Countdown To New BBQ Pitmasters ~ Carolina Style Pork

[Gnaws on Pigs]

Originally Posted by Boshizzle

NC BBQ isn't on the top of my list, actually. It's too mushy and just not all that great, IMO. That being siad, I still like it. So, this episode is particularly interesting.

I will never forget the first time I enjoyed Eastern NC BBQ. The gal waiting on me asked me if I wanted some "dee-up" (dip). I had no idea what she was talking about and her accent only made it worse. I asked several times "dee-up?" trying to figure out what she was saying. Finally, she shaked the sauce bottle in front of my face exclaiming "Dee-up! Dee-up!"

Great times, there!

Don't make the mistake of thinking that the "official" NC bbq is that mushy chopped up into porridge stuff with straight vinegar soaked on it like they do east of the fall line. Come a little further west and try real NC bbq. We don't use dee-up, we have a vinegar-based sauce. I was born, raised, and grew up in NC and having been eating NC whole-hog bbq all my life. the only people who like eastern NC bbq are people who live there. The other 3/4 of the state knows how to cook bbq.

[CarolinaQue]

Originally Posted by Gnaws on Pigs

Don't make the mistake of thinking that the "official" NC bbq is that mushy chopped up into porridge stuff with straight vinegar soaked on it like they do east of the fall line. Come a little further west and try real NC bbq. We don't use dee-up, we have a vinegar-based sauce. I was born, raised, and grew up in NC and having been eating NC whole-hog bbq all my life. the only people who like eastern NC bbq are people who live there. The other 3/4 of the state knows how to cook bbq.

Preach it brother!!!

[neuyawk]

Originally Posted by Gnaws on Pigs

Come a little further west and try real NC bbq. We don't use dee-up, we have a vinegar-based sauce. I was born, raised, and grew up in NC and having been eating NC whole-hog bbq all my life. the only people who like eastern NC bbq are people who live there. The other 3/4 of the state knows how to cook bbq.

Funny, I only really encountered the Dip (tomato-vinegar) around the Lexington area. I'd disagree with the ENC BBQ being only a regional favorite. Quite the contrary, ENC whole hog is consistently the most popular line when we cook up here (NYC) at the annual Big Apple BBQ festival 100K+ person in attendance.

By contrast the Lexington style sauce (+tomatoes) and shoulder doesn't really appear anywhere else except western North Carolina. Tragically so I might add. Even when I was talking to the patriarch of Lexingtion BBQ himself, Charles Stamey, he was skeptical of the possibility of Lexington BBQ becoming widespread in popularity.

I'd also disagree with the sentiment that 3/4 of the state knows how to BBQ. A good proportion of state doesn't even eat Carolina BBQ. If you head around the Charlotte area, BBQ comes from a gasser and is drenched in a Kraft-processed 'BBQ sauce'.

[Boshizzle]

Originally Posted by Gnaws on Pigs

Don't make the mistake of thinking that the "official" NC bbq is that mushy chopped up into porridge stuff with straight vinegar soaked on it like they do east of the fall line. Come a little further west and try real NC bbq. We don't use dee-up, we have a vinegar-based sauce. I was born, raised, and grew up in NC and having been eating NC whole-hog bbq all my life. the only people who like eastern NC bbq are people who live there. The other 3/4 of the state knows how to cook bbq.

Whoa! I'm not trying to start a NC civil war here!

[Boshizzle]

Originally Posted by neuyawk

Funny, I only really encountered the Dip (tomato-vinegar) around the Lexington area. I'd disagree with the ENC BBQ being only a regional favorite. Quite the contrary, ENC whole hog is consistently the most popular line when we cook up here (NYC) at the annual Big Apple BBQ festival 100K+ person in attendance.

By contrast the Lexington style sauce (+tomatoes) and shoulder doesn't really appear anywhere else except western North Carolina. Tragically so I might add. Even when I was talking to the patriarch of Lexingtion BBQ himself, Charles Stamey, he was skeptical of the possibility of Lexington BBQ becoming widespread in popularity.

I'd also disagree with the sentiment that 3/4 of the state knows how to BBQ. A good proportion of state doesn't even eat Carolina BBQ. If you head around the Charlotte area, BBQ comes from a gasser and is drenched in a Kraft-processed 'BBQ sauce'.

The whole shoulder/vinegar (+ a tiny bit of tomato) BBQ is cooked in my region of VA. There are no places that still do it well within an hour's drive anymore, but it's cooked here in VA at several places and has been for many decades.

[Gnaws on Pigs]

Originally Posted by neuyawk

Funny, I only really encountered the Dip (tomato-vinegar) around the Lexington area. I'd disagree with the ENC BBQ being only a regional favorite. Quite the contrary, ENC whole hog is consistently the most popular line when we cook up here (NYC) at the annual Big Apple BBQ festival 100K+ person in attendance.

By contrast the Lexington style sauce (+tomatoes) and shoulder doesn't really appear anywhere else except western North Carolina. Tragically so I might add. Even when I was talking to the patriarch of Lexingtion BBQ himself, Charles Stamey, he was skeptical of the possibility of Lexington BBQ becoming widespread in popularity.

I'd also disagree with the sentiment that 3/4 of the state knows how to BBQ. A good proportion of state doesn't even eat Carolina BBQ. If you head around the Charlotte area, BBQ comes from a gasser and is drenched in a Kraft-processed 'BBQ sauce'.

Originally Posted by Boshizzle

Whoa! I'm not trying to start a NC civil war here!

Hey, I'm just pokin'. I'm from NC so I'm entitled. I like eastern and western NC styles, but I'm partial to the "Lexington" style. And most of the people who eat gassed KC-Masterpiece Q are city folk who don't know any better, bless their hearts. Once you feed them some real bbq, they come around, unless they're yankee transplants. I learned a lot about bbq cooking from my eastern NC FIL, whom I helped for years roasting whole hogs over hickory coals that were burned down in a seperate barrel. It was delicious, tender, succulent bbq, which he then drowned in pure vinegar and red pepper.

[Garrett]

You can tell people are passionate about BBQ!! Not all Charlotte people use a gasser. With that said there is very few restaurants in this area that cooks real bbq on real pits. Most of the old places have shut down. That's why I have put so much effort into my home cooking.

It's very easy to start a civil in NC about BBQ. Too many people here don't know their history.

[brownkw]

It would have definitely been interesting to have seen whole hog on the NC episode, but it probably wasn't in the budget.

[kw]

From what I understand the original pit style places are family owned and operated. As long as it stays in the family the original pit can stay operational. Once the business is sold to somebody on the outside, the law changes and NSF equipment is required.

That's what I was told.

Either way, Carolina BBQ is awesome from one of the state to the other.

[smokeyw]

Skylight Inn was cooking on a BQ Grill and just ordered another one.
Clyde Coopers was cooking on a Wilmington Grill.

Originally Posted by Militant83

I really liked the BQ grills that two of the competitors were cookin on. They were BQs correct?

[Boshizzle]

Originally Posted by kw

From what I understand the original pit style places are family owned and operated. As long as it stays in the family the original pit can stay operational. Once the business is sold to somebody on the outside, the law changes and NSF equipment is required.

That's what I was told.

Either way, Carolina BBQ is awesome from one of the state to the other.

And that is a big part of why VA BBQ disappeared. Safety regulations regarding wood fired pits and HD regulations were a big part of it here in my state. In fact, i know of at least one place that was forced to either switch to an electric cooker in the late 1960's or close down.

[The_Kapn]

I do not know the nuances of the region's BBQ.

But I do think that most of the food looked YUMMY and the cooks did a great job.

Great series.

TIM

[neuyawk]

Originally Posted by Gnaws on Pigs

I learned a lot about bbq cooking from my eastern NC FIL, whom I helped for years roasting whole hogs over hickory coals that were burned down in a seperate barrel. It was delicious, tender, succulent bbq, which he then drowned in pure vinegar and red pepper.

That's the old time religion right there! Preach on brother!

[neuyawk]

Originally Posted by Boshizzle

And that is a big part of why VA BBQ disappeared. Safety regulations regarding wood fired pits and HD regulations were a big part of it here in my state. In fact, i know of at least one place that was forced to either switch to an electric cooker in the late 1960's or close down.

Just to play devil's advocate, and I'm a supporter of open pits, some of these old timers were just setting themselves up to be shut down. Sanitary conditions aside, many people only burn out their pits once a week-and that's pretty frequent!

That's a massive fire hazard with all the accumulated grease. I think they could have saved themselves if there was developed a system of safety checks. Heck just power washing the pits and exhaust systems nightly would solve a lot of problems.

[viggysmalls]

Originally Posted by Gnaws on Pigs

Hey, I'm just pokin'. I'm from NC so I'm entitled. I like eastern and western NC styles, but I'm partial to the "Lexington" style. And most of the people who eat gassed KC-Masterpiece Q are city folk who don't know any better, bless their hearts. Once you feed them some real bbq, they come around, unless they're yankee transplants. I learned a lot about bbq cooking from my eastern NC FIL, whom I helped for years roasting whole hogs over hickory coals that were burned down in a seperate barrel. It was delicious, tender, succulent bbq, which he then drowned in pure vinegar and red pepper.

Care to share what "Lexington" style bbq is and how one might go about replicating it? Living in KC, I like to try all different bbq styles from different regions.