Carolinas 101
Go whole hog.
The Cuts:
Pork, in all its glory. Most commonly pulled from pork butt.
The Method:
Possibly, the single region with the most divisions. North Carolina, itself, is split into Eastern – where the saying goes, “Whole hog and keep the mustard for your hot dogs and the ketchup for your fries,” – and Western, or Piedmont style (mostly pork shoulder). Spice mixture rubs and mopping during low-and-slow smoking with a vinegar-based sauce is common throughout the Carolinas. Served sliced or chopped.
The Sauce:
Eastern is a thinner, not overly sweet, vinegar-based style without tomatoes. Western is a thicker, sweeter variety, with tomatoes. South Carolina throws a mustard-based sauce into the mix called “Carolina Gold.”
The Sides:
Cole slaw, cornbread, hushpuppies, biscuits, potato salad, and South Carolina’s shrimp and grits – all washed down with sweet tea. Banana pudding with a meringue topping and Nilla wafers for dessert.
The Backstory:
In the 1500′s the Spanish introduced pigs to the region. Where cattle did poorly, swine flourish to this day. Prior to the Civil War, Southerners ate five pounds of pork for every one-pound of beef. Celebrations and feasts around the hallowed hog are called “Pig Pickin’s.”
