North Carolina Barbecue: East vs West
Barbecue is something that is taken seriously from Texas to Missouri, but North Carolinians have a real rivalry when it comes to Eastern- and Western-style pork.
The origins of slow-cooked meat can be traced back to the Caribbean in the 1500s. Original seasonings came from things like lemon and lime juice and red peppers, but when barbecue later came to North America, it was difficult to find lemons in more northern states. Vinegar was used as a substitute, and the basis for one of the more popular modern styles of barbecue was born.
Different styles would continue to develop across the country after the introduction of ketchup in the 1800s. In fact, some people assume that one type of North Carolina barbecue purely uses a vinegar base while the other purely uses ketchup, when actually both incorporate vinegar to get their distinct flavors.
Today, any type of barbecue evokes visions of picnic tables and – on the Outer Banks – evenings spent grilling out after easy beach days. Barbecue is a Southern tradition that falls right along with family dinners and tailgating before games. But most North Carolinians are diehards for one kind of pork or the other.
Eastern-Style Barbecue
The original North Carolina barbecue is Eastern-style. Vinegar-based recipes can be traced back several centuries in North Carolina, to a time when barbecue was first appearing on the East Coast from North Carolina to Florida. The term barbecue was adapted from the Spanish barbacoa, which even earlier came from the Arawak babacots in the Caribbean.
While some types of barbecue only use certain cuts of pork, Eastern-style uses nearly every edible part of the hog. The seasoning is made using vinegar and peppers, which enhances the flavor of the meat rather than competing with it. There is no ketchup or tomato-based sauce in the recipe. You might use cider vinegar for a base and spices like black pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper, salt, and hot sauce. Sugar and water are sometimes added too.
After basting the pork in the thin, vinegar-based sauce and slow cooking it, the result is acidic, spicy barbecue that leans much more toward savory than sweet. Both dark and white meat are included, so the barbecue is lighter than many other styles with a lower fat content.
In the age-old competition between East and West, Eastern-style barbecue has an undeniable tart flavor with a little spice. It’s quite different than ketchup-based styles in Western states. Some supporters of the ‘cue will say that even Western-style North Carolina barbeque is too saucy and sweet by comparison. But when you put Eastern- and Western-style side-by-side with barbecues from other states, neither North Carolina variety would be considered sweet.
Western-Style Barbecue
Western-style barbecue originated in Lexington, located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. It’s sometimes called Lexington-style or Piedmont-style. The base of the sauce is both vinegar and ketchup, and it’s that flavor that really separates Eastern and Western North Carolina. Western pork is sweeter with a sauce that’s redder in color, but the flavor is still tangy due to the vinegar component.
This style of barbecue only uses the pork shoulder, which can be traced back to the five men of German descent credited with creating the style. The men were inspired by a Bavarian dish of pork shoulder served with a sweet and sour vinegar sauce.
The shoulder generally absorbs more smoke and cooks faster than when all parts of the pig are used, which has made Western-style barbecue a popular choice in cities. Because the meat is all dark, the barbecue is rich and moist. It’s a little fattier than Eastern-style barbecue – but not by much compared to barbecue in some other parts of the country. The sauce, too, is richer, sometimes incorporating butter and sugar into the recipe.
West of Raleigh, ketchup isn’t just used as part of the base in barbecue. It’s also used in side dishes like the specialty Lexington coleslaw, called red slaw.
Because the Lexington Barbeque Festival is held annually and well-regarded among culinary enthusiasts, some people think Western-style barbecue is the true representation of North Carolina barbecue.
More Barbecues of the Carolinas
The rivalry in North Carolina is fierce, but when you throw South Carolina into the mix, you end up with a whopping six popular styles of barbecue to choose from. South Carolina’s four styles are diverse in their own right. After all, barbecue may be a comfort food, but the recipes are rarely as simple as they seem.
In South Carolina, the barbecues are all about the sauce, with the most unconventional and well-known being a mustard-based sauce. Like North Carolina’s Western-style barbecue, the mustard style was inspired by immigrants of German descent. The vinegar-based sauce called Carolina Gold is often served over pulled pork and other cuts of meat in the Midlands of South Carolina. The barbecue sauce is thin with spices added for a bold mustard flavor.
In the northern part of the state, called the Pee Dee region, the barbecue is most similar to Eastern-style North Carolina barbecue. The vinegar and spice recipes are very close, with the main difference being that no sugar is used in the Pee Dee region. The barbecue can be noticeably spicier because of this.
The other two types of sauce are tomato-based. You can find a lighter version of the sauce in the Midlands and Pee Dee regions and a heavier version in the western part of the state. These liken more to what many Americans consider to be the traditional American barbeque sauce.
The thick, sweet barbeque sauce comes from Kansas City, Missouri, and it’s what you’ll find on grocery store shelves and in chain restaurants in every state. The base of the sauce is ketchup and molasses, and ingredients such as brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire can also be used to achieve that signature flavor.
Beyond Kansas, Texas is known for its basting sauces, which are generally a thin glaze of beef stock, Worcestershire, vinegar, and spices. In Alabama, the barbeque sauce is white. It’s made from mayonnaise, vinegar, and pepper and considered to be a wild card among other barbeque styles for its creamy color and consistency.
No matter which style of barbeque you crave in the Carolinas, the vinegar base and variety of sauces and seasonings may mean the states have a step up on the competition.
Along with contributing to the island publication Outer Banks Coastal Life, Lexi Holian has covered everything from Miami food festivals to Antigua sailing for travel and hospitality brands in the United States and Caribbean.
Author: Lexi Holian
Born between the ocean and sound on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Alexi Holian can’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. Along with contributing to island publications like My Outer Banks Home, The Outer Banks Wedding Guide, and Outer Banks This Week, she has covered everything from Miami food festivals to St. Barth sailing for travel and hospitality brands around the world.
Born between the ocean and sound on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Alexi Holian can’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. Along with contributing to island publications like My Outer Banks Home, The Outer Banks Wedding Guide, and Outer Banks This Week, she has covered everything from Miami food festivals to St. Barth sailing for travel and hospitality brands around the world.
