Organic/Ethical/Non-Factory BBQ in Memphis?

March 10, 2008 1:22 PM

I'll be traveling to Memphis, TN in a few weeks and would love to sample a lot of local BBQ and other Memphis specialties. But I'm pretty picky about the meat I eat. Are there options for me?

I'm not sure if there's a easy term for the kind of meat that I prefer to buy & eat. But if you've read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" or "River Cottage Meat Book" then you'll know where I'm coming from. Basically I want, and am willing to pay for, meat that was raised with care for the animal and the final product.

For pigs, I'd like them to be fed a varied & organic diet, have access to the outside, not have to live in a tiny stall, not be de-taied after birth, etc.

While cooking at home, I tend to use meat that I buy either directly from a farm that I know meets my standards, or from a co-op that researches their meat vendors pretty thoroughly. When I'm at restaurants, I try to get meat dishes that use the same kind of products that I'd use at home, or I just stick to vegetarian fare.

So are there places in Memphis where I can cast my dollar votes for well-raised meat?

posted by iwhitney to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

I live in Memphis and it is difficult to find bad BBQ taste wise but, I don't know of any BBQ joints that are particularly concerned about the hogs life before its parts arrive at their place of business.
posted by Carbolic at 1:35 PM on March 10, 2008

I think if you want to get the best, authentic BBQ experience, you shouldn't limit yourself by organic, humane, etc. I understand your ethical concerns (and personally subscribe to much of the same philosophy) but sometimes you just have to say "When in Rome..." The local cuisine that you are interested in checking out has been defined for years as being a way to turn the cheapest meat possible into something delicious. It is a shame that these same techniques aren't applied to better meat more often, because the results are even more delicious (Berkshire pigs make killer pulled pork, trust me), but that's simply not the way it's done. I think you will have to either sacrifice your beliefs or sacrifice the chance to try authentic BBQ.
posted by hihowareyou at 2:06 PM on March 10, 2008

Yeah, I don't know if you'll be able to find many places that are overtly specific about their meat being what you mention. On the other hand, you can rest assured that anyone serious about BBQ is serious about the quality of their meat, after all that's what good BBQ is!

If it really is that big of a deal you might try looking for a place in one of the trendier areas of Memphis, as it seems to me here in Chicago that the only BBQ places that seem to market their food as organic are younger start-up BBQ restaurants in semi-wealthy neighborhoods.

The places that already have good reputations have them because no one questions the quality of their meat, I mean you really can't hide bad meat in the BBQ business and be successful.
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb at 2:12 PM on March 10, 2008

Mod note: a few comments removed - if you do not know the answer please do NOT answer the question
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:41 PM on March 10, 2008

Here is a big list of BBQ suggestions, you could track them down and see if any fit your criteria.
posted by shothotbot at 3:04 PM on March 10, 2008

Best answer: Here is a local farmer of grass-finished beef: http://m4d-ranch.com/index.html

You might give them a call and see if they sell to any BBQ restaurants in the area.
posted by hihowareyou at 3:56 PM on March 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

Best answer: These folks might be helpful too: http://www.slowfoodmemphis.com/
posted by hihowareyou at 4:01 PM on March 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

The short answer is no. Come to think of it, that would be the long answer also.
posted by nola at 7:59 PM on March 10, 2008

Chiming in only to say that hihowareyou's suggestion, though surely well-meant, is misplaced, if only because if you go to Memphis for beef you are most definitely barking up the wrong tree.

And while I sympathize, if you absolutely insist on these criteria, you will not get the best barbecue in Memphis. You may not get any barbecue in Memphis.
posted by lackutrol at 9:39 PM on March 10, 2008

In my defense, I didn't necessarily mean to eat the beef, I just figured that a restaurant buying sustainably raised brisket is likely buying nice healthy pork shoulders and ribs too.
posted by hihowareyou at 11:50 PM on March 10, 2008

Response by poster: Slow Food was a good suggestion, I should have thought of that.

I've contacted them & the beef ranch to see if they can give me any further pointers. Thanks for the good ideas, hihowareyou.
posted by iwhitney at 8:29 AM on March 11, 2008

Late to the game. The only problem with the beef suggestions is that Memphis BBQ is almost exclusively pork.
posted by Carbolic at 10:55 AM on May 6, 2008