Is Georgia Barbecue Steamed?
In a seemingly innocuous new New York City barbecue restaurant round-up in the New York Times, Georgia's Eastside BBQ owner Alan Natkiel claims that "in Georgia, succulent barbecue is made by steaming the meat."
What? Steamed pork finished on a grill (Natkiel's cooking method) may be "tender and lush," according to Florence Fabricant, and it might even be delicious, but it is not barbecue. And his claim that Georgia barbecue is traditionally steamed is dubious at best and probably downright blasphemous.
In John T. Edge's wonderful new edition of Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South, (which will soon be featured on Serious Eats), he writes lovingly about no less than five barbecue joints (including one in his hometown of Clinton), and not one of them uses Natkiel's cooking method. And Edge, as a Georgia native who attended the University of Georgia, knows his way around Georgia food like nobody else.
So if you find yourself in the Peach State anytime soon, have some real 'cue at the following places mentioned in Southern Belly:
Harold's Barbecue: 171 McDonough Boulevard SE, Atlanta GA 30315; 404-627-9268
Old Clinton Bar-B-Q: Highway 129, Clinton GA; 478-986-3225
Fresh Air: 1164 Highway 42, Flovilla GA 30216; 770-775-3182
Walls Bar-B-Que: 515 East York Lane, Savannah GA 31401; 912-232-9754
Vandy's: 22 West Vine Street, Statesboro GA 30458; 912-764-2444
And call Alan Natkiel at 212-253-6280 and tell him to steam some crabs and not the 'cue.
I have to go now. Like a sheep, I've been led by Marian Burros' piece in the Times to the Whole Foods near our offices to see how long the line is to buy the $15 canvas "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" bag by Anya Hindmarch.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
4 Comments:
Having lived in Georgia all my life, I say, emphatically, NO. I've eaten and cooked my share of barbacue, all of it cooked low and slow over hot coals. I don't know where Mr. Natkiel had steamed BBQ. All I could do when I read that piece in the Times this morning was shake my head and sigh.
himynameischuck at 12:05PM on 07/18/07
Try the Ga. Pig in Brunswick! I gay-ron-tee there's no steam involved!
1stmakearoux at 3:40PM on 07/18/07
There isnt such a thing as steamed bbq.I think it is something he came up with for some unknown reason or read it in Good Housekeeping magazine
where they have a plethora of such "tips" to make your ribs tender when
you grill in the backyard.
I am sure he will be wiped off the map shortly........
chameleonz at 6:05PM on 07/18/07
I didn't live in Georgia long but I know that the good BBQ is definitely not a result of it being steamed. Slow cooked does not = steaming.
A favorite BBQ restaurant of mine is Country's BBQ in Columbus GA.
astromei at 10:55PM on 07/18/07