>FWIW, I agree with Dick. The folks on the Southeastern seaboard are
>_really_ nice - but from what I've tasted they do a truly _horrible_ job of
>BBQ. Just what _is_ that sour, mustardy sh__ they put on it anyway? And
>what's with the dill pickle slices? Why is the meat so dry? Bleacch!
>
Not to prolong this too much, but I don't know where you were eating! Mustard
sounds like South Carolina (yet another genre). I've never actually seen dill
pickle slices on BBQ In any region). Good BBQ is never dry, but bad preparation
is possible anywhere (I had Texan BBQ once that had brisket as chewy as skirt
steak-I couldn't figure out how they managed that).

The major American regional BBQ styles I know:

North Carolina - slow-cooked pork. Meat is shredded or chopped, never sliced.
a) Eastern- pork shoulder or whole pigs, with thin sauce of vinegar with salt,
hot pepper flakes, and a little sugar. Served on plates, on on buns with a (no
mayo) coleslaw
b) Western- mostly pork shoulder, with a little tomato in the sauce (but not
enough to make it thick).

I wouldn't call South Carolina a major style, but its pork shoulder with a
vinegar, molasses, & mustard sauce.

TN/Memphis
Dry rubbed ribs.

Kansas City
Wet ribs. Thick sweet sauce.

Texas
Sliced brisket, with a red sauce (more peppery than sweet).

You can certainly find other foods BBQed in each of these areas (most NC places
also have chicken, Memphis joints do beef, Texas does lots of animals, as well
as other cuts of beef). But these are the signature dishes.
Dale

Dale Williams
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