The South’s Best Butts #TBT

This post was originally posted last year:

Since this month is Barbecue Month, this seemed like a timely post. This is an article from The Art of Manliness: 

Podcast #298: The History of BBQ and Becoming a Backyard Pitmaster

Southern BBQ is a uniquely American food and depending on which part of the South you’re in, you’re going to get a different answer as to what “true” Southern BBQ is. Despite the differences, one thing that unites Southern BBQ is its unabashed love for the humble pork butt. My guest on the show took a tour of the South to find BBQ joints that were taking this traditional choice of meat and doing new things with it, while sticking to the roots of Southern ‘que. His name is Matt Moore, he’s our food contributor here at AoM, and his latest book is The South’s Best Butts: Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection. 

Today on the show Matt details the history of BBQ and why pork is a staple in the Southern variety. He then explains what exactly a pork butt is (and no, it’s not the rear of a pig), and why it’s such an ideal meat for smoking. Matt then shares how and why BBQ flavors and techniques differ across the South and highlights a few pitmasters who are adding new takes to this traditional dish. We end our conversation by going through the step-by-step process of smoking the perfect pork butt.

Your mouth is going to be watering after you hear this show.

Show Highlights

• The inspiration for Matt’s search to find the perfect pork butt
• The history of BBQ
• Regional BBQ differences across the south
• Why is the pig the primary meat found in BBQ?
• The secret formula to cooking great BBQ
• What is the pork butt?
• The versatility of the pork butt, and various ways to prepare it
• How to buy a perfect cut of meat at the store
• Dry rub vs. sauce
• Traditional smoking vs charcoal vs gas and wood chips
• The “Texas crutch” method
• Matt’s preferred method of serving up pork butt
• The ideal side dishes for a BBQ dinner
• Secrets for cooking finicky beef brisket

Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast

• Skip Steele and Bogart’s Smokehouse in St. Louis
• Heirloom BBQ in Atlanta
• B-Daddy’s BBQ in San Antonio
• AoM’s Smoking videos
• AoM’s Grilling Week videos
• Matt’s articles for AoM

The South’s Best Butts is part cookbook, part travelogue. Matt does a great job telling the stories behind some of the South’s best BBQ while simultaneously providing killer recipes so you can smoke the perfect pork butt. This is a great addition to your cookbook collection.

Connect With Matt Moore

Matt’s website
Matt on Instagram

Interesting days

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