Carolina BBQ

[Dirt Grinder]

A new wrinkle has appeared on my quest to cook some "authentic" Carolina BBQ. I talked to some South Carolina natives who went to Clemson and they said that the "Carolina" BBQ near Clemson was nothing like what they ate "back home."

It seems, from what I have been told

1. The Western part of the state uses a peppery ketchup-based sauce,
2. the central part of the state uses a mustard-based sauce (German influence?),
3. the eastern part of the state uses a spicy vinegar sauce.

Hmm... do the cooks "dress" the pulled/chopped pork with a vinegar dressing prior to serving?

HAH!!! I can see only pleasing 1/3 of this crowd.

[momtothree]

It seems like they can start out with the rub and vinegar basting. Then provide the three types of sauces you mentioned for them to dress it themselves. That way you can please more of the crowd? :-)

[no kudzu]

There is a BIG difference between South Carolina and North Carolina BBQ. When I think of SC BBQ i generally think of mustard based sauce but N.C. BBQ is vinegar sauce in the eastern part and from Lexington on west it is tomato based sauce. I've never even seen mustard based BBQ sauce anywhere in N.C.

But the biggest thing to remember is the type of wood the meat is cooked with. This makes all the difference in the world. Each pit master has his or her own favorite type of wood and process. Some BBQ is just slow cooked meat with sauce on the side and real die hard BBQ lovers don't like any kind of sauce. And most southerners wouldn't think of eating BBQ without some Brunswick stew, sides of baked beans and coleslaw and of course Sweet Tea and cornbread with cracklin .Now that's some good eats. BBQ is a real art here in N.C. and people are very serious about it.

Don't ever say to a real southerner "Come to my house and we will BBQ". BBQ is a noun, not a verb. We don't BBQ. We cook out.So here it is 11:38 and I craving BBQ.

I slow cook a pork butt about twice a month for pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. Sometimes I make my own sauce and sometimes I use Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. But I cannot stand vinegar based BBQ. it makes my eyes water. We eat only tomato based sauce with coleslaw on the bun with the BBQ.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

A new wrinkle has appeared on my quest to cook some "authentic" Carolina BBQ. I talked to some South Carolina natives who went to Clemson and they said that the "Carolina" BBQ near Clemson was nothing like what they ate "back home."

It seems, from what I have been told[list=1][*]The Western part of the state uses a peppery ketchup-based sauce,

Nope, someone is pulling your curly tail. Ketchup based sauce is basically a North Carolina thang, especially around Lexington, starting back in the early 1900's. It has since trickled down to the upper midlands and coastal areas of SC.

[*]the central part of the state uses a mustard-based sauce (German influence?

Keerect. And the reason you will hear some Clemson grads refer to this style as "THE" sauce is because they came from the central part of the state, and brought the sauce with them, not because it is native to those western parts.

[*]the eastern part of the state uses a spicy vinegar sauce.

Hmm... do the cooks "dress" the pulled/chopped pork with a vinegar dressing prior to serving?
HAH!!! I can see only pleasing 1/3 of this crowd.

Here's what STYLES OF SOUTH CAROLINA BBQ has to say:

Traditionally the pork is cooked in an open pit fueled by hardwood coals. The whole hog typically is cooked in the coastal plain regions, while shoulders, hams, or Boston butts are used in the Piedmont area. There are at least three basic sauce types:

*Watery thin and fiery hot pepper and vinegar concoctions dominate the Pee Dee region (western).
*The upstate and Savannah River areas favor peppery tomato or milder ketchup-based sauces.
*A yellow-mustard-based sauce is favored in the Midlands.

Types and use of sauce differ from place to place: Some use sauce to baste the meat while it cooks; others douse the meat with the sauce after it is cooked; and sometimes the meat is served without sauce, allowing the customer to determine the amount of sauce desired.

South Carolina Barbeque - south carolina barbeque recipes, southern cuisine, BBQ recipe

Also that link gives you four different sauce recipes. The three listed above, plus a heavy tomato variation that is the newest and latest. Want to be a hero? Dress the pork out with some vinegar sauce, then make all four styles of "sause," clearly labeled, and let people choose what they like.