North Carolina Barbecue
- Thread starter Raising Heel
- Start date
Oh wait...did I vote for the slaw to be on the BBQ as served? That was not my intention.
Built a pig cooker shortly after I moved out here to Nebraska. BBQ'd a pig and invited all the farmers that allow me to bird hunt their land, some other people as well. Since then I have catered several weddings, birthday parties and graduations. Midwesterners have decided that Eastern NC BBQ with slaw is the way to go.
Eastern, w/o slaw (unless it's on the side).
Since I'm down here in Georgia, and since I'm not at a place in my life yet where I'm willing to spend the money on a pig cooker.....I had to get creative. After all, you can't not have E. N.C. BBQ in your life. It just isn't an option.
I have a decent recipe to make it, and I do it in a crockpot. Now before you knock it.....I've been eating E N.C. 'cue my whole life (dad's family lives Down East) and I happen to think this recipe in the crockpot is at least a respectable imitation. It certainly works for me, given my situation.
I buy sauce from Goldsboro and have it shipped to my house. I also use a special rub seasoning that one of my dad's friends makes and sells. Pick out a 3 to 4 pound Boston butt at the grocery store, seasoning her up, cook on low for 8-10 hours without the sauce. I apply the vinegar-based BBQ sauce after I slow cook and pull the pork. You can apply sauce to the whole mess of it, or what I liked to do is apply the sauce after I spoon a portion on to my plate.
I know y'all didn't ask to know any of that, but I just told you
Also....I can't say that I've ever had Lexington-style. Can someone define for me?
Since I'm down here in Georgia, and since I'm not at a place in my life yet where I'm willing to spend the money on a pig cooker.....I had to get creative. After all, you can't not have E. N.C. BBQ in your life. It just isn't an option.
I have a decent recipe to make it, and I do it in a crockpot. Now before you knock it.....I've been eating E N.C. 'cue my whole life (dad's family lives Down East) and I happen to think this recipe in the crockpot is at least a respectable imitation. It certainly works for me, given my situation.
I buy sauce from Goldsboro and have it shipped to my house. I also use a special rub seasoning that one of my dad's friends makes and sells. Pick out a 3 to 4 pound Boston butt at the grocery store, seasoning her up, cook on low for 8-10 hours without the sauce. I apply the vinegar-based BBQ sauce after I slow cook and pull the pork. You can apply sauce to the whole mess of it, or what I liked to do is apply the sauce after I spoon a portion on to my plate.
I know y'all didn't ask to know any of that, but I just told you
Also....I can't say that I've ever had Lexington-style. Can someone define for me?
I had Lexington style BBQ and slaw in Shelby, NC one year at the state American Legion Baseball Banquet. I'm sorry just not a fan.
Eastern, w/o slaw (unless it's on the side).
Since I'm down here in Georgia, and since I'm not at a place in my life yet where I'm willing to spend the money on a pig cooker.....I had to get creative. After all, you can't not have E. N.C. BBQ in your life. It just isn't an option.
I have a decent recipe to make it, and I do it in a crockpot. Now before you knock it.....I've been eating E N.C. 'cue my whole life (dad's family lives Down East) and I happen to think this recipe in the crockpot is at least a respectable imitation. It certainly works for me, given my situation.
I buy sauce from Goldsboro and have it shipped to my house. I also use a special rub seasoning that one of my dad's friends makes and sells. Pick out a 3 to 4 pound Boston butt at the grocery store, seasoning her up, cook on low for 8-10 hours without the sauce. I apply the vinegar-based BBQ sauce after I slow cook and pull the pork. You can apply sauce to the whole mess of it, or what I liked to do is apply the sauce after I spoon a portion on to my plate.
I know y'all didn't ask to know any of that, but I just told you
Also....I can't say that I've ever had Lexington-style. Can someone define for me?
Sometimes when I am lazy i do this too. I usually just use a bottle of Georges and some rub. All added together in the crock pot and no other work until it is done. Some will laugh at this shortcut but they are not getting to taste the delicious drinks that I get to consume with my feet up while it cooks.
Don't you guys find the crock pot stuff rather greasy? I have an "indoor smoke-n-pit" which is actually just a huge-arse crock pot that we use at work from time to time. I use a rack to elevate the butt out of the drippings. I put a little liquid smoke in the sauce. It's not bad, but it ain't what comes out of my smoker by a long shot.
And guys...a charcoal grill can smoke a butt just as well as $3500 pit.
I have a smoker, a weber, and a fullsize pig cooker (charcoal). I use them all at times.
You are exactly right about the crock pot version. When I do it I usually trim the meat of about 50% of the visable fat and I also use a big spoon to dip out the fat (that is all conveniently on top) before serving. You are very correct that it is certainly a drawback.
I don't know why it has to be an either/or. I like them both. I also like SC style. I like Texas style and Memphis style. Basically, if you slow cook a pig, I'll eat it however you want to prepare it.
I told you I was trying to start an argument. Now play along, dammit.
Actually, I'm the same way. I actually like Kansas City-style BBQ because of the sauce. Give me some good sauce over pulled pork and I'm a happy camper. I've even been known to dabble in mustard-based sauce just as a change of pace, but eating that exclusively would be awful.
Lexington Style is shoulders only with just a hint of ketchup in the vinegar/pepper based sauce, plus they make red slaw (using the sauce) to go with their bbq. Eastern style is whole hog with just the vinegar/pepper sauce and your slaw will be a mayo based creamy slaw. Burlington, N.C.seems to be the fault line between the two types. Everything east of there will be eastern style and west will be Lexington style. You will more often be offered boiled potatoes or Brunswick stew with your cue in the east than in the west. As you can see the difference in the two is very little but to hear some people argue about it you would think it's two completely different foods
Thanks! Yeah, I had always thought Lexington style was much more different (because of how people argue over it like you said), but I'm still partial to Eastern. Don't want any ketchup in my sauce and you just can't beat Eastern style sauce.
I guess what I make at home is technically a hybrid of the two because I'm just using a portion of the pig, but hey at least I've got some authentic ENC sauce
But really.....I just love pork haha. I'm with GSD, I'll eat it however you prepare it.
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