Some may wanna die young, man

Like most other families of the era, meat was a centerpiece at nearly meal when I was growing up. In fact, mealtime was so predictable that we often knew what we were having based on what day it was. Monday and Tuesday were pork chops or meatloaf, Wednesday was spaghetti with meat sauce (we never had “pasta”) and Friday was often fish, which was a nod (and a delicious one at that due to a great local take out place) to our Catholic neighbors and community. Saturday lunch was pancakes and sausage patties.

My grandparents had meat at every meal that I can remember; my dad’s parents, who farmed, would at times kill a chicken for our Sunday dinner. My family were also hunters, so we had game regularly as well: deer, squirrel, rabbits and pheasant.
There was meat, and lots of it. And I loved it. Sort of like The Killer.

That said, we don’t have much meat at our house these days (and certainly no wild game…). And given the disease that runs in my family, probably at least partly related to meat consumption, I would say that’s most likely a good thing.

But if I could eat barbecue every day, I mean real, slow-cooked pit barbecue, I would be tempted to do so.

Or at least until I think about the fact that I want to see my kids grow up.

Purists argue, vinegar or tomato-based, pork, brisket or sausage. I don’t care. It’s all good; well, not all of it, that depends on who is cooking it.

But of particular note is The Ridgewood, an unassuming, hard-to find, joint hidden in the woods of East Tennessee. This place is hard to find, even with a map. The pulled pork is indescribably tender, redolent with wood smoke and accompanied with a dark red sauce that dances on your tongue. And while the pork is out of this world, the beans, fries and slaw are also excellent and worthy of sharing the same plate with the barbecue. Of special note are the beans: cooked in fatback, they are tantalizing and as smoky as the pork.

I can feel my arteries hardening as I write this.

But If I had the choice of one meal, anywhere in the world, The Ridgewood would be on my short list. It is almost perfect.

Others of note:

Louie Mueller’s (Taylor, TX)
Kreuz’s (Lockhart, TX)
Wilber’s (Goldsboro, NC)
Fresh Air (Jackson, GA)
Lexington #1 (Lexington, NC)
Parkers (Wilson, NC)
Skylight Inn (Ayden, NC)
Allen and Son (Chapel Hill, NC)
Southside Market and BBQ (Elgin, TX)
Maurice’s Piggy Park (Columbia, SC)
Dreamland (Birmingham, AL)

…to name but a few.

Bottom line, if you going to eat meat, make every bite count.

Strictly 100 - Number 10: Barbecue