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Spotlight on Kansas City Style BBQ

A close up of some meat on paper


Firing up the grill is an American tradition, with many various roots and modern-day iterations. From whole pig smoking in New England to Santa Maria style on the west coast, the only thing cooks across the nation agree about is that they are the ones doing it right. And there are countless contests, fairs, and competitions year-round to let the food speak for itself.

 

One of the most celebrated BBQ styles is that of Kansas City. This is the Kansas City of Missouri, and it is located in a swath of land known as the “Barbecue Belt†of America. This “belt†includes the Carolinas, Texas, Memphis, and Kansas City.

 

As far as the history goes, Kansas City style originated out of the Memphis tradition. Apparently, it was the easy availability of molasses by the Mississippi River that gave Memphis its characteristic sweet flavor. Kansas City style cooking was born when a man named Henry Perry traded his food cart in for the city’s first barbecue restaurant. Being from Memphis, he kept the sweet flavors of his hometown’s sauces. The real innovation he offered was in the choice of meats he chose to serve. Instead of the eastern tradition of pork dishes or the more Texas-centric selection of beef, Perry combined both styles and offered diverse cuts and kinds of meats at his eatery.

 

Nowadays, the style is still defined by its sauces. The sauce style is based on a combination of tomatoes, molasses, and spices. The other key is the technique which entails a low and slow style of cooking over woodsmoke, such as hickory. Now, of course, Kansas City is also known for its ribs. But there is also a dish known as “burnt ends†which is particularly celebrated as a Kansas City staple. Basically, the fatty “ends†of a brisket, a large cut of beef, are cooked twice. With the sweet sauce, the ends become hardened and almost caramelized, creating a unique taste.

 

You can recreate the flavors of the region with a barbecue or a smoker. In a barbecue, the trick is to load up one side with fuel. You can use flavored briquettes of charcoal, but choosing a hardwood would be more authentic. Think about hickory, maple, or cherry wood for a deep smokey taste. Using wood is easier in a smoker, which is designed to safely ignite and burn the wood at a low temperature, about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, for several hours. The cooking time differs for each protein choice.

 

Basically, the sweet sauce and smoky style of Kansas City barbecue would be a great addition to any party or meal. You are going to want to have a whole day for preparation and, with all that work, a big group of good friends to eat with you. And, while people work for decades to perfect their cooking techniques, you have to start somewhere. Get yourself set up with a good sauce, some woodsy fuel, and a great cut of pork or beef. You may find that you want to put in the work to perfect the cuisine of the great Kansas City.

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