BigMark wrote:Carolina BBQ sucks! :twisted:
You do mean *Eastern* Carolina BBQ, right? :-)
I don't much care for the Eastern stuff myself with all that vinegar. When it comes to Carolina BBQ, I'm more of a tomato-based Western or Lexington-style BBQ fan:
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_v ... f_barbecue
North Carolina
Within North Carolina, there are two regional barbecue traditions, both based on the slow-cooking of pork, served pulled, chopped, or sliced. In eastern North Carolina, typically the whole hog is used, and the dominant ingredients in the sauce are vinegar and hot peppers. From the Piedmont westward, Lexington-style barbecue is the norm. It is prepared from primarily pork shoulder and served with either a vinegar-based or tomato-based sauce. The tomato-based sauce, called "dip" by some, can be made with ketchup and is thinner and less sweet than most bottled barbecue sauces available nationwide. Except for the "whole hog" preparation, hams are not generally barbecued.
Throughout the State, the term "barbecue" refers to slow cooked pork. It is almost never used to refer to a backyard cookout. Any meat basted in a barbecue sauce and cooked over heat can be called "barbecued," for example, "barbecued chicken" or "barbecued ribs." A common home preparation called "chicken barbecue" is oven-braised chicken pieces with a sauce, usually thin and slightly spicy.
Common side dishes include hushpuppies, barbecue slaw, french fries, boiled potatoes, corn sticks, Brunswick stew, and collard greens. In the popular NC State Legislative Building cafeteria, accompaniments include deep-fried dill pickle slices. Also popular is the "barbecue sandwich," consisting of barbecue, vinegar/pepper sauce, sweet cole slaw served on a hamburger bun. A "barbecue tray" is a thick paper rectangular bowl with barbecue and french fries or hushpuppies served side-by-side. The meat may already have sauce mixed in, or the diner may add his own.
Lexington's well-known annual Barbecue Festival is normally held on one of the last two Saturdays in October. Attesting to its popularity, Carolina-style barbecue restaurants are scattered along the Eastern seaboard and tubs of NC chopped barbecue can be found in many grocers.
But speaking of BBQ, in about two weeks I'm going to be in Dallas so I'll get a chance to stuff myself silly with my most favorite-est BBQ - Rudy's!
http://rudys.com/
Give me a couple of pounds of beef brisket, a loaf of white bread, a jug of Rudy's BBQ sauce, and a bucket of beers and I'll be set!