North Carolina is known for its barbecue! It has been a traditional food here for over three and a half centuries. From the earliest days, North Carolina barbecue has been centered on fire-roasted pork because most of the settlers here could afford pigs. The common recipe of the early settlers was to roast split, whole hogs over wood coals and add catsup (vinegar with salt, hot peppers and sometimes a small amount of oyster juice). Tomatoes were not used in those early days as they were thought to be poisonous. The east continued with this type of tomato less sauce barbecue. The west on the other hand, started only using the pork shoulder and added a little tomato puree and sugar to the east style vinegar sauce. There continues to be a distinction between east and west Carolina barbecue, and everyone seems to have their favorite! (History courtesy of The Pit)
We have enjoyed many barbecue outings since moving to North Carolina. I think that the barbecue itself is delicious, but the sides deserve mentioning too! Anytime you order a plate of barbecue, you usually get a choice of 2 or 3 sides, depending on the restaurant. My favorites tend to be the mac and cheese and hushpuppies! The warm cornbread before dinner is usually a treat too!
The Pit in Raleigh, Mert's Heart and Soul in Charlotte and The Original Q Shack in Durham are some of our favorite barbecue restaurants so far.
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| MRS' dad and DRS after their first NC BBQ experience, yummy! |
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| DRS enjoying his food at Mert's Heart and Soul! |
DRS and I would love to take you out for Carolina barbeque next time you come to visit!
This place was to die for, great food and good times.
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