Few foods are more celebratory than barbecue. It’s the kind of smoky, meat-forward meal that conjures up the joy of sunny weather, shorts and sandals on, music blasting, while family and friends (and their friends’ friends, too) gather and chow down. But if grilling hot dogs and hamburgers is more your speed and you’d like to leave the ribs and brisket-smoking to the pros, we’ve picked out the prime Portland spots for Southern-style barbecue. Grilled meat traditions from Mexico to the Philippines to the Mariana Islands abound in our city, too. Want to do the grilling yourself? Read about the history of some of Portland’s finest barbecue sauces and dry rubs, or try your hand at making fish sauce caramel ribs.