For a bit more history, and an explanation of the above-mentioned distinction in eastern and western NC barbecue, I'd like to quote Bob Garner, from his Guide To North Carolina Barbecue, because, my sources tell me, he's the man from whom to quote on any and all things 'cue:

"From the very beginning," Garner writes, "barbecue in North Carolina meant pork. During the 1500s, the Spanish introduced pigs to the southeastern part of America. Whereas cattle tended to fare poorly in the region, swine flourished, nowhere more so than in North Carolina."

Garner goes on to explain that the pork would most commonly be cooked over an open fire and would be seasoned with "an ordinary table condiment of the time, which consisted of vinegar, salt, red and black pepper, and oyster juice… Salty vinegar liberally laced with pepper (but minus the oyster juice) is still basically the same sauce used on eastern North Carolina barbecue today …"

The big difference between eastern barbecue and western - or Lexington-style, as it's sometimes called - barbecue is that ketchup is commonly added to the sauce of western barbecue. The other difference is that in the east they use the whole hog, both white and dark meat, while in the west they cook only the pork shoulder, which is dark meat and thus more fatty, moister and richer.

zom-zom wrote:None of the above.

"Enjoy" your disgusting, gloopy, sweetened and oversauced pig, I'll just take some decent free-range pork that's not covered in candy.

Southern states did not discover pork, they just ruined it.

zom-zom wrote:None of the above.

"Enjoy" your disgusting, gloopy, sweetened and oversauced pig, I'll just take some decent free-range pork that's not covered in candy.

Southern states did not discover pork, they just ruined it.

bigc wrote:It's your taste buds that are ruined.

dontfeartheringo wrote:I think that the term that you are looking for instead of "runny" is "Not Crap." (Unlike that sweet ketchupy stuff they use in the Volunteer-to-Eat-Crappy-Barbecue State.)

You have also missed a key element of the BBQ wars:

Eastern Carolina vs. Western Carolina.

For a bit more history, and an explanation of the above-mentioned distinction in eastern and western NC barbecue, I'd like to quote Bob Garner, from his Guide To North Carolina Barbecue, because, my sources tell me, he's the man from whom to quote on any and all things 'cue:

"From the very beginning," Garner writes, "barbecue in North Carolina meant pork. During the 1500s, the Spanish introduced pigs to the southeastern part of America. Whereas cattle tended to fare poorly in the region, swine flourished, nowhere more so than in North Carolina."

Garner goes on to explain that the pork would most commonly be cooked over an open fire and would be seasoned with "an ordinary table condiment of the time, which consisted of vinegar, salt, red and black pepper, and oyster juice… Salty vinegar liberally laced with pepper (but minus the oyster juice) is still basically the same sauce used on eastern North Carolina barbecue today …"

The big difference between eastern barbecue and western - or Lexington-style, as it's sometimes called - barbecue is that ketchup is commonly added to the sauce of western barbecue. The other difference is that in the east they use the whole hog, both white and dark meat, while in the west they cook only the pork shoulder, which is dark meat and thus more fatty, moister and richer.

Western Carolina sauce is alarmingly close to that of our heathen brethren from Tennessee.

Ketchup does not belong in BBQ sauce and sugar does not belong in cornbread. It's just wrong. You start mixing that stuff in and lord knows what you'll get up to next.

zom-zom wrote:I like to taste the pork.