The art of grilling meat has been practiced since man invented fire, and over time the methods have become more complex and varied.
If you would like to know more about the different styles of barbecuing in the United States and the rest of the world, you will find the full list below. From regional barbecues from Carolina and the Deep South to Texas, St. Louis, St. Louis, St. Louis to California, discover how every corner of the United States loves to grill meat.
Read how barbecues are made from Brazil to Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Georgia!
Barbecue style from all United States
The United States is best known for the diversity and richness of its different barbecue styles, from the famous Carolina and South Alabama barbecues to the different types of barbecues in Texas, Kentucky and Kansas City.
Here is a list of the most important regional barbecue styles in the United States.
North Carolina – Oriental style
Ask anyone where the grill is, and you’ll probably hear a reference to North Carolina. There are two main types of barbecues in North Carolina, the East Barbecue and the Lexington Barbecue.
The oriental method goes back to the way African slaves prepared whole pigs when they were first brought to the United States centuries ago.
The marinade is made with cider vinegar and a mixture of American and African spices, including cayenne, black, red and spicy sauces. Unlike other similar recipes, tomatoes are not used in the oriental barbecue style of North Carolina.
The result is a very sour and spicy mixture that can be diluted with water depending on the taste buds.
The whole pig is brushed and dipped in a sauce that breaks the hard skin and penetrates the meat before the whole pig is cooked in a pit grill.
Signature drawer: All oriental pork
Where to try: Wainesville in the Great Smokey Mountains, North Carolina.
North Carolina – Lexington style
There are several major differences between the oriental style and the Lexington barbecue style. Both use pork as the meat of choice, but instead of cooking whole pork, Lexington Style Barbecue takes harder cuts, such as shoulders and ribs, and cooks them slowly over a longer period of time to get the most out of the meat.
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The main difference between these two cooking methods is that the Lexington grilling method adds tomato ketchup to the recipe.
Inspired by a group of German immigrants who settled in North Carolina, this type of grill is also known as Piedmont, named after a region in northern Italy. The European alpine recipes for pork shoulder blades were traditionally sweet at the time, and so the Lexington Grill style was born.
Sometimes called Lexington dip, the meat is often served with sauce on the side, so you can add it to taste or dip the meat as you like.
Signature drawer: Slow boiling pork capsule
Where to try: Lexington! Where else?
Grill with South Carolina Mustard
The variety of barbecues in South Carolina is similar to the Lexington style, but adds a big difference: the addition of mustard sauce, which is served with the meat.
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Pork is used as meat, and this recipe also owes its origins to German roots.
The sauce can be added before or after serving and contains vinegar and brown sugar, which in combination with mustard gives it a unique and rich flavour.
Try the South Carolina Pork Butt, which is a perfect combination of a juicy piece of meat with a spicy mustard sauce.
Signature drawer: Pork tenderloin in mustard sauce
Where to try: Charleston, South Carolina
Kansas City Grid
Barbecue style in Kansas City has given the world a thick brown sauce that is now known worldwide as the ultimate taste of barbecue sauce.
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The sauce you buy in supermarkets and serve at McDonald’s is based on Kansas City’s recipe, which contains molasses and a rich tomato sauce.
Good varieties attach themselves to everything, even the fingers, which can only be removed with difficulty.
If you ever come across one, try Kansas City Liquid Sauce – it adds seasoning and a taste reminiscent of meat that just came out of a Kansas smoker’s backyard – a great way to taste style without grilling.
Signature drawer: Plate of whole ribs with a thick molasses sauce
Where to try: to… Kansas City!
Texas dry RUB
The style of barbecuing in the center of Texas is a little different from the other styles in the south. The basic principle here is dry friction, where in many cases no liquid is present.
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The cubes contain salt and Moscovado sugar (or other thick brown sugar) on the base. Then a mixture of paprika, cayenne pepper, different kinds of red, white and black peppers and garlic is added.
The favourite cooking method – in the smokehouse – is a large vertical barrel with coal at the bottom.
This method of cooking is best for large chunks of hard meat, so the breast is an excellent choice, as are large back ribs.
It’s my favorite barbecue and the one I always do at home!
Signature drawer: Very low and slowly boiled breast
Where to try: Austin, Texas
East Texas Barbecue, style
The East Texas barbecue style is much more similar to other styles in the South than the Central Texas style.
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The meat is either beef or pork (or both!), and instead of cutting it into pieces, you usually cut it into pieces. The ground meat is first added to the sauce and then served between the sandwiches.
Cook the sauce, which is literally dipped on the meat before cooking, to create a thick glaze on the outside!
To add more flavour and make the dish juicier, pasta and cheese can be added to the sandwich as spices. This may sound strange, but you have to try and figure it out!
Signature drawer: Macaroni and cheese sandwich.
Where to try: Tyler of Longview, East Texas.
Alabama Barbecue Mix
A feature of the Alabama barbecue style is a unique white sauce that is added to everything.
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The choice of meat here is greater than many other types of grilling – pork and chicken are the two most popular options for chicken, which is mainly cooked on the bone.
The special white sauce is a mixture of vinegar and mayonnaise with different herbs, depending on the region and the restaurant.
The sandwiches are sprinkled with white sauce and the grilled chicken is served with sauce on the side. Get your napkin ready, because this stuff goes everywhere!
Signature drawer: Chicken on the bone with white sauce
Where to try: Birmingham, Alabama.
Memphis Style Barbecue
Memphis is a real southern barbecue forge, and here everything revolves around pork.
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The pork is prepared in large pits for a barbecue, and the grid is similar to the dry scar used in Texas, with the addition of a mixture of strong spices.
Instead of white sauce, which is served in Alabama, you get red sauce on the side which can be spicy! Add it to the pork and mix it with the beans and salad.
You’ll see that the locals put slices of pork in almost every other food, from salads to pizzas. In addition to pork, you can also try pork chops, which are available in the same type of dry-scraping or in a special wet roasting method, where the sauce is added before and after cooking.
Signature drawer: Pork and salad
Where to try: In Memphis, of course!
St. Louis
A barbecue in St. Louis almost always means slowly prepared ribs!
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Unlike other grills, the St. Louis ribs have a special cut that gives the grill a finer, more rectangular shape, more suitable for cooking and eating.
The ribs are smothered in a rich, thick sauce that sticks to the hands for days, and cooked at a higher temperature over the flames, without being smoked. But don’t worry – the ribs come out gently and with great taste.
Although St. Louis is not in the south and is much closer to Chicago than Montgomery, it is the city with the most barbecues per person in the United States. If they say it’s the best way to make ribs, it probably is!
Signature drawer: St. Louis style ribs.
Where to try: St. John’s Louis, Missouri.
Kentucky Barbecue
The Kentucky style of barbecue is probably the slowest way of cooking meat I’ve ever heard of. The local method makes it possible to select some of the most difficult parts of the pig, such as the shoulder.
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The temperature is kept low – you’re often at 180 degrees (80 degrees Celsius) and the cooks cook for at least 12 hours.
Kentucky is the place to call on chefs for dinner on Friday afternoon!
The sauce is usually vinegar-based with a selection of different herbs. Due to the long cooking time, the meat often forms a thick crust on the outside. This keeps the juice in the meat and gives it a phenomenal taste, but the sauce helps to split the crust when eating.
Signature drawer: Slow cooked ground pork
Where to try: Louisville, Kentucky.
California – Santa Maria stylebarbecue
Many people think that real barbecues only take place in the Deep South and in the Mississippi, but Californians may disagree.
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The Santa Maria Grill style focuses on a specific piece of beef – a triangular piece of beef carved from a Korean pole.
The three ends are simply dry grated and covered with salt, sugar, pepper and garlic to form a thick outer layer. Cooking takes place over an open fire, unlike most styles of barbecue with closed installations, and the grill usually uses thick iron rods that accelerate the formation of the outer crust.
This way of cooking has spread to Japan, where slow-cooked beef wagyu has become a popular dish.
Signature drawer: Tri-type with salsa
Where to try: Santa Maria, California
Global Barbecue Style
You probably know that there is a big barbecue in the United States, but there are many countries in the world, from Asia to Europe, from Africa to South America, that have their own special and amazing style of barbecue.
We have different types of barbecues from all over the world!
Korean Barbecue
The Korean barbecue has spread all over the world as a popular way to cook and eat meat.
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Most Korean barbecues are prepared with beef. The most popular dish is the beef bulgogi, which is prepared from thin slices of tenderloin.
The beef is marinated in a mixture that contains important barbecue ingredients such as sugar, garlic and various Korean-influenced peppers in the form of soy sauce and sesame oil.
The most common way to cook is at the dining table, above the grill, which is placed above the table or built into the table. This makes the whole feast more sociable and the thinly sliced beef helps to prepare the dishes.
Signature drawer: Beef Bulgogi with Banchan
Where to try: Seoul, Korea
Mexican barbecue – Barbacoa
Barbacoa is a special type of barbecue that has spread across the border in parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
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Barbacoa may look like the word barbecue, but the way it is cooked is different.
Instead of cooking the meat directly over fire or smoke, it is wrapped in leaves and sometimes cooked in a pot.
Everything else is the same while cooking – the best way to cook Barbacoas is to do it slowly and slowly. A low temperature for a few hours gives the best result and the meat has a strong barbecue taste when ready.
Signature drawer: Slow boiling goat’s cheese
Where to try: Central Mexico
Barbecue style in Brazil – Churrasco
Brazilian churrasco is a global experience, not just a barbecue style.
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Churrasco usually offers a variety of dishes cooked on wooden or metal skewers or in pens, over hot smoke or coals. A slice of Brazilian picanha-run gives a long piece of beef that is incredibly juicy when cooked.
The concept is that a dish or party starts at the same time as the cook and does not wait for the meat to be cooked. The meat is served as it is – some slices can arrive quickly, while others have to wait an hour or two!
According to the traditional method of cooking meat, different types of meat surround the fire, and purists will tell you that it must be cooked on certain types of wood, but this is not the case in different regions.
Signature drawer: Pican beef in a sea salt crust
Where to try: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Asado-style Argentine Barbecue
Argentina is world famous for its beef, and the Argentine asado is what the locals prefer to cook.
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Asado is traditionally cooked with large pieces of meat on coals. The choice of meat is free if it contains ribs!
The most popular choice is the tira de asado, an Argentine part with short ribs that makes a fairly flat piece of beef.
There are two secrets to creating the perfect asado: the cooking process takes time and, as a rule, try not to disturb the meat or the coals.
It is clear that Argentineans eat more beef per person than any other country, so they expect huge portions of meat. They shouldn’t discuss their cooking methods either. Good work is the very first stage where beef is mined from charcoal – tradition has no particular love for pink meat.
Signature drawer: Asado’s drawing with the Picades
Where to try: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Barbecueles from the Philippines
Lechon is a classic Filipino style of barbecueing, especially popular on holidays and special occasions.
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At Lehon’s, pork is usually cooked. There are two competing breeds. The traditional Luzon-Leshon season the meat only with salt and pepper, but adds a Leshon sauce made from liver porridge. The Visaysky Lemon does not use sauce, but adds spices, onions and lemon or lemon pulp.
The pork is cooked on a large bamboo skewer and the cooking process takes several hours. Salt and pepper make the skin form an excellent crust.
After cooking, the different parts of the pig are divided into separate bowls, and even the head and legs are used in a special dish!
Signature drawer: Luzonsky Lekhon
Where to try: Manila, Philippines
Indian style tandoori barbecue with difference
Chicken Tandoori is a unique cooking method that originated in the Punjab region of India.
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The chicken is marinated in yoghurt with the addition of spices, including cayenne pepper and chili powder. When the mixture is prepared, the chicken takes on a unique red colour.
Cooking takes place in a tandem door – a special oven with curved walls that feeds on thick charcoal, giving the meat a smoky taste.
Often the chicken is cooked whole or divided into several parts. Many side dishes and different types of bread are baked in the Tandoor. Naan and Parata bread is often glued to the sides of the Tandoor.
Signature drawer: Tandoori Chicken Murg with Naan
Where to try: Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
South Africa Braai-style BBQ
Ask a South African what he’s doing this weekend and the answer is Briai.
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With perfect weather all year round and a preference for fresh air, Briai has become a kind of cultural phenomenon.
There is no particular meat that makes braai what it is, but it must be cooked over a real wood fire. Gas barbecue is really not good and it’s the main fake dish.
The fire usually lasts from the morning until the end of the party and is central throughout the day. Cooking is just one of the activities that take place around the fire – everyone drinks, sits and sings here.
The locals love their Braai so much that they even celebrate a festival called 24 years. September, which is called Braai Day, is the most popular barbecue month in the country!
Signature drawer: The red wine and everything else on the grill…
Where to try: Cape Town, South Africa
Australian Barbie
Australia is probably the country most commonly associated with an outdoor lifestyle, which includes one of the most important cooking methods – the Australian barbecue.
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While many things can land on the grill, the most popular variant is sausage. The simpler, the better – a simple beef sausage that warms up nicely – the locals will choose.
Barbie’s almost more fun than barbecuing. Friends get together and spend time outside with a beer – it’s an unwritten rule that you have to bring your suitcase as a guest.
An Australian Barbie is so deeply rooted in her lifestyle that the whole country welcomes or visits her on Australia Day!
Signature drawer: Beef sausages with onions cooked in beer (no, really!).
Where to try: Sydney (or almost everywhere in Australia)!
Lebanese and Middle Eastern barbecue
The Middle East has given the world a whole new perspective on barbecuing, so all we had to do was add it to the list.
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Many traditional cooking methods cook meat in large pieces while the animal processes it. The ancient culture of the Middle East has produced a different way of eating meat: meat is ground and mixed, sometimes with other pieces of meat to create new and more intense flavors.
Shashlik has spread all over the world and apparently has thousands of different spells – from a small skewer to large shashlik döner pins it can have any shape and size.
The traditional way of cooking is to place the meat vertically next to a hot fire and often turn it until it is ready, which can take several hours.
In larger cases, the meat can be cooked over a hot fire, with the outside of the meat being served constantly during cooking. Meals with freshly cooked meat can last for hours without interruption!
Signature drawer: Shish kebab on flat bread with hummus
Where to try: Beirut, Lebanon or Amman, Jordan.
Russian kebab on the grill
The Russian shashlik skewer has its origins in the grilling methods of Central Asia and the Middle East, but has evolved into a style of its own.
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Shashlik is usually made from lamb, although pork is also very popular. The large square cubes are placed on metal skewers and usually divided into large pieces of onion and bell pepper. Meat is usually marinated at night in lemon juice to soften it and make it easier to cook the next day.
The meat skewers are then placed in the small brick oven until they are roasted in the right direction.
Although there are many restaurants in Russia that serve donuts, the good experience with donuts will allow you to fish on the coast while cooking meat on a campfire during your shift.
Signature of the Court of Auditors: Pork shish-kebab-neck
Where to try: Astrakhan, Russia, although Moscow is beautiful too!
Georgian Style Grill
Georgia may be a small country on the border of Europe, but it can only offer the largest number of different barbecue styles and traditional dishes in the world.
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His unique recipes include marinated pork cooked with pomegranate and many dishes where the meat is first grilled and then used as an ingredient in other dishes! There are dozens of unique sauces designed specifically for different types of grill – green and red adzhika – spicy sauces that are ideal for roast lamb, while plum temali goes well with birds.
The two best known examples of the Georgian barbecue are tobaccoa chicken and khachapuri.
Tobacco chicken is a way to grill chicken after it has been completely crushed and covered with herbs and sauces.
Khachapuri is a common name for different types of dishes that mainly use the traditional Sulguni and Khacha (cheese).
One of the less known variations, but I think one of my favorite dishes is still the khachapuri skewers – large pieces of cheese are glued to the skewers and surrounded by a layer of bread dough before they touch the coals. It may be one of the two most famous cheese barbecues in the world (along with the grilled Hallumi), but it tastes like heaven.
Signature drawer: Chicken Tabaka and Khachapuri Shampoo
Where to try: Tbilisi, Georgia
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