Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Sauce Recipe

[cueball21]

Couldn't fine the post but someone in the last week or 10 days was asking for a Carolina barbecue sauce recipe. I spent the first half-century of my life in NC and enjoyed many a pig-pickin'party where this sauce or one with slight variations was plentiful and good:

[FONT=&quot]Pork BBQ Sauce[/FONT]

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tbs. dark brown sugar
1 tbs. ketchup
1 tbs. Texas Pete hot sauce (a NC product) or to taste
1 tbs. red pepper flakes - or more to taste
1 tsp. black pepper, coarse ground - or to taste
1 tsp. Kosher salt

Mix well. Place in squeeze bottle. Shake well before using.

That is the basic recipe. Here are some additions I've been known to make:
1-1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce - or to taste
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 cup black strap or dark molasses

same directions apply

or Basic Recipe plus
1/2 stick unsalted butter
5 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs honey (instead of molasses)

Melt butter over medium heat.
Add lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and pepper and pepper.
Stir until mixed well.
Add vinegar.
Taste and adjust for flavor and pepper heat.

No guarantees because everyone has different tastes. Experiment adding flavors you like.

If you do not use butter, you can store at room temperature if you have leftovers. It's best to store in the reefer if you use butter (or margarine).


I hope this helps.

 

[jfletcherMD]

**GASP!!**

You dare include KETCHUP in a sauce recipe and dub it an "EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA SAUCE?!?!"

Just kidding! I actually know several people (and even a couple of restaurants) around here that include a spoonful or two of ketchup in their personal sauce recipes, even though it's not "traditional" to do so... The key is not to add so much ketchup that it dominates the flavor of the sauce - do that and you've got "Lexington Dip." uke:

I even know someone who is the "sauce guy" for a local pig picking/fundraising event every year...his sauce recipe - while definitely an EASTERN sauce, and regarded by many who eat it as some of the tastiest around! - actually includes **looks over shoulder** Kraft Barbecue Sauce as one of its ingredients!! :shock:

My own "Eastern Carolina" sauce recipe eschews ketchup, but does include a few non-traditional ingredients...

- One cup white distilled vinegar
- One cup apple cider vinegar (or pepper vinegar, if I have some...)
- Two TBSP water
- One TBSP Texas Pete
- Two TSP Morton's Salt
- One TBSP crushed red pepper
- Two TSP fresh ground black pepper
- Two TBSP brown sugar
- One TSP paprika
- One TSP dehydrated minced onion
- 1/2 TSP granulated garlic
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (fresh squeezed)

Combine all in a bottle or mason jar and shake to combine. Allow to sit for at least 4 hours prior to serving. Store in fridge indefinitely.

 

[ShadowDriver]

You dare include KETCHUP in a sauce recipe and dub it an "EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA SAUCE?!?!"

You ain't from around here, is you... (that's a statement, not a question).


And J Fletcher... I know you did NOT just call "Lexington Dip," puke.

Them's fightin' words.

 

[jfletcherMD]

And J Fletcher... I know you did NOT just call "Lexington Dip," puke.

Them's fightin' words.

Nahh...I've got no issue with Lexington Dip - I'm far less opposed to it than many in Eastern NC. I've heard it said that "you wouldn't put vinegar on a hamburger, so why put ketchup on your barbecue!" But hey, I say if Lexington Style (or SC Mustard, or Kansas City, or whatever) is how you like it, go for it!

 

[cueball21]

@jfletcherMD -

I'm surprised you didn't nail me for the dry mustard addition, too.:-o

To be honest, most people cannot detect the ketchup because a tablespoon in 2 cups is hard to detect, but I've found that it brings a sweet and tart flavor that I miss when I leave it out.

Thanks for reminding me of the citrus. I've been known to squeeze half a lime in or add a tablespoon of finely minced lemon zest.

 

[BillATL]

**GASP!!**

You dare include KETCHUP in a sauce recipe and dub it an "EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA SAUCE?!?!"

What he said! (And the Zappa quote is totally on point here too ;-) )

@jfletcherMD, your recipe looks a lot like mine - I just add some of my rub and some extra hot pepper flakes to cider vinegar and call it a day. But I really like the idea of using pepper vinegar - I think I just stole that idea

 

[SirPorkaLot]

1. There is a lot of heresy going on in this thread that I will ignore...for now.

2. Here is the ENC sauce I use (but I prefer Lexington style)

Eastern NC BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes (or up to 1 tablespoon, if you like hotter sauce)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper

Instructions

• 1. Mix all ingredients together and let sit 10 minutes. Add to chopped barbecue when hot to season the meat and keep it from drying out.

Lexington Style NC BBQ Sauce
Ingredients

• • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 Tbs sugar
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

• 1. Whisk together all ingredients until sugar and salt are dissolved.
  2. Pull pork into thin shreds and toss with half of the sauce. Save the remaining sauce to serve at the table. Makes about 2 cups.

 

[1buckie]

Glad there's people who know enough about these things to qualify the fine-tuned differences....I'm from California & don't know any better....THANKS !!!!

 

[lantern]

I love these threads. It's like reading an argument/discussion in my living room or back yard. LOL!

 

[CT-Mike]

My favorite recipe is Fat Johnny's Bastardized Piedmont Sauce.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

In case anyone is wondering HOW to cook NC bbq, I will send you here:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151525

 

[bwram1]

I lived down east (Wilson County) for a few years...and never could acquire a taste for the eastern sauce. Was happy when the job transferred me back home! :-D

 

[bwram1]

In case anyone is wondering HOW to cook NC bbq, I will send you here:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151525

FYI...Lexington style isn't exactly eastern or even close to western NC style. Eastern doesn't generally use ketchup and western doesn't really do a lot of vinegar based sauces at all. By western, I am speaking as far west as Catawba, Caldwell & Burke Counties...Lantern can correct me if I am wrong with regards to McDowell, Buncombe and beyond.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

FYI...Lexington style isn't exactly eastern or even close to western NC style. Eastern doesn't generally use ketchup and western doesn't really do a lot of vinegar based sauces at all. By western, I am speaking as far west as Catawba, Caldwell & Burke Counties...Lantern can correct me if I am wrong with regards to McDowell, Buncombe and beyond.

You are sorta correct.
There are two main divisions of sauce in NC.

Eastern NC (no ketchup)
Lexington Style, also known as Piedmont style (ketchup)

Both are vinegar based

There are some outliers...some border towns to the south will offer a SC mustard sauce and some border towns to the west offer more of a Tennessee or Memphis style sauce.

Buncombe county is SF east and don't count

This should photo tells it better than I can

 

[bwram1]

You are sorta correct.
There are two main divisions of sauce in NC.

Eastern NC (no ketchup)
Lexington Style, also known as Piedmont style (ketchup)

Both are vinegar based

There are some outliers...some border towns to the south will offer a SC mustard sauce and some border towns to the west offer more of a Tennessee or Memphis style sauce.

Buncombe county is SF east and don't count

This should photo tells it better than I can

Not sure how Buncombe County doesn't count...it's in the heart of what we consider western NC...Asheville (county seat of Buncombe) is right in the bottom of the first "T" in the word Tomato on that shirt. Where I live in in the first down-stroke of the letter "M".

 

[SirPorkaLot]

Not sure how Buncombe County doesn't count...it's in the heart of what we consider western NC...Asheville (county seat of Buncombe) is right in the bottom of the first "T" in the word Tomato on that shirt. Where I live in in the first down-stroke of the letter "M".

I was pulling your chain...

Asheville is much more progressive than anywhere else in NC. It's BBQ is also very different from what I remember.

I lived in Forest City for many years, know the area well.
I grew up just outside of Lexington

 

[cueball21]

I lived down east (Wilson County) for a few years...and never could acquire a taste for the eastern sauce. Was happy when the job transferred me back home! :-D

That's because Parker's doesn't have really good sauce. I hope you traveled a bit further to Williamston and other Eastern NC towns where there are small cue-masters who have won followings.

(Originally from Raleigh and traveled NC extensively - all 100 counties - back in the early '60s.)

Save​

 

[cueball21]

So, just where exactly does that fracture line occur? Is Raleigh Eastern or Western?

Be careful, Coopers BBQ in Raleigh might be offended.

What about Durham?

 

[SirPorkaLot]

So, just where exactly does that fracture line occur? Is Raleigh Eastern or Western?

Be careful, Coopers BBQ in Raleigh might be offended.

What about Durham?

Raleigh is generally considered Eastern and US 1 is roughly the border, so Durham is on the western side of said imaginary border

 

[bbqwizard]

My favorite recipe is Fat Johnny's Bastardized Piedmont Sauce.

Hands down my favorite too. I can appreciate the simplicity of a "classic" Carolina sauce though.