Looking to experience barbecue as close to its 19th century roots as possible? In a Houston Press piece, Robb Walsh has the perfect insight on where to look.
For the past few years, I have been crisscrossing the Old South documenting Southern barbecue culture. When I set out, I expected to trace American barbecue back to its roots in rural Southern restaurants. But in my research, I found the ancient artisanal culinary culture I was searching for has been much better preserved in community barbecues.Walsh visits a fundraiser for a German singing society and a community barbecue hosted by the Sons of Hermann Lodge. My favorite part is where the old timer scoffs at the new fangled metal "baskets" used to hold the cooking meat, preferring instead the old-school seven foot metal rods. Classic stuff.
