I found a recipe for Lexington Dip sauce by performing a
simple google search. If you have not read other posts about North Carolina
barbecue, I'll give you a brief explanation of the sauce. In Western North
Carolina, where the town of Lexington is located, the barbecue sauce contains
more tomato product such as ketchup compared to the vinegar based sauces of
Eastern North Carolina. Lexington Dip was created by a local barbecue
restaurant in Lexington and now has become world famous. I have provided a link to the
recipe below. It seems to have more vinegar than tomato, but hey, I am from
Georgia where we love tomato in our barbecue sauces.
This post is the final installment on what I learned about barbecue in the North Carolina mountains. I was watching a documentary on barbecue while chilling out in the cabin when I learned of the history of Kansas City barbecue. First, during the Great Migration, African Americans from the South moved to the city in large numbers and brought barbecue with them. Second, cowboys driving cattle from Texas to Kansas City would bring their Texas barbecue traditions to the Midwest. They were not shy about smoking and eating brisket while on the road. The people of Kansas City took note of the strange food the cowboys and African Americans were eating and a Tennessee native, Henry Perry, opened the first barbecue restaurant in Kansas City in the 1920s. He would smoke meat over an open pit and serve it wrapped in newspaper. Other men learned how to barbecue from Henry and soon restaurants opened throughout the city.
Today, there are over 100 barbecue restaurants in Kansas City. I would argue that the city has the most respected barbecue tradition outside of Memphis (the state of Missouri as a whole, not so much). If you are visiting Kansas City, I would encourage you to avoid a Kansas City Royals baseball game. That team usually stinks! Instead, visit a barbecue restaurant. Give strong consideration to dining at Arthur Bryant's. It has been in business since the 1920s and has a worldwide following. For more information about Kansas City barbecue, visit http://www.visitkc.com/mediaroom/news_release_detail.aspx?NewsID=36
The poll recently closed to vote on the state with the best barbecue sauce. The state of North Carolina received the most votes for having the best barbecue sauce. The interesting part about barbecue sauce in North Carolina is that it changes with the region. Eastern North Carolina is the home of vinegar based sauces while Western North Carolina is home to barbecue sauces which are more tomato based (ketchup, tomato paste, etc.). I have read that barbecue sauce in Western North Carolina, especially in the Piedmont, is often called Lexington Dip, named after a city in that region.
North Carolina
It is important to understand that North Carolina is similar to Tennessee in culture. The culture of the eastern part of the state was much more impacted by slavery, segregation, and all those things we learned about the South in fifth grade history compared to the western part of the state. The western part of the state, much like East Tennessee, is mountainous and relatively cool compared to other parts of the South. Obviously, geography and culture impacted the barbecue traditions of people in North Carolina.
Below I have listed a recipe for a typical Eastern North Carolina barbecue sauce. I have used this recipe, and it tastes great. I have put the sauce on pulled pork and ribs with equally tasty results. I also have attached a video explaining North Carolina barbecue and another video explaining Lexington Dip. I highly urge you to take two vacations to North Carolina, one to the eastern part of the state and one to the western part of the state. You will not only enjoy the barbecue but also the sights, sounds, and people.
The next poll question will be posted tonight. I encourage you to participate!
Place all of the ingredients in a
small, non-reactive sauce pan and bring to a boil. Whisk until the sugar
and salt is completely dissolved, remove from heat, and allow to cool
to room temperature.
Pour the sauce into a jar or squeeze bottle and let rest in the refrigerator one day before using.
Another barbecue fact I learned about in my visit to North Carolina was a brief explanation of the old school barbecue pits used when our grandparents and great-grandparents were around. Here is a picture of one of them:
I am not sure when this picture was taken, but it was supposedly taken in North Carolina. I also have pictures posted on the blog of similar pits taken in Georgia and another one in North Carolina. The setup for these pits was simple. A long, narrow hole was dug in the ground at three feet of depth. The hole was filled with an assortment of hardwoods which could burn long and slow. Remember, charcoal is a relatively new invention. Sticks were placed on top of the hole and meat was placed on top of the sticks. With this setup, a barbecue pitmaster could smoke a large amount of meat while additionally being able to baste the meat with the appropriate sauces. Fairly straightforward and efficient, is it not?
Also, the original pitmasters were slaves on the plantation. They would cook for the wealthy plantation owners and their family and friends. After the Civil War, many freedmen opened their own barbecue joints out of the back of their houses or on the side of the road. It was also after the Civil War when barbecue moved outside of the South to places like Kansas City and Whites experimented with being pitmasters.
I learned all of this barbecue history from a documentary I watched while I was chilling out in the cabin my family rented for the week. I am unsure of the name of the documentary, but I believe it came on the Food Network. Below are additionally pictures of old barbecue pits.
I have attached a link at the bottom of this post to a recipe for Brunswick Stew from Dreamland BBQ. I know most of you have probably either never heard of Brunswick Stew or have never tasted it. It is barbecue's version of vegetable soup and is popular in Virginia and Georgia. It differs from traditional vegetable soup in that it contains some sort of smoked meat and the vegetables are usually Southern in theme including a combination of corn, onions, tomatoes, lima beans, and okra. The most difficult part of this recipe is the pulled pork or barbecue chicken. It would, of course, require many hours of smoking. If you would rather avoid the arduous smoking process, cook some chicken on the grill and then cut it up and place it in the stew. That way, the stew would more quickly attain a somewhat smokey flavor.
I enjoy the Brunswick Stew at Dreamland, but my favorite is at Wallace BBQ in Austell, GA. I have heard that the folks there order from a stew house in a neighboring county. Regardless of where it is cooked, it tastes wonderful! Also, I have always found it interesting that Dreamland, an Alabama-based restaurant, serves Brunswick Stew. My guess is that the corporate guys are attempting to appease the appetites of the patrons at their Georgia locations. Anyways, give Brunswick Stew a try and let me know what you think of it.
