BECKY'S,

I don't pretend to know all the fine points of barbecue, particularly as they pertain to such regions as Missouri, North Carolina, or Texas. But I do know that Bob Bringhurst's pit barbecue and Becky Bowden's side dishes at Becky's Real B.B.Q. in Middletown have the taste of authenticity about them. On the board and in a paper version, the menu is straightforward and straight-shootin': Ribs (full or half slabs), pulled pork or pulled chicken, barbequed beef brisket or chicken (whole or half). The beef is dry-rubbed, the pork is not. Both spend up to 18 hours in a pit stoked with hickory logs, under Bringhurst's watchful eye. The pit barbeque process "cooks" meats by the very low temperature of the smoke. This creates a reddish color, similar to ham, in the ribs, beef, and pork. It also makes meat incredibly tender and amazingly moist.

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