NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it?

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (MellowRoast)

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 03:48:05 GMT

I don't think I've had any sugar in that style bbq, either. If I had, I would have left it on the table.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Jim in NC)

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:15:01 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Baah Ben

Sundancer7 - I always wanted to try Stamey's and the Skylite Inn, too. Could you tell us a bit more about Stamey's? What's the "Q" like? Is it whole hog? What's different about their hush puppies? Wilbur's in Goldsboro makes fantastic hush puppies. Not crazy about their "Q" though.

One of the posters said that the reason nobody serves ribs in Eastern NC is that the kitchen help gets them? I think he was kidding, but who knows? If they do whole hog, do they just chop up all the meat including the rib meat?

I know at Bub Sweatman's in Holly Hill, SC. they serve the whole hog ribs separately from the outside dark meat, inside light meat, the skin and the hash. I do not like the texture of whole hog ribs, but the taste is pretty good.

Actually, does anyone know if you can get ribs in Lexington, NC...Home of Western NC "Q" I don't think so. I think all they do on the west side of the state are smoke pork shoulders and butts and use a tomato based sauce.

Thanks for any info.

I grew up in Greensboro with Stamey's, Bob Petty's, Lambert's, Turner's and King's. Stamey's is Lexington-style, meaning it is whole shoulders not whole hog, the sauce has a bit of tomato product in it and the slaw is made with the barbecue sauce or dip. Stamey's uses a chopper for their chopped barbecue and the texture is much like that of many eastern-style barbecue joints. Shoulders are richer than whole hog meat, eliminating the need to chop fat and skin into the barbecue like they do at The Skylight Inn. Stamey's hushpuppies are about the size and shape of your thumb giving them a high outside-crunch ratio to the cornbread inside. They use very little, if any sugar in them.

Ideally, barbecue is served hot off the pit (wood cooked) and needs no sauce. Vinegar cuts the richness of the fattier meat and salt accents the flavor of the pork. Little else is required for a pig pickin'.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Captain Morgan)

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:06:03 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by surrys

Eastern NC BBQ shouldn't be overpoweringly vinegary, just tart. There's a real focus on the meat out there, the sauce is really just a complement (the perfect complement) to some slow-cooked pig. Places like Parker's or Bill's in Wilson will typically have a bottle of their red-pepper-and-vinegar sauce on the table for those who want a little extra bite (along with some texas pete hot sauce), but it's not really needed. My family's from Eastern NC, near Greenville, so I'm understandably biased, but what they serve out there really is BBQ's platonic ideal: everything you need, nothing that you don't.

surry's speaks the truth. Eastern Carolina Q is seasoned with
the vinegar sauce, not coated in thick red sauce that covers up
the flavor of the meat. This is why everyone raves about North
Carolina bbq...it's the smoked meat.
Maybe folks could understand it better if eastern style sauce was
called seasoning instead of sauce.

Not trying to start a war with KC, Memphis or Texas, but I think
those places are actually known for their sauces, not their meat.
Of course, those who claim to be in the know also say good bbq needs
no sauce.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Baah Ben)

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:11:54 GMT

Sundancer7 - I always wanted to try Stamey's and the Skylite Inn, too. Could you tell us a bit more about Stamey's? What's the "Q" like? Is it whole hog? What's different about their hush puppies? Wilbur's in Goldsboro makes fantastic hush puppies. Not crazy about their "Q" though.

One of the posters said that the reason nobody serves ribs in Eastern NC is that the kitchen help gets them? I think he was kidding, but who knows? If they do whole hog, do they just chop up all the meat including the rib meat?

I know at Bub Sweatman's in Holly Hill, SC. they serve the whole hog ribs separately from the outside dark meat, inside light meat, the skin and the hash. I do not like the texture of whole hog ribs, but the taste is pretty good.

Actually, does anyone know if you can get ribs in Lexington, NC...Home of Western NC "Q" I don't think so. I think all they do on the west side of the state are smoke pork shoulders and butts and use a tomato based sauce.

Thanks for any info.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (surrys)

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:07:44 GMT

Eastern NC BBQ shouldn't be overpoweringly vinegary, just tart. There's a real focus on the meat out there, the sauce is really just a complement (the perfect complement) to some slow-cooked pig. Places like Parker's or Bill's in Wilson will typically have a bottle of their red-pepper-and-vinegar sauce on the table for those who want a little extra bite (along with some texas pete hot sauce), but it's not really needed. My family's from Eastern NC, near Greenville, so I'm understandably biased, but what they serve out there really is BBQ's platonic ideal: everything you need, nothing that you don't.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Sundancer7)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:06:54 GMT

I am not a fan of the vinegar based BBQ sauce of NC. I have tried it many times. From a personal point of view, I prefer a sweeter thicker sauce.

I still stop in NC for BBQ every time I travel through the area particualy in Greensboro, NC at Stameys. The place is always packed and I enjoy their BBQ although it is not my favorite. In addition, their hushpuppies are not what I familar with.

http://www.stameys.com/

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (lleechef)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:28:50 GMT

I LOVE vinegar based Q!! This is not surprising since I prefer savory/tart to anything sweet. When I was chef at the Black Cow Tap & Grill in Hamilton, MA I put a pulled pork sandwich with NC BBQ sauce on the lunch menu. Seemed like I was cooking 4 pork shoulders and making 4 gal. of sauce nearly every day. They loved it and me too!

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (WarToad)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:14:08 GMT

I've never had the opportunity to try a real vinagar based Q. I grew up in Iowa which if you could find Q, it was usually KC-style pork ribs.(And more often than not, there was a lot of "grilling" passed off as "BBQ") Here in Seattle, it's a split between Texas style, or KC style. I've yet to run into a NC Vinegar Q. Love to give it a try though.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (enginecapt)

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:17:41 GMT

Leave it and keep it far away. There's no place for the overpowering properties of vinegar(s) in my BBQ world.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Earl of Sandwich)

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:35:14 GMT

Welcome, Wingman.

I myself have eaten the NC Q and while it doesn't appeal to me I can appreciate that others do. I've just not acquired the taste. I still eat it whenever I'm in NC.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (wingmanBBF)

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:02:34 GMT

Just a newbie here but it's also been my experience that the Eastern NC que has no sugar mixed with the vinegar.
However, the chopped,(no mayo)slaw that's so delicios when added to the sandwich or, as my dad called it, pepper cabbage, does have a significant amoune of sugar, adding up to a sweet and sour taste in the sandwich.
I love vinegar sauce but my favorite has always been low country yellow sauce. I still buy gallons by the case from Tom Bessingers(SP?), Maurice's brother. I could just never get used to Maurices mixing que with politics.
When I grill pork chops I use a basting sauce of vinegar, crushed pepper flakes and butter that just brings out the taste of the pork in a subtle and beautiful way...also very quick and easy to heat up.
I'm now on the edge of diabetes myself and have decided to start making my own version of Tom's with an artifical sweetener. i don't baste in the smoker so I don't have to worry about carmelizing...just a dipping sauce. I tried a simple book recipe and it came out real close so I'll go back to it without the sugar.
This is a great site.
Thanks all for welcoming a newbie.

WingmanBBF

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Robearjr)

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:16:38 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by droberts621

Anybody agree or disagree w/ the fact that vinegar will continue to cook the meat (in it's own way) if mixed for any period of time. I don't cook whole hog for resturant service but if I did, I bet you that meat is tougher and drier 2 hours after that whole hog has been chopped and mixed w. vinegar. I do serve N.C. style vinegar sauce but all meat comes sauce on the side.

I never thought of it like that, but you could be right. It would be the same principle as ceviche, where the acidic lime juice cooks the fish.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (roossy90)

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:52:55 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by chewingthefat

I like vinegar on Pork, I like it more on french fries.

I dont like it on pork, like it on Fries, and love it on Brocolli and Greens!
Rather taste the meat than the sauce. Gimme nekked Q with a dipping side of sauce. Let me handle the saucing of my meat!

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (droberts621)

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:57:02 GMT

Anybody agree or disagree w/ the fact that vinegar will continue to cook the meat (in it's own way) if mixed for any period of time. I don't cook whole hog for resturant service but if I did, I bet you that meat is tougher and drier 2 hours after that whole hog has been chopped and mixed w. vinegar. I do serve N.C. style vinegar sauce but all meat comes sauce on the side.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (rebeltruce)

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:32:54 GMT

Here is my recipe. Simple but people seem to love it, I'm not sure even where I got the recipe from....I seem to remember it coming from a waitress at Willy's. A little place just outside of Colonial Beach, Va. As you can see it does have a slight amount of Brown Sugar in it.

CAROLINA BBQ SAUCE

1 Cup White Vinegar
1 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Tabasco or Franks
1 Teaspoon Salt (table salt)
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Mix everything together in a bottle. Let it sit for at least two days before using, good at room temp for up to 3 months.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Dr of BBQ)

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:47:07 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by jellybear
The reason why most NC BBQ Joints dont serve Ribs is because they are reserved for the Cooks.Really.And another reason is that after 8 or more hours on the Pit the ribs can be a little dried out and they are not as meaty.

Where did you read, hear or come up with that?
Jack

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (shanklemsw)

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:52:37 GMT

I am a big fan of vinegar based Q, seein' as I was raised on it. We had red slaw in the school cafeteria when I was a kid. I make my own sauce, much like the ones posted here, but I add a lemon slice and no sugar. Too gooey.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (hatteras04)

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:50:39 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by porkbeaks

quote:
Originally posted by jellybear

There is no sugar in a NC BBQ sauce or cornbread.

The majority of the North Carolina bbq sauce recipes obtained through Google (nc bbq sauce vinegar recipe) seem to contain some sugar. pb

Also, when Ed Mitchell was on Cook's Tour with Anthony Bourdain on the food network a few years ago and they were at his old place in Wilson they showed them making a big batch of pulled pork and the sauce had 3 ingredients: Vinegar, Red Pepper flakes, and LOTS of sugar.

So basically, I think it is safe to say that some do and some don't. And I love most of them that I hae tried.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (porkbeaks)

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:24:31 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by jellybear

There is no sugar in a NC BBQ sauce or cornbread.

The majority of the North Carolina bbq sauce recipes obtained through Google (nc bbq sauce vinegar recipe) seem to contain some sugar. pb

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (leethebard)

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:56:41 GMT

Spent many summers in Burnsville, North Carolina and ate my way through the Blue Ridge! Had lots of barbecue and I don't remember complaining...Pulled pork with a Cider Vinegar base sounds great!Deep fried some chicken last night, and made some hushpuppies.Kids love them! I can see where the vinegar would make the sauce a bit less greasy. Anyway,thanks for helping me remember great times in the Blue Ridge of NC!!

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (jellybear)

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:49:07 GMT

There is no sugar in a NC BBQ sauce or cornbread.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (John A)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:26:42 GMT

Hmm, seems as if the basic ingredients are pretty much the same. Here's the one I make, it's from the mod at another site.

2 cups cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

2 tablespoons Kosher salt

2 tablespoon red pepper (crushed)

1 teaspoon cayenne

Don't need to cook this sauce, just combine and let sit overnight.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (ocdreamr)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:02:21 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by MiamiDon

quote:
Originally posted by wanderingjew

I can count the number of Eastern NC BBQ joints I've been to- Wilbur's in Goldsboro, Parkers in Wilson, The BBQ Joint in Chapel Hill and the now defunct Meltons in Rocky Mount. I don't recall any sugar or a "sweet and sour" taste to the sauce that any of these places used.

I don't have your experience, WJ, but here is another one from a food columnist in the Raleigh News & Observer :

1 gallon cider vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoon red pepper
3 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar or 1/2 cup molasses

Maybe there are three NC sauce families?

Seeing as how this recipe came from Raleigh I'd say yea there are three kinds Eastern, Western & Homoginized.
I just checked the bottle I have from Jackson's Big Oak BBQ here in Wilmington and it's ingrediants are Vinegar, peppers, spices & salt - no sugar.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Captain Morgan)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:45:13 GMT

There are as many different bbq sauces in NC as there are
bbq joints. Scott's best represents Eastern sytle vinegar.

At some point, people have to realize that what is good and
traditional to some won't be good for you. You want
eastern...go to Wilber's or Skylight...you don't like it?
Don't go back....they'll survive without you.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Tony Bad)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:35:46 GMT

I love it! My only complaint about it is that it is almost impossible to find outside of Carolina/VA area. The quality of BBQ in my area has improved a lot in recent years, but no one is doing this style.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (wanderingjew)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:27:12 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by MiamiDon

quote:
Originally posted by wanderingjew

I can count the number of Eastern NC BBQ joints I've been to- Wilbur's in Goldsboro, Parkers in Wilson, The BBQ Joint in Chapel Hill and the now defunct Meltons in Rocky Mount. I don't recall any sugar or a "sweet and sour" taste to the sauce that any of these places used.

I don't have your experience, WJ, but here is another one from a food columnist in the Raleigh News & Observer :

1 gallon cider vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoon red pepper
3 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar or 1/2 cup molasses

Maybe there are three NC sauce families?

Don,

I truly can't be certain that there is no sugar in the vinegar based sauce, I just didn't detect any..

I happen to have a 5 year old bottle of Wilbur's sauce (yes I collect Bottles of BBQ Sauce that I never use!) according to the bottle the ingredients are as follows: vinegar, water, black pepper, red pepper, salt and spices.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (MiamiDon)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:02:54 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by wanderingjew

I can count the number of Eastern NC BBQ joints I've been to- Wilbur's in Goldsboro, Parkers in Wilson, The BBQ Joint in Chapel Hill and the now defunct Meltons in Rocky Mount. I don't recall any sugar or a "sweet and sour" taste to the sauce that any of these places used.

I don't have your experience, WJ, but here is another one from a food columnist in the Raleigh News & Observer :

1 gallon cider vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoon red pepper
3 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar or 1/2 cup molasses

Maybe there are three NC sauce families?

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (Baah Ben)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:19:43 GMT

Wilbur's is a whole hog place..I did not realize that either..Tar Heel Barbecue by Jim Early takes you from one end of the state to the other. Takes you from top to bottom as well. He raves about Wilbur's. Anyway, I was looking for Allen & Sons....and did a refresher on this book someone gave me.

My goals in NC are Stamey's and the Skylight on the eastern side and a few places in Lexington.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (MellowRoast)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:04:10 GMT

Love the stuff. As long as I can add the sauce myself.

RE: NC vinegar based "Q" - Love it or leave it? (chewingthefat)

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:58:03 GMT

I like vinegar on Pork, I like it more on french fries.