Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The Great BBQ Debate.

Folks in the South can get heated about their BBQ styles. Everyone seems to have THE sauce. In fact, the great state of NC is divided right down the middle with Vinegar vs. Tomato. I am an anomaly ... though I would choose Wilburs over the next guy 9 out of 10 times, I also have a place in my heart for SC style.

The BF hosted a nice little BBQ sauce tasting gathering last night as "research" for his BBQ team. He created 12 different concoctions and we ranked them from 1 (eww) to 10 (fabulous)! The 5 "bases" for the sauces were inspired from these regions:

1. Eastern North Carolina (Vinegar Based)
2. Western North Carolina or "Lexington" BBQ (Tomato-Based)
3. South Carolina (Mustard Based)

4. Alabama White Sauce (Mayo Based)

5. Texas Brisket Style
What is your favorite?


(Photos from: lubbockonline.com, whitetrashbbq, pecans.com, saucehog.com, howstuffworks.com)

13 comments:

Red and White Preppy said...

Yummmm...Wilbur's...that's definitely one of my favorites!

Lauren @ Adventures of a Southern Newlywed said...

I love a mix of mustard based and vinegar based. Yes, it is weird, but it is so good.

What did you all find that everyone liked the most?

Miss Lili NC said...

I pretty much love all BBQ...how weird is it that I can't choose a favorite?

LovesPINKandPEARLS said...

i lived in eastern north carolina for most of my life, so im a vinegar based bbq baby!i love it with just enough vinegar, a little mustard, and a lot of cayenne pepper! yummmmmm, your post makes me miss home!

James C. said...

Eastern NC 'cue is the only TRUE form of barbecue out there...the rest are just vying for 2nd place.

As a native North Carolinian, I offer one point of clarification, though: There are actually three styles of barbecue in North Carolina. Eastern, Lexington and Western.

Eastern and Lexington are the two original styles, but Western is starting to gain a foothold in places west of Hickory. It's a thick, KC Masterpiece-esque sauce that is more akin to what you might find in parts of Tennessee than in N.C.

Lexington sauce does feature tomato and brown sugar in it, but its primary ingredients are still vinegar, salt and pepper. It's not nearly as thick as the sauces you'll find west of Hickory.

A great read on the history of N.C. BBQ is Bob Garner's book "Flavored By Time." It's an excellent look at the genesis of the world's best BBQ.

Lisa said...

I think this my FAVORITE of your posts EVER - so delish!

PS - Double love that the BF has a BBQ Team... now THAT sounds like a good deal.

The Mrs. said...

I think I'm more of a tomato based BBQ saucer. Hubby loves it all....not the mayo one though! YUCK!

Well I Do Declare said...

Eastern NC BBQ... hands down! One of the reasons I didn't care for the BBQ at the Beacon. It was unlike anything I have ever had, and not in a good way! Luckily the sweet tea and crushed ice made up for it :P

Polos & Pearls said...

Wilburs is delish.. but Parker's in Wilson is better! I do love the red sauce type every now and then, but shhh don't tell anyone!

magnoliabelle said...

How do I love eastern NC bbq....let me count the ways...seriously, I love you for this post...and I hate you because now I need a bbq fix and I live in the western part of the state:( Seriously, I like both Wilburs and Parkers, but my dad makes some that puts them to shame.

Belle and Baby said...

I have to betray my Western NC roots. I love Eastern style BBQ. Although occasionally I do mix the two.

Surf Girl said...

New here - love your blog!
Red sauce all the way. But I went to school in East TN and we call it Tennessee-style. :)
I love the white sauce too, it's just hard to find.

Belle (from Life of a...) said...

Yummy...we need to get everybody to give Duke's BBQ a try. Several locations around SC. Orangeburg born, I believe.