As you might guess by its name, a snoot is a nose; a pig’s nose to be exact, listed formally on some of the soul food barbecues around St. Louis (its home) as a snout. But it is pronounced “snoot,” and does not look like one. In fact, snoots are not whole pig proboscises on plates; the meat is shaved and cut into long ribbons, baked and deep-fried to become something like cuchifritos, served with barbecue sauce on a bun or as part of a platter. Many restaurants that make snoots also offer ears, but unlike snoots, ears look exactly like what they are, and rather than getting baked and fried to become something alluringly crunchy, they are boiled to a point of gelatinous wiggle.
Snoot Sauce
Rest assured: This classic Midwest-style barbecue sauce, inspired by that used to enhance the snoots at C&K Barbeque in St. Louis, tastes fine on ordinary cuts of pork such as tenderloin or ribs. It’s also great on beef or chicken. Use it to baste the meat as it cooks, then serve a cupful on the side for dipping.
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup minced red onion
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups tomato juice
½ cup dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1–4 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (to taste)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1. In a heavy cast iron skillet, sauté the garlic in the butter until it is soft but not yet browned. Add the remaining ingredients and bring them to the lowest possible simmer, then lower the heat a notch or two. Cook uncovered 1 hour, stirring frequently and keeping the temperature just below a boil.
2. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator.
1 GENEROUS QUART