Kansas City-style barbecue refers to the specific regional barbecue style of slowly smoked meat originating from Kansas City in the early 20th century. Henry Perry is credited as the originator of the style, as two of the oldest Kansas City-style barbecue restaurants still in operation trace their roots back to Perry's pit. The Kansas City-style sauce is characterized by a thick, sweet sauce derived from brown sugar, molasses, and tomatoes. Characteristics Kansas City barbecue is characterized by its use of a wide variety of meats: pork, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, sausage, and sometimes even fish. Kansas City barbecue is seasoned with a dry rub, slow-smoked over a variety of woods and served with a thick tomato-based barbecue sauce, which is an integral part of Kansas City style. Most local restaurants and sauce companies offer several varieties with spicy and tangy flavor profiles, historically the sauces were not sweet until Rich Davis, a child psychatrist from KC developed the KC Masterpiece sauce which used molasses and varied greatly from the more traditional sauces used at the longtime KC BBQ restaurants where orders are made at a counter. Most types of barbecued meat served in other American cities known for barbecue, including pulled pork, brisket, beef ribs, chicken, and pork ribs in a number of different cuts, are served in Kansas City-area barbecue restaurants. Burnt ends—the crusty, fatty, flavorful meat cut from the point of a smoked beef brisket—are among the items prepared. Side dishes served with Kansas City barbecue include a unique style of baked beans, French fries, coleslaw, and other classic barbeque side dishes. History The Kansas City metropolitan area has more than 100 barbecue restaurants, a number of which are nationally renowned. The area is also home to several large barbecue cooking contests, notably the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle and the American Royal World Series of Barbecue, the largest barbecue competition in the world. Henry Perry Kansas City traces its barbecue history to Henry Perry, who operated out of a trolley barn at 19th and Highland in the legendary African-American neighborhood around 18th and Vine. Perry served slow-cooked ribs on pages of newsprint for 25 cents a slab. Perry came from Shelby County, Tennessee, near Memphis, and began serving barbecue in 1908. Kansas City and Memphis barbecue styles are somewhat similar, although Kansas City tends to use more sauce and a wider variety of meats. Perry's sauce had a