To start with, this may be more controversial than the NYC mosque, but here goes!

Ribs?  No.  OK, cool down.  I agree we do have a distinctively unique “dry rub” style that is pretty exclusive to Memphis, but this is not the defining barbecue that makes Memphis the barbecue capital of the world.  Ribs are cooked in many places, not as well, I agree, but they are cooked and served without sauce (dry) in many places.

Barbecue spaghetti?  Barbecue nachos? Nope.  We may be the only place that does these (doubtbful), but it’s not what people have come to know as Memphis barbecue.

It’s our unique barbecue sandwich that we Memphians know synonymously as “a barbecue.”  That’s it.

I contend that the Memphis barbecue sandwich is the defining thing that has given us the reputation.  That reputation is built on two elements that define the sandwich. They are, first and foremost — the quality of the meat, and secondly, the defining essential ingredients.

Let’s not spend much time on the quality of the slow-and-low cooking of the meat, as that is an arena of endless discussions of wood vs. charcoal, humidity, basting, numbers of turns and all sorts of other technique issues.  The fact is, Memphis does this better than anyone, and the annual barbecue festival is testimony to the flattery of imitation we command.  But still … this is not the defining aspect of the fame.

The ingredients of a Memphis barbecue are what I want to identify because those ingredients, as simple as they are to name, are what constitutes our fame.  Those ingredients are:

Standard white bread hamburger buns (large or small): No sour dough, multi-grain California nonsense, please!

Slow/low-cooked pork shoulder: Done the way only Memphis’ best know how to do it.

Sauce: A tomato-based thick sauce that runs the gamut from the dark brown sweet sauce to the thinner nearly orange tangy sauce.  Sauces of Memphis barbecue vary but not into the realm of thin vinegar and pepper watery variations like the Carolinas use.

Slaw: Probably the most defining element of a Memphis barbecue is the slaw.  First, because slaw is an integral part of a barbecue sandwich in Memphis.  Some may opt to not have it on their sandwich, but it is a standard here.  You will not find slaw on barbecue anywhere else in the country as a standard.

Memphis barbecue slaw is cabbage and carrots with mayonnaise at its foundation, plus any number of other ingredients that might add personality.  Those range from sugar to mustard, onion or pickle slivers, vinegar to cumin and more.

That’s it.  A Memphis barbecue is essentially the best slow-cooked pork shoulder in the world, with its thick tomato-based sauce and the ubiquitous slaw,  all between the otherwise mundane, white bread buns.

Any challengers to this model?