North Carolina barbecue

Chuckman

Chuckman

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At the yard sale last weekend I found a book, Bob Garner's Book of Barbecue, which doesn't excellent job of explaining the difference between Eastern and Piedmont style barbecue. The book goes in depth about the culture of barbecue in North Carolina as well as hits many restaurants around the entire state.

I will say this. I'm a barbecue aficionado. I've eaten barbecue from all over the world and have liked just about all of them. But my preference is Eastern North Carolina, given where I was born and grew up. Regardless, North Carolina is barbecue champion of the world.
 
There are certainly differences in various regions of the empire and even within states when it comes to BBQ. I think some of the best I found (admittedly personal preference) was in Nashville, TN. I also like how TX BBQ is similar to that which I grew up with in the Midwest, but not sweet.
 
Chuckman said:
At the yard sale last weekend I found a book, Bob Garner's Book of Barbecue, which doesn't excellent job of explaining the difference between Eastern and Piedmont style barbecue. The book goes in depth about the culture of barbecue in North Carolina as well as hits many restaurants around the entire state.

I will say this. I'm a barbecue aficionado. I've eaten barbecue from all over the world and have liked just about all of them. But my preference is Eastern North Carolina, given where I was born and grew up. Regardless, North Carolina is barbecue champion of the world.
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I agree, my preference is Eastern NC but I like it all. I grew up on Vinegar based Q.
 
Chuckman said:
At the yard sale last weekend I found a book, Bob Garner's Book of Barbecue, which doesn't excellent job of explaining the difference between Eastern and Piedmont style barbecue. The book goes in depth about the culture of barbecue in North Carolina as well as hits many restaurants around the entire state.

I will say this. I'm a barbecue aficionado. I've eaten barbecue from all over the world and have liked just about all of them. But my preference is Eastern North Carolina, given where I was born and grew up. Regardless, North Carolina is barbecue champion of the world.
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At least as it applies to pit cooked, whole hog (pulled or chopped) vinegar based pork barbecue, I agree with you that Eastern NC is the clear champion.

But when it comes to individually cooked parts like pork ribs or pork belly, or other roasted animals like chicken, beef or goat, then NC as a whole is not in the cultural conversation, IMHO. There are good restaurants here and there in NC cooking these things, but they are not as pervasive as some other places.
 
Eastern US = Pork based BBQ

Western US = Beef Based BBQ

Midwest = Both meats
 
Chuckman said:
At the yard sale last weekend I found a book, Bob Garner's Book of Barbecue, which doesn't excellent job of explaining the difference between Eastern and Piedmont style barbecue. The book goes in depth about the culture of barbecue in North Carolina as well as hits many restaurants around the entire state.

I will say this. I'm a barbecue aficionado. I've eaten barbecue from all over the world and have liked just about all of them. But my preference is Eastern North Carolina, given where I was born and grew up. Regardless, North Carolina is barbecue champion of the world.
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Love Eastern NC BBQ!!!!
 
Make my own sauce. Stole the recipe from the Gloucester Community club chicken BBQ. They make it up fresh for each BBQ; 30 gallons at a whack.

That reminds me, gotta find the recipe card and make up another batch.
 
East of Here said:
At least as it applies to pit cooked, whole hog (pulled or chopped) vinegar based pork barbecue, I agree with you that Eastern NC is the clear champion.

But when it comes to individually cooked parts like pork ribs or pork belly, or other roasted animals like chicken, beef or goat, then NC as a whole is not in the cultural conversation, IMHO. There are good restaurants here and there in NC cooking these things, but they are not as pervasive as some other places.
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You are correct. Especially with proteins, other places corner the market (goat, lamb, fowl, beef, etc). I have eaten barbecued lamb and goat overseas that have rivaled anything anywhere in the world.
 
Hashknife said:
@Chuckman,

What do you think of this sauce from Goldsboro?

I use it alot..
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Is the past, there was an actual Scott’s restaurant. They closed the restaurant
And continued making / bottling the sauce. Good stuff. As the OP mentioned, Bob Garners book talks about some of the history.. he also released a video on PBS, years back “North Carolina BBQ Flavored by Time” in which he tells an interesting story s out Scott’s bbq sauce / the police/ and a miscreant that learned a lesson by hiding in a barrel of the sauce!
 
I can remember going to Kansas City first the first time when I was visiting a friend in school. Stopped in the grocery store and they had a full length aisle of nothing but sauce...most of which you folks would call seasoned ketchup.
I actually never had vinegar based BBQ sauce until I moved here. I dig it. My wife hates vinegar in general so she's firmly in the mustard based sauce camp.
 
I haven’t met much BBQ that I didn’t like. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Korean BBQ. 🫣
 
Chuckman said:
At the yard sale last weekend I found a book, Bob Garner's Book of Barbecue, which doesn't excellent job of explaining the difference between Eastern and Piedmont style barbecue. The book goes in depth about the culture of barbecue in North Carolina as well as hits many restaurants around the entire state.

I will say this. I'm a barbecue aficionado. I've eaten barbecue from all over the world and have liked just about all of them. But my preference is Eastern North Carolina, given where I was born and grew up. Regardless, North Carolina is barbecue champion of the world.
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I have the book as well, love the info and history he provides. Great book! As for BBQ, I would have to agree with you… while I love it all, Eastern NC is the tops to me.

Also, for those who may not know.. National Geographic declared Skylight Inn BBQ, in Ayden, NC as the BBQ capital of the world, thus the reason they added a replica of the capitol dome to the restaurant…
 
Years back, I used Bob Garners book as a guide. Would get up on the weekends and head out to try a different bbq place. I kept a few sheets of the little multi colored foil star stickers inside the book. The best places received a gold star, next wax silver and so on. Got around to a lot of places and was able to see a lot of NC that was as well.
 
Speaking of BBQ, have any of you ever been to Keaton's in Cleveland, NC? That is some unique chicken BBQ. Been 20+ years since I have been there, but at one point it was written up as one of the best BBQ joints in the US.
 
Chuckman said:
I like it. Don't love it.
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Ferrisfan said:
On pulled chicken, yes. Too many better options for the other meats to consider using white sauce.
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Well, you guys can have it all then lol.

I prefer vinegar, molasses/brown sugar, then mustard based.
Im picky about tomato based stuff. Im allergic to red tomatoes, although processed tomato stuff is generally ok for me. Because of that, I never developed a taste for tomatoes or tomato based sauces.
I like mayo and use it on stuff, but that backwoods, inbred, uncle-daddy, white, swamp water mess can stay in Bama 🤮
 
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I love all types of Q. Mostly depends on the mood or the brand of beer I’m drinking. But there is no bad bbq, just some a little better than others 😁

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I prefer eastern NC but all of it is pretty good except...I had Lexington BBQ at the BBQ center just off 85 in dwn twn Lex and it didnt even have a trace of smoke. Most folks were getting ice cream there. Last time I was at the Skylight in Ayden, the que was the consistency and taste of sawdust. This had previously been my Mecca of BBQ. Their "bread" is almost worth the trip. It is really polenta cooked in hog fat but dont tell anybody.
 
Mitch Rapp said:
Even that wretched Alabama White Sauce?
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I don't mind it. Wouldn't make it myself but I'll have some at a restaurant. Never slather the whole thing in it. Most sauces are too sweet for me, at least Alabama White isn't loaded with sugar.

I eat the white sauce at the Mexican places too.


I ate a bunch of chopped pork growing up, but I've come to hate it now. It's a sneaky way for the restaurant to hide tons of fat and low quality meat. Can't hide that in pulled pork.
 
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Was talking to a guy about BBQ today, he’s planning to make a trip to southern TX to the last place in the US that makes traditional barbacoa. Apparently it involves beef brains cooked in situ in a closed earthen pit. I’m not joining him.

I’ll eat about all of it, but I don’t find mutton bbq to be very enjoyable.

Rudy’s in Austin is a chain, there is better brisket at either Blacks, Franklins, Snows (in Lexington, TX), or anywhere in Lockhart
 
jimmyjames8 said:
Last time I was at the Skylight in Ayden, the que was the consistency and taste of sawdust. This had previously been my Mecca of BBQ. Their "bread" is almost worth the trip. It is really polenta cooked in hog fat but dont tell anybody.
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It’s almost as if the focus was lost on Skylight, so they could promote the new Sam Jones in Raleigh. Not to mention they lost the lore of the old place by adding all the extra menu items. Their food was awesome back in the day, when all they served was literally bbq, slaw, and sheet cornbread… and of course you could get a bbq sandwich on a bun. That’s it! Nothing else on the menu!
 
Cooking and eating BBQ is one my favorite hobbies. I love trying different rubs, sauces and techniques. Several of my neighbors have smokers as well, we're always texting about what we're cooking. Food coma's are a plenty around here.

I just ordered that book, thanks for the heads up!
 
This past weekend we had barbecue from Hog Heaven in Durham. And after reading this book it dawned on me why I like it so much. It is the best Eastern North Carolina style west of I-95, to me. Don't get me wrong, there are others that are excellent as well. But to me this has been one of my favorites.
 
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