Robert Moss dives back into BBQ history

Robert Moss Dives Back Into BBQ History

Charleston-based author Robert F. Moss began writing about food and culinary history after receiving his Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina. He surprisingly discovered that there was very little written on the history of barbecue, so he set out to write the book he wanted to read.

He researched and compiled hundreds of sources to document the story of barbecue, from its pre-colonial origins to the present day in his 2010 book Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. However, the world of barbecue has changed dramatically in the past decade since the publication of the book, so next week he is releasing a greatly expanded and revised version.

“The book had gone to press before [Aaron Franklin] had served his first brisket out of a trailer off the interstate in Austin,” Moss said. “At the time, I ended the first edition with as positive a spin as I could on it because barbecue had come back in a huge way since the 70s and 80s since it almost disappeared as a restaurant food. … However, [the barbecue restaurants that opened in the 2000s] didn’t have any distinctive regionalism. You were getting sameness. I consoled myself saying that barbecue has changed over time, but then Franklin came along and made that old Texas-style cool again. Not long after that, Texas took off and everyone wanted to be cooking brisket and beef ribs. Then there were other young guys that came along, and we’ve had a resurgence of wood-cooked barbecue. I didn’t see it coming in 2010.”

Barbecue historian Robert Moss has revised and expanded his classic book Barbecue: The History of an American Institution.

The new edition of the book includes stories of British colonials learning techniques from Native Americans in the 17th and 18th centuries, the establishment of barbecue as the primary food for public events in the 19th century, and how barbecue became a top American restaurant food in the 20th and 21st centuries. New additions include more information about the creation of Brunswick stew (including a recipe from 1870); the real origins of commercial barbecue stands; and new profiles of pioneering barbecue restaurateurs like A. M. Verner of Atlanta and John Mills, Memphis’s first famous rib cook.

Moss acknowledges more scholarship has taken place on the history of barbecue over the past few years, with Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly and J. C. Reid of the Houston Chronicle delving into the traditions found in Texas and authors such as Michael Twitty and Adrian Miller exploring the important role African Americans played in the development of the cuisine. Other books were published later that explored barbecue history as well such as Jim Auchmutey’s Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America and Craig Meek’s Memphis Barbecue: A Succulent History of Smoke, Sauce & Soul.

“In the new edition, I mention that there has been a flurry of books written about barbecue history,” Moss said. “I don’t think anything published after really ‘invalidated’ the story or that there was much that I got wrong. The story itself still holds but there is so much more detail than what we have now. [Daniel Vaughn and J.C. Reid], for example, have really fleshed out the stories of their regions and Texas barbecue.”

Robert Moss has spent many years writing about barbecue all over the country.

Moss finished his manuscript for the book early this year, and as such, there have been some major events that he didn’t get to include, such as the COVID-19 pandemic impact and racial justice protests. When asked about if there was anything specific he wishes he could have added about 2020 or anything else, he said there were a few things.

“One would be more historical information that I hadn’t been able to work in,” Moss said. “Two would be more COVID-related information. Another would be information about the history of ribs, pork steaks, and rib tips. Those are gaps that aren’t covered but I’ve written about those elsewhere in other outlets. COVID would also be challenging too because it isn’t done yet but there have been some classic joints that closed their doors.”

Barbecue: The History of an American Institution dives deep into the origins of barbecue in the United States.

We look forward to reading the new version of Barbecue: The History of an American Institution, which will be available Tuesday, October 6, 2020. You can purchase it here.

Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ) and Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet

—Despite opening in the middle of a pandemic, North Carolina’s Garren Kirkman of Jon G’s Barbecue has made the successful transition from food truck to brick and mortar restaurant.—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Our friends the Barbecue Bros talked with Garren and Kelly Kirkman, owners of Jon G’s Barbecue in Peachland, North Carolina about what it’s like to open a barbecue restaurant in the midst of a global pandemic. They opened their brick and mortar restaurant three months ago after operating for years as a food truck. The response to the restaurant’s opening has been overwhelmingly positive, with the Kirkmans saying they are “so honored to get to do this week to week in our own building.”
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Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn wrote about how Patrick and Erin Feges of Houston’s Feges BBQ deal with all of the animal fat they trim from briskets and render from whole hogs each day. Though initially, all that fat was burdensome for them to deal with, the couple went from throwing it all out to successfully rendering it down and packaging it for sale to local restaurants.
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Michael Ryan penned an opinion piece criticizing Jackson County Health Department’s closure of Harp Barbecue in Kansas City for the remainder of the year. The spot has been acclaimed as one of the city’s top barbecue spots over the last year. A county spokesperson said food permits have been suspended in order to “prevent mass gatherings of 100 people or more.”
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The Campaign for Real Barbecue, which identifies and honors barbecue restaurants that cook entirely with wood and charcoal, has extended its operations into Virginia and the D.C. metro area. The Campaign presents qualifying restaurants with certificates and decals that identify them as 100% wood-cookers and lists them on its website, TrueCue.org. The “Chief Smoke Detector” for the new branch is John Tanner, proprietor of John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog.

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo BBQ Cookoff and Festival has canceled its event, scheduled for January 2021. "We are disappointed to inform you that the 2021 San Antonio Shock Show and Rodeo BBQ Cookoff has been cancelled," the event organizers wrote on Facebook. "While we were planning and hoping to have the Cookoff, the health and safety of our teams, our committee, and all of the general public who attend the event has to be prioritized. We will be back bigger and better than ever in January 2022 to celebrate our 25th year!"
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ADDITIONAL READS

Adrian Miller (aka the Soul Food Scholar) wants you to get to know Fort Worth’s Smoke-A-Holics BBQ’s pitmaster and owner Derrick Walker.

The Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid recently wrote about the enduring popularity of the brisket doughnut.

After closing in February, the owners of Blue Moon BBQ in Hearne, Texas have decided to re-open after hearing from loyal customers.

The highly-anticipated opening of Oakland’s Horn Barbecue, which was slated to take place this past weekend, has once again been delayed.

Blake’s Grillery is cultivating a following for its smoked carnitas tacos and beef cheek quesabirria, according to Eater San Francisco.

Seely’s Mill is a new BBQ restaurant that has opened in the Beeman Hotel in Dallas.

Steve Spoon, Jr. talks about what led to the recent closure of Bill Spoon’s BBQ in Charlotte.

The Montgomery location of Dreamland BBQ is temporarily closing because of a slowdown in business due to the pandemic.

In a promising sign, supermarkets are selling meat for lower prices as supplies rebound and exports decline.

—Zagat explores the differences between the regional barbecue traditions in North Carolina.—

WATCH

The Cradle of 'Cue: Pigging Out in North Carolina — Zagat Documentaries

In North Carolina, barbecue isn't just a style of food, it's a popular topic for debate between locals and tourists alike. In this 2015 video, the editors of Zagat investigate and break down the regional battle for ultimate pork popularity in the Tarheel State. They visit joints that are famous for the whole hog tradition in the Eastern part of the state, such as Skylight Inn, as well as restaurants in Lexington, such as Lexington Barbecue Center. They also talk to Chris Prieto of Prime Barbecue, who draws from barbecue traditions outside of North Carolina. WATCH HERE
 

LISTEN

Jamie Purviance — BBQ Nation

On the latest episode of BBQ Nation, Host Jeff Tracy welcomes back Jamie Purviance, award-winning chef, BBQ aficionado, and a fun guy. Jamie and his team have revisited all the recipes developed by Weber, some by Jamie himself, and now has published the book of Weber’s Greatest Hits. LISTEN HERE
 

READ

Barbecue: The History of an American Institution — Robert F. Moss

The full story of barbecue in the United States had been virtually untold before Robert F. Moss revealed its long, rich history in his 2010 book Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. Moss researched hundreds of sources — newspapers, letters, journals, diaries, and travel narratives — to document the evolution of barbecue from its origins among Native Americans to its present status as an icon of American culture. He mapped out the development of the rich array of regional barbecue styles, chronicled the rise of barbecue restaurants, and profiled the famed pitmasters who made the tradition what it is today. Barbecue played a key role in three centuries of American history, both reflecting and influencing the direction of an evolving society. By tracing the story of barbecue from its origins to today, Barbecue: The History of an American Institution traces the very thread of American social history. Moss has made significant updates in this new edition, offering a wealth of new historical research, sources, illustrations, and anecdotes. BUY IT HERE

—Smoked lamb shoulder goes well with pita bread and tzatziki sauce. (Photo by Daniel Vaughn)—
 

Smoked Lamb Shoulder

By Daniel Vaughn

For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this recipe for Smoked Lamb Shoulder from Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn. Vaughn suggests liberally applying kosher salt to the square-cut, bone-in lamb shoulder the night before smoking. The meat should be lightly covered with yellow mustard as a binder and seasoned with low-sodium barbecue rub. The shoulder is smoked until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees. Vaughn suggests that the lamb shoulder be shredded and served on its own or placed in a pita with tzatziki sauce.

—Many of the largest barbecue events of 2020 have been canceled or postponed.—

In light of the constantly changing coronavirus crisis, we are leaving our events section blank for some time. Many events in 2020 have been canceled or postponed thus far. We’ll be updating our events section on our website with the most up-to-date information as we have it.

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