There seems to be no end to this debate; Memphis style, Southern style, North Carolina style, or South Carolina style. Even Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Florida have gotten into the game! We're talking here, of course about the vast array of pulled pork crockpot recipes that make these claims.
There is no agreement whatsoever on which region can claim which recipe. When I started comparing pulled pork crockpot recipes, I found many of the same ingredients and cooking methods claimed by a multitude of regions, states, and cities. If a dry rub is used in one recipe, I can find it used again in another recipe clear across the country, and again, claimed to be that region's style of sandwich. If there are a million barbecue sauce recipes, then there are a million pulled pork recipes. Let's narrow down a few ingredients or methods used to cook this sandwich and see if this puzzle can ever be solved.
Vinegar - Mixing this sour with a sweet of some sort is essential for any good barbecue sauce. However, several regions and states claim this ingredient as the quintessential ingredient that differentiates their pulled pork sandwich from any other.
Brown Sugar - In order to make a homemade barbecue sauce you need something sweet. Brown sugar is a good choice and is actually used in many recipes for both barbecue sauce and dry rubs. As a matter of fact, there are places that swear by using just brown sugar mixed with vinegar and a dash of cumin to season the pork. Some claim that this is strictly a South Carolina recipe, but I've heard folks claim that this simple recipe could only come from a place like Florida.
Dry Rub - This may be one of the oldest "new" seasoning techniques around. Memphis can lay claim to this in some of the recipes you'll read, but you'll find dry rubs firmly entrenched all over the South. Although dry rubs have been around for ages, the new focus may be on the availability of prepackaged rubs. The labels on the bottles are just as confusing, claiming to be "The Best Of..." one place or another and containing identical ingredients. It doesn't matter, really. To season pork with a dry rub you really need a standard list of ingredients which include paprika, cayenne, cumin, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Condiments - There are several standard condiments found on most every table serving pulled pork sandwiches. A bottle of barbecue sauce is a must. Then, some people like a little red hot sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper. I have yet to see a bottle of ketchup! That just seems wrong... and it probably is. Memphis holds the honor in most people's opinion of being the cole slaw condiment originator. If you get a "slap of slaw" on top, you're probably enjoying a real Memphis pulled pork sandwich.
Cooking Methods - It's not easy to pin down a cooking method. Grilling, smoking, roasting, or braising are not uncommon to any region. Of course, using your slow cooker isn't an ancient method to cook meat, so the origin of this method is obviously widespread. But smoky pits or slow roasting would have been the preferred method by many of our settlers around the countryside, and now their ancestors may still use those exact same methods. It's still hard to prove any method belongs to any particular region. Even though Memphis is famous for their smoky grilling pits, you'll find those same pits all around the south.
Is it time to dismiss the debate that was caused by looking through some pulled pork crockpot recipes? Probably. If you are a native son or daughter of South Carolina, or Florida, or Alabama, or anywhere in the South, and your PawPaw has been making the same recipe for pulled pork sandwiches since you can remember, then that recipe belongs to you and it is an original to your region. Don't let anything distract you from your mission. Claim your family's recipe as any good native would... stake your claim and make your recipe yours!
There is no agreement whatsoever on which region can claim which recipe. When I started comparing pulled pork crockpot recipes, I found many of the same ingredients and cooking methods claimed by a multitude of regions, states, and cities. If a dry rub is used in one recipe, I can find it used again in another recipe clear across the country, and again, claimed to be that region's style of sandwich. If there are a million barbecue sauce recipes, then there are a million pulled pork recipes. Let's narrow down a few ingredients or methods used to cook this sandwich and see if this puzzle can ever be solved.
Vinegar - Mixing this sour with a sweet of some sort is essential for any good barbecue sauce. However, several regions and states claim this ingredient as the quintessential ingredient that differentiates their pulled pork sandwich from any other.
Brown Sugar - In order to make a homemade barbecue sauce you need something sweet. Brown sugar is a good choice and is actually used in many recipes for both barbecue sauce and dry rubs. As a matter of fact, there are places that swear by using just brown sugar mixed with vinegar and a dash of cumin to season the pork. Some claim that this is strictly a South Carolina recipe, but I've heard folks claim that this simple recipe could only come from a place like Florida.
Dry Rub - This may be one of the oldest "new" seasoning techniques around. Memphis can lay claim to this in some of the recipes you'll read, but you'll find dry rubs firmly entrenched all over the South. Although dry rubs have been around for ages, the new focus may be on the availability of prepackaged rubs. The labels on the bottles are just as confusing, claiming to be "The Best Of..." one place or another and containing identical ingredients. It doesn't matter, really. To season pork with a dry rub you really need a standard list of ingredients which include paprika, cayenne, cumin, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Condiments - There are several standard condiments found on most every table serving pulled pork sandwiches. A bottle of barbecue sauce is a must. Then, some people like a little red hot sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper. I have yet to see a bottle of ketchup! That just seems wrong... and it probably is. Memphis holds the honor in most people's opinion of being the cole slaw condiment originator. If you get a "slap of slaw" on top, you're probably enjoying a real Memphis pulled pork sandwich.
Cooking Methods - It's not easy to pin down a cooking method. Grilling, smoking, roasting, or braising are not uncommon to any region. Of course, using your slow cooker isn't an ancient method to cook meat, so the origin of this method is obviously widespread. But smoky pits or slow roasting would have been the preferred method by many of our settlers around the countryside, and now their ancestors may still use those exact same methods. It's still hard to prove any method belongs to any particular region. Even though Memphis is famous for their smoky grilling pits, you'll find those same pits all around the south.
Is it time to dismiss the debate that was caused by looking through some pulled pork crockpot recipes? Probably. If you are a native son or daughter of South Carolina, or Florida, or Alabama, or anywhere in the South, and your PawPaw has been making the same recipe for pulled pork sandwiches since you can remember, then that recipe belongs to you and it is an original to your region. Don't let anything distract you from your mission. Claim your family's recipe as any good native would... stake your claim and make your recipe yours!
About the Author:
Try your hand at some new slow cooker pulled pork recipes to turn your routine meals into something spectacular and delicious. Get your family hooked on slowcooker cooking with tasty treats for your family.
No comments:
Post a Comment