Last week while driving down an empty road in Midlothian, just south of Chicago city proper, I spotted a knotty pine wood cabin and a sign featured a dancing pig that said “Hog Wild." As soon as I saw that sign, I squealed my tires and headed to the parking lot. Though I haven’t quite affixed the bumper sticker yet, I always brake for smoke. More

Photographs take by Elise Bauer You don't need a fancy smoker to make great barbecue in your backyard. With the help of Hank Shaw at Simply Recipes, you can learn how to turn your kettle grill into a smoker. Just add water (in pans) along with a mix of charcoal and water-soaked wood chips beneath the grate. The meat should only lay on the side of the grate above the water pans. You'll have to periodically check the coals and pay close attention to the temperature to make sure it's low enough for a long, slow cook, but judging from these mouthwatering photos, the results will be worth it. Related How To Build a Cheap-Ass Grill for Under $10... More

Nothing says 4th of July like a smoky cookout. Unfortunately for city dwellers here in Chicago, outdoor space for monster barbecue gatherings comes at a premium. Likewise, because the Fourth is a major national holiday, hopping over to your local barbecue shack isn’t really a viable alternative, as most of them would be closed. Thankfully, we’ve got no shortage of restaurant-owning Chinese immigrants here in Chicago who happen to be fond of ignoring major American holidays and keeping their places open. There are a lot of options to check out, but after lighting a few hundred sparklers and popping off a brick or two of Black Cat fireworks, my personal 4th of July Chinese barbecue spot of choice in... More

A Texas native, Washington Post Food editor Joe Yonan told me that Llano is the home of real 'cue. As the backseat navigator on our road trip, I admittedly pointed us down a roundabout path instead of the more direct I-10W highway, to conveniently wind up in Llano at lunchtime. Cooper's Old-Time Pit Bar-B-Que is the town's landmark barbecue joint where an outdoor oak grill—the length of an SUV—slow-cooks pork chops, sausage, whole chickens, beef ribs, whole chicken, and of course, brisket. The closest thing I'd ever seen to a cowboy was in front of me in line, pointing to a rack of ribs, which a Cooper's grillmaster then sawed up and plopped onto a red plastic cafeteria-like tray.... More

En route to Montgomery, Alabama, Chuck's Bar B Que, sits off the highway in the nearby town of Opelika. On Saturday, the joint's CHIPPED sandwich is buy-one, get-one free. But only 22¢ more, the CHOPPED sandwich wasn't part of the promo. The difference? Besides a vowel? The cashier, sporting an Auburn University hat one Saturday a few weeks ago, had clearly never been asked this before. People just knew here. She acted like she was explaining a foreign language. More

Southern Foodways appears on Fridays as part of our collaboration with the Southern Foodways Alliance, an organization based in Oxford, Mississippi, that "documents and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the American South." Dig in! Photograph of Ed Mitchell by Amy Evans. If you're in the vicinity of Madison Square Park in New York City this weekend, June 7-8, your nose (and stomach) will likely lead you to the 6th Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party. Follow that lead! And to wet your appetite, the SFA offers a BABBP insider's pass. If the history of this event tells us anything it's that the lines for Ed Mitchell's Whole Hog North Carolina BBQ will be long. Where Mr. Mitchell is concerned,... More

I was thinking of posting a vegetable-laden sandwich chaser to follow yesterday's Festival of Barbecued Meat (also known as "Memorial Day"), but right now I just really wish I could go back in time and relive the magic that was pork, pork, and more pork. The more exciting part of my Memorial Day was spent gorging on a seemingly endless supply of tender ribs and pulled pork made by the skilled culinary hands of Michelle and Brian. If only every day could feature pans piled high with pork. If only. Related Menu: Memorial Day Grillfest Grilling Smackdown: Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes... More

Photograph from Fellowship of the Rich on Flickr Since my "real" job (whatever that means) is in the "music industry" (radio is still part of the music industry, right?), I've always dreamed of going to the SXSW music festival. I've heard great things about Austin, Texas, and my friends and co-workers always have amazing stories of great shows that I am bound to love that take place in a really cool town. But this year, I discovered a new aspect of SXSW that makes me feel jealous about not getting to go: all the serious sandwiches. Thanks to blogs, Flickr, and most important, the invention of the iPhone, the SXSW food porn has been pouring in since last week—and I... More

San Franciscans, get Funk N Chunk to cater your next backyard barbecue and not only will you have bourbon coffee pulled pork, stuffed Niman Ranch steaks, fresh local oysters, corn-on-the-cob, and more to stuff your belly with, but also an endless stream of hip-hop funk from live DJs to help ease the digestion. A funk-less barbecue would just be wrong. [via SFoodie]... More

The trio of SXSW Festivals and Conferences (Music, Film, and Interactive), best described as Spring Break for geeks, kicks off this weekend in Austin, Texas. Maybe you've already decided which panels, screenings, shows, and parties you'll be attending—or not. That's OK, there are more pressing concerns like, where are you going to eat? More