Ask George: What is St. Louis-style barbecue?

Many St. Louisans don't know the real answer.

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What exactly is "St. Louis-style" barbecue? —Nan W., Wrightsville Beach, NC

When you hear the local grocery store ads for "meaty pork butts," you can bet a bottle of Louis Maull's finest that it's Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of summer and the official beginning of barbecue season. And it's a safe bet that most everyone in St. Louis will be chowing down on something cooked on an outdoor grill this weekend: ribs, chops, a USDA Prime ribeye, a kid-friendly burger or hot dog, a pork steak, or a pulled pork sandwich, the end result of one of those mighty, meaty pork butts.   

When you hear the words "St. Louis-style barbecue," though, most often it simply means "grilled, then sauced" (as opposed to dry-rubbed and slow-smoked). So it's no surprise that on a per capita basis, St. Louis consumes more BBQ sauce than any other city in the nation. Although the products we slather in sauce vary, the sauce is basically the same: tomato-based and on the sweet side. It can be thick (like Blue's Hog) or thin (like the aforementioned Maull's), spicy and/or tangy (from the addition of vinegar).

And it's those products that further distinguish St. Louis-style 'cue: it was here that the pork steak gained notoriety, it is here where snoots (yep, just what you think) and rib tips are as common as the slices of white bread that's served beneath them, it is here that Italian salcissia is as common as a German brat, and here (or in the meatpacking houses near here) where the "St. Louis-style" spare rib got its name. Style in this case refers to refers to the cut (squaring the rib slab by sawing off the rounded tip) rather than the cooking method.   

So no matter where and when you encounter BBQ this weekend, indulge in a little sauce. A bit of nostalgia mixed with St. Louis history is never a bad thing. 

This article was updated from a prior version. 

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