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On the second-to-last leg of his Chasing BBQ journey, Savory founder Mike Johnston visited three different barbecue regions, each with its own special take on barbecue. Mike sampled barbecue from Kentucky, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, each region showcasing its own signature style of ‘cue, but also dabbling in their versions of classics from around the country.

Barbecue in Kentucky highlights a meat that often gets overlooked—mutton. Mike tasted a barbecue sauce so unique to Kentucky that we absolutely had to feature it in our new line of barbecue sauces! 

Unlike more famous BBQ regions like Texas (known for brisket) and Memphis (known for ribs), it’s a bit harder to define Georgia and Alabama BBQ. While there are certain southern inspired dishes and sauces specific to Georgia and Alabama BBQ, you will also see various styles of barbecue throughout each state.

After leaving Memphis, the land of low-and-slow pork ribs, Savory founder Mike Johnston journeyed through Alabama and Georgia, the land of smoked chicken with white sauce and hot & fast spare ribs, for the third leg of his Chasing BBQ road trip. This is the region where he encountered classic southern inspired barbecue sides, like Brunswick stew, turnip greens, fried okra, and coconut cream pie. We recreated so many southern inspired BBQ recipes in the Savory Spice Test Kitchen that it’s hard to pick favorites, but I will. Here’s how I’d put together an Alabama & Georgia feast for friends.

Italian Herbs or Italian Herb Blend, Italian Spices or Italian Spice Mix…by whatever name you call it, it’s an American pantry staple. Italian cooking has become so popular that Italian seasonings are a must-have in every American kitchen.

Barbecuing is the ultimate “spice” form of cooking. Yeah, I said it! Sure, some will argue that Indian cooking (with a long history of amazing curries using a multitude of spices) is, others would lean toward Thai, and many would land on the side of Mexico with their complex, spice-rich mole sauces. They would all have valid points and strong arguments that on a different day I might have to side with. But not today. Today I’m a proud American, touting one of our cooking styles that—believe it or not—is being enthusiastically replicated around the world.

The process of pickling is over 4,000 years old, dating as far back as ancient India. The term “pickle” can be traced to its origins from the Dutch word “pekel”, meaning brine. Pickling is traditionally performed to preserve food and extend the lifespan of food that is in-season for out-of-season use. There are two different processes for pickling: canned pickling and quick pickling. Where canned pickling requires sterilization and proper safeguards to ensure the product is not contaminated so it can be stored in the pantry, quick pickling is a much easier alternative.