One of the most compelling parts about North Carolina is barbecue. Now, I’m not talking about ribs, and the word is most sointenlly NOT a verb or adjective. It is a noun denoting the smoking of either the shoulder or the hole pig for long hours to produce a concontion of shredded pigs meat, known down here as BBQ. The phrase “let’s barbecue” is never used down here. If you must, you can say “let’s cook out” or “let’s have a cookout.” But never a barbecue. And it is a grill. Never a barbecue grill.
The basic condiment used on BBQ is a thin, vinegar based sauce, usually a bit spicy. In Western North Carolina they mix some tomato in, in South Carolina they mix in a spicy mustard. None of that for moi, though. Stick with the basics.
There is almost no event where having BBQ is unacceptable. And cooking pig is like chili: the basic ingredients are the same, but it is what one does with them, and how they cook it. Gotta be juuuuussssttt right. It literally falls off the bones in a delectable concontion of delight.
You can eat it with a fork or your fingers, or put it on a bun. Typically you will get either fries or hush puppies with BBQ, or maybe some Brunswick stew. Don’t forget the slaw. Not cole slaw, just slaw. And sweet tea. Not the canned or bottled stuff. I’m talking real brewed tea, with just the right amount of filling pain causing sugar.
So, when y’all damnyankees stop down in the Carolinas, be sure y’all get some BBQ. As a matter of fact, BBQ is the #1 reason people move down South. No foolin’. Damm, I’m hungry now. Reckon I’ll see y’all in a bit.
