BBQ overload

So, it's pretty likely that I'm going to gain 100 pounds taste testing the new recipes for the Kiss My Grits venture. But I guess it's the price I've got to pay to bring the good stuff to the masses. My good friend Joyce asked me tonight, "Why do you call it bbq? Isn't it called pulled pork?"

I reminded her that in the South, bbq is a noun, not a verb. I never even heard the term "pulled pork" until I came to Hawaii. And just to be clear, Carolina bbq is chopped, not pulled. What has recently rocked my world is that I decided to try a couple of different types of sauce. Let me back up for those of you not from the South.

There are many types of bbq. Hell, in North Carolina, there are at least 3 different sauces alone. I've always been partial to Eastern North Carolina style, well, because that's where I'm from. It's a vinegar based sauce with red pepper flakes and hot sauce. But there's Western NC style, which is more like Memphis style (ketchup, brown sugar, etc). Then there's South Carolina style, which is mustard and vinegar, with sugar and spices.

Since we're not in NC, we decided that we needed to give people an option of sauces for their bbq enjoyment. To that end, I experimented with the various sauces and commenced the taste testing. I was certain that my loyalties would lie with the Eastern style I grew up on.

That's where the world rocking ensued. Not being a big fan of mustard, I almost didn't even bother trying the SC style...well, that goes to show you that you truly never know. Of the three taste testers last night, all three of us had a different favorite and mine was the spicy mustard based SC style bbq. Wow!

I had it for dinner last night, breakfast this morning and at lunch today. Next to the buttermilk cole slaw, it was nearly heaven. I ate so much that I'm skipping dinner.