North Carolina Barbecue Trail

Two short videos on barbecue in North Carolina. When you hear people discuss North Carolina, they'll inevitably refer to the ongoing "feud" between Eastern and Piedmont styles. Eastern barbecue is old-school: Whole hogs cooked over wood coals, with nothing but pepper and vinegar in the sauce. Piedmont barbecue is done with individual cuts of meat, usually shoulders, and perhaps most controversially, includes a bit if ketchup in the pepper-vinegar sauce. The sides also differ: Eastern places usually serve the meat with a slab of flat cornbread, whereas Piedmont barbecue often includes hushpuppies and some variations on slaw. Famous "Eastern style" establishments include the Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC, and Wilber's in Goldsboro. The most celebrated Piedmont version is done by Wayne "Honey" Monk at Lexington Barbecue #1, Lexington, SC.

And how did the distinction come about? John and Dale Reed note that the Eastern style goes back centuries, and owes elements to English, native and African traditions. The Piedmont style is a 20th century phenomenon. The Reeds actually draw a connection with German cuisine, noting the German migration to that region in the 19th century, as well as the remarkable number of Piedmont pitmasters with German surnames.

This distinction is the basis of the so-called "feud" you'll hear about in the media. It's served the state well. As columnist Jerry Bledsoe says, "The fight's as good as the food".