BBQ On The Brain

Get into the only rib sauce recipe we’re using from now on. [Today On The Spruce]( [The Spruce Daily]( [Today On The Spruce]( [Today On The Spruce] [Rib Sauce]( [This Is The Only Rib Sauce We’re Using From Now On]( [READ MORE]( [Kristin Stangl, Editor]( This week, I traded New York City for Kansas City as my remote work location. I’ve been eating my way through [pounds of smoked meats]( and washing it all down with [plenty of crisp iced tea](. I’m confident I will be getting plenty of strongly-worded emails about what region of the country really has the best BBQ; but rather than pick a favorite meat-child, I prefer to adore them all. Kansas City, labeled by some as the “BBQ Capital of the World,” is a midwest city that serves plates stacked high with brisket [burnt ends]( (aka little meat nuggets that are tender on the inside and crisp from the smoker on the outside). It’s proof positive that no-waste cooking often yields very tasty results. You’ll find burnt ends also bobbing among the [baked beans]( in these parts, and I’m not mad about that one bit. Of course, there are pork ribs and tender brisket slices to be had as well, dusted in [dry rub]( and served up with [sticky]( and tangy-sweet [sauces]( on the side. While I’ve never met a meat I didn’t like, I feel no BBQ meal is complete without [brisket](, and [Texas BBQ]( agrees by paying honor to this humble cut of beef. Often [smoked over hickory]( and served unadorned (sauce can be [served on the side](, if you absolutely must), this melt-in-your-mouth phenomenon is an example of the beautiful alchemy of open-fire cooking. I’m heading to the Carolinas next week, where I’ll be dousing my smoked, pulled pork in [tangy vinegar based sauces]( while in North Carolina, and leaning into the [golden mustard sauce]( that sets South Carolina apart. This Northern gal, who made Nashville, Tennessee home for over a decade feels a certain comfort when tucking in to a plate of Memphis BBQ. Their smokey, [dry-rubbed pork ribs]( come out fall-off-the-bone tender and benefit from their [vinegar-based mop sauces](. Alabama smoke pits are chock full of fork-tender pork shoulder. Don’t miss their [tangy, creamy-white sauce](, which is unlike any BBQ sauce in the rest of the country. Chicago makes the [BBQ map](, thanks to an influx of Mississippi Delta natives to the Southside. I’m lucky to be diving deep into BBQ on these final days of summer., I hope you’ll join me, even if it’s [from your own backyard](. [Today On The Spruce](#) What to Make This Week [Kansas City Ribs]( [Kansas City Ribs]( Sweet and sticky pork ribs with a bit of spice and just the right amount of smoke. [Discover]( [Smoked Mini-Brisket]( Learn how to cook one of the most flavorful cuts of meat to perfection. [Discover]( [Kansas City Baked Beans]( [Kansas City Baked Beans]( This version of baked beans gets all its flavor from brisket burnt ends. [Discover]( [How to Make Better Iced Tea]( All of the simple things that take your homemade iced tea from good to great. [Discover]( [Today On The Spruce](#) The Spruce Eats on YouTube [5 3-Ingredient Cocktails You Want to Get to Know]( [5 3-Ingredient Cocktails You Want to Get to Know]( [Watch & Learn]( [Today On The Spruce]( [Spruce Eats Banner]( [Today On The Spruce](#) Did somebody forward you this email? [Sign Up for The Spruce Eats Newsletter!]( Have feedback? Send us an email at contact@thespruceeats.com, subject line: Newsletter Feedback. [The Spruce]( [The Spruce]( Follow us: You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to The Spruce Eats newsletter. [Unsubscribe](page=spruceeatsprefnew) © 2021 Dotdash.com — All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy.]( A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005