According to various accounts that I believe, barbecue as we know it in the States was perfected by Southern slaves who, after a long day of manning the pits of the slave-owners and their hunger, took the scraps and throwaways, seasoned and smoked them, adding a bit of homemade sauce until the meat tasted practically immaculate.
Makes sense to me, and really, that’s how I’ve always seen true barbecue as it should be—the cheapest cuts of meat, masterfully charred until they become their own legendary artforms.