Basketball & the Barbecue Gods

(The simple menu at Payne's BBQ in Memphis)

I anxiously await the big game. I'm nervous,, light headed, and lack an appetite. Despite these maladies, I'm still blogging.

We battled North Carolina, and now we tangle with Memphis - both heavyweights in the world of BBQ. Coincidence? I think not, my friends. There are no accidents in this world. I think the BBQ gods are smilin' down on me with big toothy grins and smudges of sauce and grease at the corners of their mouths. This is a call to action - inspiration. I'm meant to cook some BBQ.

I see food in everything 24/7. I pretty much see the world as one big ol' buffet table.

I saw that Kathleen Sebelius made a bet with the Tennessee governor. She's wagering some Kansas beef while his wager consists of BBQ from The Rendezvous in Memphis. If KU wins, Gov. Sebelius will dine on some pretty darn good dry rub ribs.

However, my favorite Memphis BBQ is Payne’s. They serve a mean pulled-pork sandwich with some spicy coleslaw, and they serve it with love. I fondly remember the couple behind the counter and the guy in the kitchen treating us like family. I can't wait until I get the chance again to journey down to the Mississippi Delta. A lot of good people live in that region.
(Checkout the bright yellow, spicy slaw on the pulled-pork sandwiches.)

If you want a great profile of the food in the Delta and throughout the South, pick up John T. Edge's book Southern Belly. When you read it, pack a Wet-Nap because you're bound to get greasy.

(muddywaters circa 2000 at Payne's BBQ.)


(Bucky and muddywaters -circa 2000)

Keep the sauce on the side,
muddywaters