It’s Halloween, so gather round and get the spooky vibes going because... We’re visiting the BBQ graveyard.

The dearly departed: regional barbecue.

And the man delivering the eulogy: Steven Raichlen. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, we need to fix that.

Raichlen is a Barbecue Hall of Famer and the best-selling barbecue author who ever lived. You may have even read his work without knowing it. We’re talking about the legend who wrote The Barbecue Bible and chased live fire across 75 countries.

When this man talks smoke, you shut up and take notes.

And in his brand-new memoir, Man on Fire, he delivers a chilling verdict just in time for Halloween: the regional barbecue we grew up with is dying.

CAUSE OF DEATH

Here’s his case.

When Raichlen wrote BBQ USA, regional really did mean regional. You simply could not find brisket outside of Texas if you tried.

Now? World-class barbecue is everywhere. Miami, Portland, San Diego. Steven says he “mourns the loss of regionality.”

Two killers are still at large…

The first: Texas brisket. Murder weapon? Conquering the country through mass popularity. Aaron Franklin and John Lewis “raised brisket to the level of art,” and wood-fire joints now pull Michelin stars.

The second one stings for the East-coasters… Carolina pitmasters are trading wood pits for gas and electric. Steven declared: “Those are cookers, but for me they’re not barbecue.”

BUT WAIT, THERE HAS BEEN ANOTHER MURDER…

Regional barbecue isn’t the only thing with a toe tag this Halloween.

We all know it, but Steven has said it: AI is murdering the cookbook.

Steven’s thoughts: A cookbook’s whole value is the human behind it and recipes that have been tested, sometimes dozens of times. A chatbot will never come close to the heart that goes into those recipes.

BUT MAYBE THESE THINGS AREN’T DEAD… MAYBE THEY’RE “UN-DEAD” (A ZOMBIE HALLOWEEN THEME INDEED)

One version of regional BBQ may have died, but a new version has risen from its grave…

The styles are moving and mixing all over the nation.

Need proof? Every week, we’re sharing stories of pitmasters merging styles and blending cultures. Social media has our recipes in a giant blender with new winners emerging.

So while it may be spooky that the old ways are dying, a new moon is rising over the field of BBQ glory.

As Steven says, BBQ is “1,000% better than 40 years ago.”

So burn wood. Back up your cookbooks. And eat your local style while it’s still local, before it belongs to everyone.

And once it changes, enjoy that too. Happy Halloween.