By Claudia Kwan
FoodConnect Vancouver
claudia@foodconnect.com

A small but dedicated cadre of devotees across Canada is constantly experimenting with the alchemy of different woods, seasoning elements, and techniques to produce the perfect platter of Southern-style smoked barbeque. They need nary an excuse at all to embark on very long, very detailed conversations about the finest nuances of the art, and somehow they magically find each other in any social situation. They’re like wind-up dolls really; pull a string and they’ll go on for hours. It’s kind of fun to see grown men and women light up like little children when the subject comes up.

Rubbin’ may be racing, according to Robert Duvall’s character in Days of Thunder (a NASCAR buddy movie starring Tom Cruise when he was still cute), but it’s also the secret to great smoked barbeque. George Siu and Park Heffelfinger co-own four very successful outposts of this patience-required cuisine under the umbrella of Memphis Blues Barbeque House in Greater Vancouver and in the Interior of BC. After a ‘fat-finding’ mission to Tennessee years ago, they became full-on converts to ‘bah-be-que’, and have never looked back. Now they’re sharing some of the secrets that allowed them to become Meat Mecca in Vancouver, in a new cookbook.

Rule number one: “get yourself a good dry rub!” says Siu emphatically. In addition to flavour, it forms a protective crust on the meat that will keep juices in as you smoke it. The book contains quite a number of variations, but the basic ingredients include seasoned salt, brown sugar, pepper, paprika, oregano, chilies, and cayenne. “No boiling, no brining, no braising—a good dry rub is the easiest thing to make and you put it on almost everything and anything.”

Rule number two: direct heat is verboten! (George really does speak in exclamation points, by the way. He’s a very excitable guy when it comes to this subject.) “Do not throw it (the meat) on a flaming grill—this is smoking barbeque, not grilling barbeque. They’re two totally different things.”

Rule number three: cheap out. This kind of barbeque allows, and indeed calls for, inexpensive cuts of meat like pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), sideribs, and brisket. Make sure they have a good-sized fat cap on them to keep the meat moist, and to add flavour. Siu says the calorie conscious needn’t fret too much, since a lot of the fat renders through during the smoking process. But really, if you’re worried about calories you should surrender now--baked beans, cornbread, and fries are almost required to give your mouth a rest from slavering over the amazing complex flavours smoking imparts to the meat.

Don’t smoke steaks or loin chops—it’ll cost you a fortune to feed the ravenous hordes who will sniff out the fragrant aromas rising out of your smoker, and the meat’s too lean to turn out well.

Rule number four: sharing is good and patience is an absolute must. “This (barbeque culture) is about bringing people together,” Siu says, “While you’re watching all that smoke and that slow cooking time, you have friends and family over, have a few drinks, and catch up on life. That’s what barbeque’s about.”

They love what they do, and love to share it, so in addition to the book, Siu says they’re happy to pass on tips at any of the restaurants. More and more Northerners are realizing there’s a lot they can learn from the Southern way of doing things.

If you don’t believe we Canucks can do the South true justice, I dare you to have a Memphis beef brisket sandwich the next time you head this way. You just may eat your words too.