School is in session. Let's do a quick refresher on regional BBQ. There are a few notable locations in the United States characterized by the kind of BBQ they serve:
1. Kansas City - sweet, tomato-based thick sauce. All kinds of meat.
2. Carolina - South Carolina has a mustard-based, tangy gold sauce, while North Carolina goes for aa vinegar-based, thin sauce. Pork.
3. Texas - beef brisket. No sauce.
And then there's Memphis-style BBQ, which is often characterized by pork - shoulders, butts, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches.
"Memphis style BBQ prepares ribs in two ways: wet and dry. Memphis-style pork shoulders are slow-smoked, pulled, and served with a thin, tangy sauce on the side. While it’s certainly sold on its own, pulled pork sandwiches are a staple of the Memphis BBQ style. Traditional Memphis style BBQ restaurants pile creamy coleslaw onto their pulled pork sandwiches."
Central BBQ is an award-winning BBQ joint in Memphis, which is known for its slow-smoked hickory & pecan wood, secret combo of dry spices and 24-hour all-day meat marinade.
"Our founders Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp met on the barbecue circuit in the mid-80s and after competing in Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and many other local and regional BBQ competitions, they made the leap from friends to business partners. The pit at the first Central BBQ on Central Avenue was fired up in 2002 and has been stoked ever since thanks to our wonderful customers.
Central BBQ’s local success in Memphis has sparked national interest over the years, Our restaurant and founders have appeared on several national TV shows including Pitmasters, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and BBQ with Bobby Flay, plus national publications such as USA Today, Garden & Gun, Southern Living and Men’s Health.
Over the years, Central BBQ has expanded far beyond Central Avenue. We have four locations in Memphis and recently opened our fifth restaurant and our first outside the Memphis city limits in Nashville’s Capitol View area."
I got in line early, and there were already folks there in front of me. I tried to maneuver my way into the shade because it was warm on this day.
Once it was my turn to place my order, I went with a pulled pork sammy, side of mac & cheese and potato salad AND a little banana pudding. Mmm-mmm.
This thick sandwich was full of pulled pieces of pork - no fatty bits. While fat adds flavor, I'd rather that be removed before gnawing on a hunk of gelatinous ick. None of that here - just smoky, delicious pork piled high between two pieces of bread.
I had to try every BBQ, and I am always going to lean toward the tangy mustard ones or the sweet tomato ones. It's no difference here.
The mac & cheese was delicious - a nice little browned topping with tons of ooey gooey cheese underneath.
The potato salad could have used a bit more tang for my preference, but cool and creamy is a nice complement to the smoky pulled pork.
And banana pudding is the absolute perfect end note for a BBQ meal. Sweet, southern and soul-soothing.
Grade: A
