quote:

Originally posted by matilda

Ribs aren’t usually cheap. But mmmmm good.

When I was a much, much younger, ribs were a very cheap cut. The popularity of ribs because of folks eating BBQ and "BBQ" ribs in Italian restaurants caused, at least in my mind, the price to skyrocket. It’s a supply and demand kind of thing.

Back to the original question, "Is Barbecue related to Soul Food?"

I’m gonna say no. Fact is, virtually every culture in the world has brought some version of Barbecue to the U.S. Barbecue is defined as meat cooked over low heat and smoke for a long period of time. The German smokehouses, Italian brick ovens, The Greek method of cooking lamb and other meats on a rotating spit over a fire all qualify as ‘Que. Almost all the Asian cuisines, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean in particular all have some form of Barbecue cooking method. The current popularity of Brazilian steakhouses reflects a South American version of Barbecue.

If we are to believe the origin stories, Barbecue was "invented" by the Arawak Indians in the Caribbean and adopted by Spanish sailors visiting the area. The Arawak would create a lattice work of green wood and tie the meat to it before suspending the whole thing over a fire pit.

Certainly African Americans who developed what we think of as Soul Food would have used a Barbecue method in some of their cooking, but they don’t have exclusive rights to its origins.

Buddy

In central North Carolina, chicken-fried steak is not a native dish for blacks or whites. We make white gravy (we call it milk gravy) with sausage and eat it over grits or biscuits.

We flour and brown round steak, remove it from the skillet, fry a lot of onions in the grease, add more flour and brown it, then return the steak with some water to the pan and simmer everything together covered until fork tender. This is country-style steak. I’ve also had it made with hamburgers. The key to good country-sytle steak is to simmer it long enough to break down the connective tissue in the steak. CSS made in a hurry tastes good, but will always be tough. It can be simmered in a crock-pot

Ribs aren’t usually cheap. But mmmmm good.

quote:

Originally posted by matilda

I can’t imagine a Soul Food place without ribs.

That’s what I’m talkin about—McRibs![}:)][}:)][;)][8D][:o)]

I can’t imagine a Soul Food place without ribs.

From above – "Some wealth was built up prior to the Civil War, but after that, nearly everyone in the south, including free blacks were developing ways to eat cheap." And thusley, a new fast food chain was born—-"McSoulfoods"!![}:)][}:)][}:)][;)][;)][:o)][8D]

quote:

Originally posted by Roadfoodfan

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I have to take issue with at least one thing on that list of so-called soul foods: chicken fried steak. Chicken fried steak has its origins among the Germans who settled in Texas in the mid 1800s. As I understand it, the settlers used tougher cuts of beef, as there was no veal available, to make something similar to weiner schnitzel.

With the German influences, what other dishes or sides went with the fried steak?

World Domination?

Soul Food also has a strong African influence that was brought with the slaves in their captivity…

to the original question, I’ll say yes. The settlers of the country were poor, and
used everything they could to stay alive. That means finding good ways of
eating chicken livers, harsh greens, etc. Some wealth was built up prior to
the Civil War, but after that, nearly everyone in the south, including free
blacks were developing ways to eat cheap. That is where soul food, southern
cooking, and barbecue came from, imho.

Kids the topic was …"Is BBQ related to Soul Food "…

I’ll give you the point that the Texans popularized the Chicken Fried Steak, but they didn’t invent it or introduce it to what has become Americana Cuisine.
Now, let’s get back on topic, what ever that was![:D]

Now,now,now ….I must say that my family on both sides have been frying steak ( with milk gravy )for over 150 years…And,I’m sorry to say,they owned slaves…So,the influence definitly existed…But,I believe introduction of fried steak was as much a german influence as it was one of the slave culture…

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I have to take issue with at least one thing on that list of so-called soul foods: chicken fried steak. Chicken fried steak has its origins among the Germans who settled in Texas in the mid 1800s. As I understand it, the settlers used tougher cuts of beef, as there was no veal available, to make something similar to weiner schnitzel.

Not True my dear Michael. Slaves on the Southern plantations were eating Chicken Fried Steak long before the Civil War and long before the Germans Migrated to Texas. Maybe they picked up the idea when they passed through the South on their way to Texas. No doubt they were looking for something to replace their Schnitzel, but they didn’t create the first Chicken Fried Steak. Like everything else in Texas, if you make the lie big enough, maybe someone will believe it![}:)][}:)][}:)][;)][8D]