Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q

The deep, pink ring along the outer rim of a slice of Blue Ribbon brisket proves it’s been smoked long and slow, the hallmark of authenticity. No surprise: The counterspace-only joint looks like it was lifted from a dirt road in Texas, right down to the corrugated tin walls plastered with battered license plates. Equally down home are North Carolina pulled pork, beans that smack of earthy molasses and brown sugar, and corn bread that’s good enough to bring tears to a southerner’s eyes.