Memphis style barbecue is a regional style of barbecue that originated in Memphis, Tennessee. It is one of the four main regional barbecue styles in the United States, along with Carolina, Kansas City, and Texas styles. Memphis barbecue is known for its distinctive dry rubs, slow smoking techniques, and signature sauces.

A Brief History of Memphis Style BBQ

Memphis style barbecue traces its origins back to the late 1800s and early 1900s when African American communities in Memphis would hold barbecues in backyards and alleyways. At these gatherings, pitmasters would slow smoke pork shoulders over hickory wood, developing the classic Memphis dry rub and slow smoking methods.

By the 1950s and 60s, Memphis barbecue joints began opening up throughout the city, gaining local fame for their unique take on barbecue. Restaurants like The Rendezvous, Cozy Corner, Payne’s, and Corky’s became Memphis barbecue icons, helping define and popularize the Memphis style.

As Memphis barbecue grew in popularity, its unique style spread beyond the city limits. Today, Memphis barbecue is enjoyed and replicated by pitmasters throughout the United States. The defining characteristics of Memphis style barbecue continue to set it apart from other regional barbecue flavors.

Key Characteristics of Memphis Style Barbecue

Memphis style barbecue is characterized by a few key attributes that differentiate it from other regional styles:

Dry Rubs

Memphis pitmasters rely on dry rubs rather than heavy barbecue sauces to flavor their meats. These rubs are typically made from combinations of paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, ground mustard, and other spices.

The rub is applied generously to meats before smoking to form a flavorful, textured bark once cooked. Common Memphis rub ingredients act to tenderize meats while adding sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors.

Pork Shoulder and Ribs

Memphis style barbecue focuses on pork, particularly pork shoulders and ribs. Pork shoulders are smoked low and slow until ultra tender, then pulled or chopped into succulent shreds.

Pork ribs, typically baby back but sometimes St. Louis cut, are smoked until they achieve a fall-off-the-bone texture. Chicken and beef play a supporting role on many Memphis barbecue menus.

Slow Smoking with Hickory Wood

The traditional Memphis method of smoking meats calls for low, slow cooking with hickory wood. Shoulders may smoke for up to 12 hours or more before they reach peak tenderness. Ribs can take 4-6 hours of gentle smoking.

Hickory wood lends a distinctive, robust flavor that sets Memphis barbecue apart from styles that use other woods like oak, pecan, or fruitwoods. The low heat allows fat to render slowly for maximum flavor and moisture.

Tomato-Based Sauces

Unlike some regional barbecue styles where sauce choices can vary widely, Memphis barbecue typically features tomato-based sauces that complement the flavor of the dry rubs.

The sauces offer some sweetness to balance the spices but often have a vinegar tang as well. They tend to be thin, without dense texture, to avoid overpowering the smoked flavor of the meats. Sauces are always offered on the side in Memphis barbecue culture.

Traditional Memphis Barbecue Dishes

From signature sandwiches to platters and beyond, these are some of the iconic dishes you can expect to find at a traditional Memphis barbecue joint:

Pulled Pork Sandwich

A Memphis specialty, featuring smokey pulled pork drizzled with sauce and piled high on a bun. Often topped with coleslaw for crunch and a splash of cool creaminess to cut the richness.

Pork Ribs

Melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone smoked pork ribs are a quintessential Memphis experience. They’re served sauced or dry rubbed, often with a side of sauce for dipping.

Barbecue Baked Beans

Baked beans simmered in barbecue sauce make a satisfying side to contrast rich, fatty barbecue. Traditional Memphis versions use a tomato-based sauce sweetened with brown sugar or molasses.

Coleslaw

Cool, crisp coleslaw offers a refreshing, vegetable-based accompaniment to fatty ribs and pulled pork. It often contains mustard and may come dressed with Memphis-style barbecue sauce.

Barbecue Nachos

Pulled pork, sauce, beans, slaw, cheese, and chips…nachos are a fun, shareable way to enjoy Memphis flavors. A Memphis original you won’t find in other barbecue towns!

Smoked Wings

Chicken wings get the smokehouse treatment in Memphis, emerging with a dark, crispy skin and robust smoky flavor beneath. They’re sauced or dry rubbed for extra Memphis barbecue flair.

Barbecue Spaghetti

A regional oddity, barbecue spaghetti features al dente spaghetti topped with pulled pork, sweet tomato-based sauce, and sometimes baked beans. An unconventional but tasty Memphis barbecue dish.

4 Iconic Memphis Barbecue Joints to Try

Looking to experience authentic Memphis-style barbecue? Here are 4 legendary eateries to check out:

The Rendezvous

This crowded, basement-set Memphis institution has been dishing out dry rubbed ribs since 1948. Their ribs star, but don’t overlook the smoked cornish hen.

Central BBQ

With 5 locations around Memphis, Central BBQ serves up quintessential barbecue in a casual setting. Their pork shoulder plates and loaded nachos are local legends.

Cozy Corner

Family-owned since 1977, Cozy Corner is famed for their Cornish game hens and barbecued wings coated in signature sweet-hot sauce. Their rib tips shine too.

Payne’s Bar-B-Que

This hole-in-the-wall opened in 1972 and still has lines out the door. Payne’s slow smoked chopped pork may be Memphis’ finest, topped with that hometown slaw.

How To Make Memphis Style Pulled Pork at Home

Want to recreate the magic of Memphis barbecue in your own backyard? Here’s a simple recipe to try:

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in pork shoulder/butt (6-8 pounds)
• 1/4 cup Memphis dry rub (see recipe below)
• 2 cups wood chips, preferably hickory (soaked 1 hour)
• Barbecue sauce, for serving
• Kaiser rolls or burger buns, for serving

Memphis Style Dry Rub

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Pat pork shoulder dry, then coat all over with dry rub. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
2. Soak wood chips for 1 hour before smoking.
3. Preheat smoker to 225-250°F. Add soaked wood chips.
4. Smoke pork shoulder 4-6 hours until internal temperature reaches 200°F. Spritz with apple juice every hour during smoking.
5. Remove pork and let rest 15 minutes before pulling/shredding meat with two forks.
6. Serve pulled pork on buns with extra barbecue sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Common Questions about Memphis Style Barbecue

What type of wood is traditionally used for smoking Memphis barbecue?

Hickory wood is the signature smoking wood used for authentic Memphis barbecue. It gives the meat a robust, distinctive flavor.

Do Memphis barbecue restaurants offer barbecue chicken?

Yes, smoked chicken is popular in Memphis, though perhaps not as ubiquitous as pork. Look for smoked chicken wings, legs, thighs, and smoked Cornish game hens.

What style of ribs are most common in Memphis?

Baby back ribs are the classic Memphis rib option. However, some Memphis restaurants also serve meaty St. Louis cut spare ribs as well.

What makes Memphis barbecue sauce unique?

Memphis sauces have a tomato base with added sweetness from brown sugar or molasses. They also contain vinegar for tang, and often mustard. The sauces are thin and vinegar-forward.

Is Memphis barbecue spicy?

Memphis dry rubs do contain some spice from black pepper, cayenne, paprika, and mustard. But Memphis barbecue tends to be flavorful as opposed to very hot and spicy. Sauces offer sweetness to balance spice.

Do Memphis barbecue places serve wet or dry ribs?

Most Memphis restaurants serve ribsdry rubbed and lightly sauced or with sauces on the side. This allows the meat, smoke, and rub flavors to take center stage rather than being masked by thick, sticky sauce.

What side dishes pair well with Memphis barbecue?

Classic Memphis sides include baked barbecue beans, coleslaw, potato salad, mac and cheese, collard greens, corn on the cob, and delicious fried pickles.

What is Memphis barbecue hash?

Memphis barbecue hash is a regional specialty featuring pulled pork, potatoes, onions, peppers, and barbecue sauce cooked into a hearty hash. It makes a hearty side or main dish.

Final Thoughts

Memphis style barbecue brings its own regional flair and personality to America’s barbecue culture. With deep roots in African American pitmaster traditions, a focus on dry rubs, hickory smoke, and pork, and signature sauces and dishes, Memphis barbecue stands apart from other styles. Beyond the city limits, Memphis style continues to win converts seeking out its iconic tastes and textures. For an authentic barbecue experience steeped in history and tradition, Memphis is a must-visit culinary destination.

What is Memphis Style BBQ?

Memphis style barbecue is a unique regional barbecue tradition famous for its smoky, spice-rubbed meats, sweet and tangy tomato sauces, and whole hog cooking methods. Memphis barbecue pitmasters have developed a distinctive style that sets it apart from other barbecue capitals like Texas, Kansas City, and the Carolinas. Keep reading to learn all about Memphis barbecue’s origins, cooking techniques, signature dishes, and how to cook Memphis style barbecue at home.

A Brief History of Memphis Barbecue

• Roots trace to early 19th century with African American communities hosting backyard barbecues
• Commercial Memphis barbecue restaurants emerged in early 1900s
• Rendezvous and other famous joints opened in 1940s-60s, popularizing Memphis style
• Style spread through US as Memphis barbecue gained fame
• Remains one of most iconic regional barbecue styles today

Distinguishing Features of Memphis Style Barbecue

Dry Rubs

Memphis barbecue relies on dry spice rubs instead of heavy sauces for flavor. A typical Memphis rub contains salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic and onion powder, mustard, and black pepper. The rubs help a flavorful bark form.

Pork Shoulder and Ribs

Memphis barbecue focuses on flavorful pork – especially smoked shoulders and ribs. Pork shoulders are rubbed, smoked for 12+ hours until ultra tender, then pulled.

Hickory Smoking

Pitmasters use hickory wood chips on their smokers for that signature smoky Memphis flavor. Shoulders and ribs smoke low and slow – up to 12 hours for shoulders and 4-6 for ribs.

Tangy Tomato Sauces

Sauces in Memphis tend to be tomato based with sweet, tangy, and sometimes spicy flavors. They are thin and vinegar-forward, complementing the meat rather than covering up flavors.

Traditional Memphis Barbecue Menu Items

• Pulled Pork Sandwiches – Smoked shredded pork on a bun, topped with sauce and slaw
• Dry Rubbed or Wet Ribs – Fall off the bone tender pork ribs
• Barbecue Baked Beans – Beans cooked up with Memphis style barbecue sauce
• Coleslaw – Cool crisp slaw, often with a Memphis barbecue twist
• Smoked Wings – Chicken wings cooked low and slow, sauced or dry rubbed
• Barbecue Nachos – Pulled pork, sauce, beans, and slaw piled high over corn chips

4 Legendary Memphis Barbecue Joints

• The Rendezvous – Memphis institution for ribs since 1948
• Central BBQ – Classic barbecue plates, sandwiches, and loaded nachos
• Cozy Corner – Famed for Cornish game hens and wings since 1977
• Payne’s Bar-B-Que – Counter serve joint with Memphis’ best chopped pork

How to Make Memphis Style Pulled Pork at Home

Ingredients:

• Pork shoulder
• Memphis style dry rub
• Hickory wood chips
• Barbecue sauce

Instructions:

1. Coat pork shoulder with dry rub
2. Smoke with hickory chips at 225-250°F for 4-6 hours
3. Rest and shred pork
4. Serve on buns with sauce

Get the authentic Memphis smoked flavor at home!

Memphis Barbecue FAQs

What wood is used?

Hickory wood, gives a robust, signature flavor.

What types of ribs?

Mainly baby back ribs, sometimes St. Louis style spare ribs.

What makes the sauces unique?

Sweet tomato base with vinegar tang and mustard. Thin consistency.

Is it spicy?

Memphis barbecue features some spice but isn’t usually very hot and spicy.

Wet or dry ribs?

Mostly dry rubbed with sauces on the side to highlight meat and smoke flavors.

Typical side dishes?

Baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, greens, fried pickles are classic options.

Conclusion

With its origins in backyard pit cooking and local Memphis barbecue restaurants, Memphis style stands out for its pork focus, dry rubs, hickory smoke, and signature sauces. Memphis barbecue culture and flavors have spread well beyond the city, remaining a cherished regional tradition.