Are You a Reverse, Down-Home Food Snob?
Are you a reverse, down-home food snob? Do you refuse to eat at McDonald's on general principle? Is Pizza Hut never an option for you? It used to be that food snobbery was defined by a person's love of caviar, foie gras, and white truffles. But nowadays many people (like me, I have to admit) have tried to articulate a set of standards for foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, barbecue, and fried chicken.
We've tried to say it's OK, even desirable, to be discerning about iconic American foods that old-fashioned food snobs used to dismiss out of hand. If having standards and being discerning about hot dogs and hamburgers makes me a reverse food snob, I guess I'm OK with that. To find out if you're also a reverse food snob look below and see how many of these statements you agree with. If you agree with most of them, you can join me in the Serious Eater's Reverse Food Snob Club.
Barbecue:
A.) is always a noun
B.) is something you get invited to in a friend's backyard
C.) cannot contain liquid smoke
Fried Chicken:
A.) must always be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet
B.) can just as good made in a fryolator
C.) is the most delicious way to cook chicken
D.) is the best fast food on the planet
Hamburgers:
A.) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare
B.) need to be served on a potato roll to be considered great
C.) do not need cheese
D.) need to be at least 15 percent fat to be considered great
Hot dogs:
A.) need to have a natural casing to be considered great
B.) should be all-beef
C.) are best eaten grilled or griddled
D.) taste best deep-fried
E.) are best eaten standing up
Pizza:
A.) is the world's most perfect food
B.) must be made in a coal or wood-burning oven
C.) should never have pineapple on it
D.) must have discrete areas of sauce and cheese
E.) all of the above
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19 Comments:
Barbecue:
A) is always a noun -- Yes
B) is something you get invited to in a friend's backyard -- Maybe
C) cannot contain liquid smoke -- Yes
Fried Chicken:
A) must always be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet -- No
B) can just as good made in a fryolator -- Yes
C) is the most delicious way to cook chicken -- Obviously
D) is the best fast food on the planet -- No (burgers)
Hamburgers:
A) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare -- If homemade or from a serious restaurant, yes. If fast food (e.g., Five Guys), no.
B) need to be served on a potato roll to be considered great -- No.
C) do not need cheese -- Yes.
D) need to be at least 15% fat to be considered great -- Yes.
Hot dogs:
A) need to have a natural casing to be considered great -- Yes.
B) should be all-beef -- Should? Yes. Must? No.
C) are best eaten grilled or griddled -- Yes.
D) taste best deep-fried -- No.
E) are best eaten standing up -- No opinion.
Pizza:
A) is the world's most perfect food -- Tie with cheeseburgers.
B) must be made in a coal or wood-burning oven -- Yes.
C) should never have pineapple on it -- No.
D) must have discrete areas of sauce and cheese -- A plus, but not a requirement.
E) all of the above -- No.
rps at 9:21AM on 12/03/07
Sign me up for the reverse food snob club! Do we get grease-stained membership cards?
I've never had a deep-fried hot dog, though. I think my food education is lacking.
janjan at 9:38AM on 12/03/07
Not only should there be the grease-stained membership card mentioned by janjan, but it should be in encased between two pieces of plastic with black edging sewn around the edge.
What about the fried chicken coating? I'm thinking it should always contain corn meal, with buttermilk being acceptable addition.
LunaPierCook at 9:47AM on 12/03/07
I'd really like to take this online quiz to determine what I am.
But my problem is that although I may be a reverse food snob I do not want to be in the position of having to be a reverse "anything". I want to be something proud and virginal, strong in essence and action all of its own self rather than being something reactive.
If only the name of the thing could be snobbishly changed to something that includes snooty French and Latin terms like "Voce del Terroir" as of course, we are talking about the foods of our cultural terroir here in the USA and giving it voice, independent and assured. Then I could dive right in here without hesitation, sure that I was doing the right thing.
For as Michael Wex says in his book "Born to Kvetch" after quoting the poem about roses:
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet . . .
[ . . . ]
"Call the rose a pile of crap and the flower turns into something else."
Quibbling and considering,
Karen
Karen Resta at 10:18AM on 12/03/07
Barbecue:
A) is always a noun
This has only become a noun to some people and somewhat recently, but the original meaning, which is french meaning "from the beard to the tail", is a descriptive term. So it's use as an adjective is permissible, such as texas barbecue brisket. Maybe my grammar is wrong, but thats an adjective isnt it?
B) is something you get invited to in a friend's backyard
No, you get invited to grill stuff, or to eat barbecued (
C) cannot contain liquid smoke
AGREED
Fried Chicken:
A) must always be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet
No because of what follows:
B) can just as good made in a fryolator
YES, and is often better this way unless you have a great-granny from the south who can show you how to really master A
C) is the most delicious way to cook chicken
This might very well be true
D) is the best fast food on the planet
Good fried chicken is not made fast, so no.
Hamburgers:
A) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare
TRUE
B) need to be served on a potato roll to be considered great
The bun is indeed a tricky component. The main even is the meat. I hate it when a bun takes too much of the limelight. It is very much appreciated when it is made by human hands and not made in a factory. Toasted with a little butter on it is key. Brioche is nice, so long as it's very soft and has the proper thickness in relation to the size of the patty. Whatever bun you choose, it shouldnt be too thick so as to leave you with more bread in a bite than meat, or any bread leftover after the meat is gone, and certainly never so thin or flimsy that it disintegrates while you're eating it, no matter how juicy the meat is (and it better be juicy).
C) do not need cheese
only if the meat is EXCEPTIONAL
D) need to be at least 15% fat to be considered great
AGREED
Hot dogs:
A) need to have a natural casing to be considered great
If there is any part of a hot dog that is not natural, I wont even look at them
B) should be all-beef
I have nothing against pork
C) are best eaten grilled or griddled
They are very good this way but I also like them boiled or steamed
D) taste best deep-fried
I have never tried this
E) are best eaten standing up
Or laying down
Pizza:
A) is the world's most perfect food
I dont have these kinds of absolutes in my life, but it is definitely up there
B) must be made in a coal or wood-burning oven
NO, I'm a REAL NEW YORKER, therefore I recognize the greatness of the gas burning BARI PIZZA OVENS
C) should never have pineapple on it
NO F-ING PINEAPPLE EVER!!!!!!
Toppings in general are a bit taboo to me, but I have indulged, and always sparsely and within the realm of tradition: real black olives and roasted peppers (not the watery crap out of a can), italian sausage and ricotta, mushrooms and pepperoni, wilted spinach and garlic, egg and ham. I tend to go with toppings less in the US and more in Europe where that is really a great part of their pizza tradition. Gimme a plain slice with a little red pepper flake when I'm in the city.
D) must have discrete areas of sauce and cheese
I like a uniform distribution of both so long as it's well proportioned, and as a REAL NEW YORKER I prefer the use of shredded whole milk mozzarella to fior di latte or fresh buffalo mozzarella. That stuff is nice every once in a while, but not as satisfying. I eat my pizza folded in one hand unless I'm in Europe (and sometimes I do it there too if appropriate) and if you dont have cheese juices dripping off the slice and/or onto your hand, then thats a lame pizza you've got there buddy.
E) all of the above
Nope. I have higher standards than that...
So, am I in?
seyo at 10:41AM on 12/03/07
Mind, I'm Italian, living in Italy, so I'm obviously spoiled!
Barbecue:
A.) is always a noun - Yes
B.) is something you get invited to in a friend's backyard - Yes, or garden...
C.) cannot contain liquid smoke - Absolutely!
Fried Chicken:
A.) must always be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet - that depends
B.) can just as good made in a fryolator - why not?
C.) is the most delicious way to cook chicken - well, not really... It's a way...
D.) is the best fast food on the planet - can be
Hamburgers:
A.) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare - Absolutely
B.) need to be served on a potato roll to be considered great - or a bun of other kind (I sometime have then with normal bread and they are as good!)
C.) do not need cheese - it's not a must
D.) need to be at least 15 percent fat to be considered great - I dunno, I make mine myself, with minced beef and some salsiccia, so I suppose they even have more...
Hot dogs:
A.) need to have a natural casing to be considered great - at least in this way is better for my stomac...
B.) should be all-beef - well, at least all meat...
C.) are best eaten grilled or griddled - boiled are not bad, if done in a good way...
D.) taste best deep-fried - EVERYTHING taste better deep fried!
E.) are best eaten standing up - yep!
Pizza:
A.) is the world's most perfect food - with spaghetti, yes!
B.) must be made in a coal or wood-burning oven- OF COURSE!!!!
C.) should never have pineapple on it - NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!
D.) must have discrete areas of sauce and cheese - and a discreet area of crust, free of anything...
E.) all of the above - Of course!
I add a F to this one:
F.) must have ONLY REAL mozzarella on it (unless is 4 formaggi, which can have at most 4 cheeses! And none of them can be fake mozzarella or Gruviere!!!)
So, ok, I'm a Reverse food snob...
Oh my: I though I was just caring about what goes into my mouth and stomach and the best way to cook it, but apparently this make me a food snob...
Sorry, but pizza with emmenthal or gruviere is just French trash: I cannot stand it!!!!
Sara - Piperita at 10:47AM on 12/03/07
This is a great idea. I always thought that it was a bit silly to completely, snobbishly dismiss such great American classics - one really only needs to discard their foul, fast-food brethren.
jd7979 at 11:04AM on 12/03/07
I pretty much fell in line with all your answers, though I think I would choose good fast food fried chicken over a good fast food burger.
dadekian at 11:24AM on 12/03/07
My wife and I are "reverse snobs" but try not to be a jerks about it. Our friends know that we don't/won't eat at a lot of places because it doesn't fit our quality/taste/artistry standards. That said they won't eat at a lot of places that we dig because the name doesn't rhyme with "Applebees" .
That said:
Barbecue:
A.) is always a noun (yes unless I am in the long process of actually barbecuing something then it is a verb)
B.) is something you get invited to in a friend's backyard (Nope, that's grilling)
C.) cannot contain liquid smoke (not a chance)
Fried Chicken:
A.) must always be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet (Not necessarily)
B.) can just as good made in a fryolator (This works too - it has more to do with the cook than the tool)
C.) is the most delicious way to cook chicken (No but it will bring you to tears if done right)
D.) is the best fast food on the planet (Considering the amount of time it can take to do good fried chicken if you do a marinade or long dry rub I can't consider it "fast food")
Hamburgers:
A.) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare (Yep ,just like a good steak)
B.) need to be served on a potato roll to be considered great (A good roll is important but it, like everything else that touches your patty, needs to support the meat rather than detract.)
C.) do not need cheese (Not need but a good piece of dairy can work wonders)
D.) need to be at least 15 percent fat to be considered great (That works for me)
Hot dogs:
A.) need to have a natural casing to be considered great (Natural casing tends to go with better dog ingredients - so yes)
B.) should be all-beef (See above)
C.) are best eaten grilled or griddled (No doubt)
D.) taste best deep-fried (Uh, no)
E.) are best eaten standing up ( ... and with a beer in the other hand)
Pizza:
A.) is the world's most perfect food (If not then it's certainly top 5)
B.) must be made in a coal or wood-burning oven (Yep)
C.) should never have pineapple on it (It can but then it becomes something that is not Italian but that's ok)
D.) must have discrete areas of sauce and cheese (That's the way I like it)
E.) all of the above
Bunnyman at 11:34AM on 12/03/07
OKAY. I THINK I QUALIFY FOR MEMBERSHIP. SEND ME MY GREASY CARD!
Barbecue:
A.) is always a noun - YES
B.) is something you in a friend's backyard - NO, THAT'S A COOKOUT
C.) cannot contain liquid smoke - AGREE
Fried Chicken:
A.) must be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet - NO, BUT REALLY GOOD THAT WAY!
B.) can just as good made in a fryolator - YES, OR A POT, OR WHATEVER
C.) most delicious way to cook chicken - DUH. IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION?
D.) is the best fast food on the planet - NO WAY. I CAN HAZ CHEEZBURGER?
Hamburgers:
A.) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare - MEDIUM-RARE TO MEDIUM.
B.) need to be on a potato roll to be great - SESAME SEEDS ARE ESSENTIAL.
C.) do not need cheese - OK IF THEY'RE REALLY GOOD. BUT WHY???
D.) need to be at least 15 percent fat to be considered great - GENERALLY
Hot dogs:
A.) need to have a natural casing to be considered great - ABSOLUTELY.
B.) should be all-beef - YES. YES. YES.
C.) are best eaten grilled or griddled - YES, BUT STEAMED WILL DO.
D.) taste best deep-fried - DON'T KNOW, BUT SOUNDS GOOD!!!
E.) are best eaten standing up - WHEN I'M IN THE MOOD, DON'T CARE.
Pizza:
A.) is the world's most perfect food - NO, BUT IT'S UP THERE.
B.) must be made in a coal or wood-burning oven - HARD TO FIND DECENT PIZZA IN SO-CALIF, SO A REALLY THIN, CRISP CRUST WILL HAVE TO DO.
C.) should never have pineapple on it - WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN FEDERALLY LEGISLATED ALREADY??? SOMEBODY SEND IN THE FOOD POLICE...
D.) must have discrete areas of sauce and cheese - AS LONG AS THEY'RE BOTH TOP QUALITY IN PROPER RATIO, DON'T CARE.
E.) all of the above - CLOSE, BUT NOT QUITE.
LoCo at 11:54AM on 12/03/07
No, no. I'm afraid I can not do it.
Because, you know . . . although I agree with many of your notes above I can not dismiss the "foul, fast food brethren". They too must be part of my world.
In the club I now feel it imperative to start (Voce del Terroir) (funny how I keep mis-typing that as "terror") we do not exclude fast food completely.
It is not that we like it but we know it exists. It is a part of our world and therefore is natural and worthy of some sort of love. It, too, is "special".
The Voce del Terroir will be an elitist group with a chauvinist mission, that of standing up for all the foods of the USA no matter whether we like them or not. In our hearts it could be that we prefer the better burgers, but so be it. Our motto is:
Sometimes we eat sh*t. Just because it's there.
Mostly I like the sound of our name. It lilts on the tongue, it sounds delectable. It is like a marketing ploy and marketing ploys are what our country is made of. (I think I just saw a $3 little jar of organic baby food that I must buy for someone, anyone, that is going to have a baby as a matter of fact! )
Regretfully (though I salute your fine thoughts towards betterment of all things),
Karen
The (sometimes) Fast Food Feminist
Karen Resta at 1:19PM on 12/03/07
Maybe it's a West Coast thing, but I'd add tacos - and my beloved taco trucks - to this list as well...
Barbecue:
A.) is always a noun [Unless it's four in the morning and you've fired up the smoker for that long, delicious day of poking, reading and stacking to begin]
B.) is something you get invited to in a friend's backyard [Grilling, unless it's their smoker you're firing up @ 4am]
C.) cannot contain liquid smoke [Sacrilege, not to mention nasty]
Fried Chicken:
A.) must always be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet [While beyond fabulous in the right hands, not a must - though this is the best chicken for a honey drizzle]
B.) can just as good made in a fryolator [My grandmother and the Korean chicken in town]
C.) is the most delicious way to cook chicken [Tough call; see barbeque]
D.) is the best fast food on the planet [Um, no. Pork always wins, no matter what]
Hamburgers:
A.) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare [Absolutely. Otherwise, the drippy-juice-gods will be angered and smite us with more McD's concoctions - remember the burger enhanced with wood fiber?]
B.) need to be served on a potato roll to be considered great [While potato rolls are yummy, it's not the kind of bread as much as it is the meat to bread ratio. And the bun should be lightly dipped in the meat juices and grilled]
C.) do not need cheese [There's the ratio thing again. This rule also applies to bacon]
D.) need to be at least 15 percent fat to be considered great [So sayeth the drippy-juice-gods]
Hot dogs:
A.) need to have a natural casing to be considered great [Snap!]
B.) should be all-beef [Pork, or a combination. There is truly nothing like pork fat]
C.) are best eaten grilled or griddled [Or off a stick, or from a cart in spring, or from the stands, watching Ichiro's butt. Anyway, except from those scary rolly cookers found in convenience stores]
D.) taste best deep-fried [Not necessarily best, but if lacking A., certainly a good option]
E.) are best eaten standing up [see C.]
Pizza:
A.) is the world's most perfect food [Right up there with burgers]
B.) must be made in a coal or wood-burning oven [Or over a fire on the beach]
C.) should never have pineapple on it [My personal rule: no fruit, no fish, no fowl. Clams are mollusks and are exempt from this rule. My other two food rules? Never eat anything that has a color not found in nature and never eat anything bigger than your head. All else is fair game.]
D.) must have discrete areas of sauce and cheese [Cheese yes, but sauce - while used sparingly - should be available for every Perfect Bite]
E.) all of the above [see A]
sallyforth at 2:32PM on 12/03/07
Now that you are all SERFCs, let's move on.
Bagels
-can not be sweet
French fries
-are not scooped up in a portion control device and placed on your tray
These are the other argument inducing foods.
Discuss
nickdanger at 2:34PM on 12/03/07
I used to be a "no mayo" Cuban sandwich snob but recently I had one with mayo that was so freaking good it ought to be illegal. And though I still believe a garlic-based sauce is the best thing to use with a Cuban sandwich, I will concede that if the bread is really fresh, and the meat is high quality, and there is a nice slice of really good swiss cheese and a pickle, you can use mayo.
redfish at 4:41PM on 12/03/07
I am appalled by the number of people who do not understand that chicken MUST be fried in a cast iron skillet. I bet they secretly eat pineapple on their pizza and have a bottle of liquid smoke in the cabinet.
NO_Pam at 7:58PM on 12/03/07
Barbecue:
A.) is always a noun
Fried Chicken:
A.) must always be pan-fried in a cast-iron skillet
Hamburgers:
A.) should only be eaten rare or medium-rare
Hot dogs:
C.) are best eaten grilled or griddled
Pizza:
C.) should never have pineapple on it
stumbler02 at 9:20PM on 12/03/07
Hey, most of the things on that list are exotic foreign foods here. If one ever sees them, it wouldn't pay to get picky. Pizza, on the other hand... well pizza. That's hard to find in proper form anywhere in the US.
Judith in Umbria at 3:45AM on 12/04/07
Yes, yes and yes to the opening questions. I think I'm a shoe-in for membership. By the way, I've always wondered . . . what is liquid smoke made of anyway?
www.swirlingnotions.com
swirlingnotions at 5:03PM on 12/04/07
Barbecue:
A.) is always a noun
B.) is something you get invited to in a friend's backyard
C.) cannot contain liquid smoke
Ok, so I know it's A.
But,
If someone is nice enough to invite me over to their backyard for food and a good time they can bloody well call it whatever they want with no reprisal from me. Does that make me a reverse reverse snob?
rockhopper at 5:16PM on 12/14/07