The BBQ
Glossary

A Memphis original invented at Cozy Corner — a whole Cornish game hen rubbed with dry seasoning and slow-smoked until the skin crackles and the meat falls from the bone. One of the most distinctive dishes in Memphis BBQ.

A Memphis original — tortilla chips loaded with slow-smoked pulled pork, BBQ sauce, jalapeños, and melted cheese. Popularized by Central BBQ and now found at virtually every BBQ joint in the city. A staple of Memphis BBQ culture.

A uniquely Memphis dish invented at Brady & Lil's restaurant and perfected at Interstate Bar-B-Q. Slow-smoked pulled pork is mixed with a BBQ-spiced tomato sauce and served over spaghetti. Beloved by locals, bewildering to visitors.

Memphis's historic entertainment district, home to blues clubs, neon signs, and the Rendezvous hidden in the alley behind it. Beale Street is the cultural heart of Memphis and a pilgrimage site for BBQ and music lovers alike.

A cooking method using charcoal (rather than wood) as the primary fuel source. The Rendezvous uses charcoal grilling — a faster, hotter method than slow smoking that produces a distinct bark and char on the ribs.

A Memphis specialty — smoked pork shoulder that is chopped (rather than pulled) by hand, mixing the bark and interior meat into a coarser, more textured product. Payne's Bar-B-Q is the gold standard for chopped pork in Memphis.

The connective tissue in tough cuts like pork shoulder and ribs. During long, low-temperature smoking, collagen breaks down into gelatin, making the meat tender and moist. This is why BBQ requires low-and-slow cooking.

The iconic BBQ sauce brand from The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison Avenue. The Dancing Pigs label has become a Memphis BBQ icon, sold in grocery stores across the region and shipped nationwide.

A blend of dry spices — typically paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne, and salt — applied to meat before cooking. In Memphis, dry rub is not just a seasoning method; it's a philosophy. The Rendezvous's Greek-spiced rub is the most famous example.

A Memphis BBQ devotee who believes that sauce is unnecessary and even insulting to properly cooked ribs. The Rendezvous is the temple of dry rub purism — their ribs are served without sauce, and regulars wouldn't have it any other way.

The fundamental principle of BBQ — cooking meat at low temperatures (225–275°F) for long periods (4–16+ hours). Low and slow allows tough cuts to become tender, smoke to penetrate deeply, and bark to develop fully.

The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest held annually in Memphis, Tennessee. The most prestigious BBQ competition in the world, drawing teams from across the globe to compete in whole hog, shoulder, and ribs categories.

A thin, liquid baste applied to meat during smoking using a mop-like brush. Mops typically contain vinegar, water, spices, and sometimes a small amount of fat. They keep the meat moist and add flavor during the long cooking process.

Both the physical cooking apparatus (a smoker or grill) and, by extension, the restaurant itself. "Going to the pit" means going to a BBQ restaurant. "Pitmaster" is the person who tends the fire and cooks the meat.

Despite the name, pork butt (also called Boston butt) is the upper portion of the pork shoulder, not the rear of the pig. It's the most common cut for pulled pork in Memphis, prized for its marbling and rich flavor.

The upper front leg of the pig, divided into the Boston butt (upper) and picnic (lower). The most common cut for pulled and chopped pork in Memphis, prized for its high fat content and connective tissue that breaks down during long smoking.

Allowing cooked meat to sit undisturbed for 15–30 minutes after removing it from the smoker. During resting, the juices redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a moister, more flavorful final product.

The neighborhood in South Memphis that was home to Stax Records and the birthplace of soul music. The same community that produced Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and Booker T. & the MGs also nurtured the South Memphis BBQ tradition.

A trimmed spare rib cut where the cartilage, sternum, and flap meat are removed, creating a rectangular rack with uniform bones. The most common rib cut in Memphis restaurants.

The most tender cut of pork, running along the spine. Rarely used in traditional Memphis BBQ (it's too lean and cooks too quickly), but sometimes offered as a lighter alternative at full-menu BBQ restaurants.

The classic Memphis BBQ sauce style — a thin, tangy sauce made with tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, and spices. Less sweet than Kansas City sauce, more complex than Texas mop sauce. Used on wet ribs and as a table condiment.

Ribs that are basted with a tomato-based BBQ sauce during and after cooking. The sauce caramelizes on the meat, creating a sticky, sweet-tangy glaze. Wet ribs represent one side of Memphis's great rib debate.