America’s most underrated BBQ styles

USA TODAY 10Best by Kevin Farrell

You're likely familiar with the four iconic barbecue styles that are the unofficial godfathers of American BBQ.

There's Kansas City-style barbecue, with its thick, tangy sauce.

There's Texas-style with its dry-rubbed beef that's slow-cooked to perfection.

And there are Memphis and Carolina styles, which are both heavy on the pork but differ in their sauce.

But there's a whole nation of BBQ beyond the same few states you always hear about. Here are a few you should try.

Alabama white sauce

This tangy sauce gets its white color from its mayonnaise base. It goes great with seasoned chicken smoked over hickory wood.

Kentucky mutton dip

Worcestershire sauce is the key component. Unlike some BBQ sauces, Kentucky mutton dip is used both for basting and for finishing.

Santa Maria style

Beef tri-tip is seasoned with a minimalist blend of garlic salt, salt and pepper before hitting a hand-cranked iron grill heated with red oak wood coals.

Maryland pit beef

Top round roast is cooked over charcoal, before being thinly sliced and served on white bread or a bun. Pit beef traditionally gets doused in a horseradish sauce.

Oklahoma barbecued bologna

Known around the state as smoked bologna or Oklahoma prime rib, this is how the Sooner State does BBQ.

Hawaiian barbecue plate lunch

This style blends the tradition of Korean barbecue and the Hawaiian imu ovens - underground ovens heated with volcanic rocks.

Barbacoa

In Mexico and some parts of Texas, meat is slow-roasted in a pit topped with maguey leaves. The tender meat is chopped and served with onions, lime, and sauces like mole or various salsas.