana's Restaurants, especially popular for weekday lunches, are headquartered in St. Louis and are successfully franchised in five states. Phil's Barbecue on the south side, and Roper's Ribs in north St. Louis County, serve classic St. Louis-style barbecue.[4]
There are many neighborhood barbecue establishments throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, each holding a loyal clientèle.
On any weekend (weather permitting), charitable organizations in many St. Louis neighborhoods host barbecue fundraising events. The aroma of smoke always attracts a crowd.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://law.wustl.edu/stlouis/trulystl.asp
- ^ a b c The Cruising Chef's Cookbook, Michael Greenwald, 2004, Paradise Cay Publications
- ^ http://chitterlings.com/cgi-bin/chit_index.cgi?noframes%3Bread=51159
- ^ http://www.stlbbq.com/restaraunts.htm
