Pigs and BBQ go hand-in-hand with North Carolina. It is a legacy and culture that goes back over 3 centuries. Stories and recipes were handed down generation to generation. Families would gather for a “hog killin’” in rural North Carolina during one of the first cold snaps of the fall. Sharing in the labor, families would also share in the rewards of salted and smoked meats to eat throughout the year. In addition to curing pork, there was often BBQ cooking of to the side. Traditionally, a whole hog was put over coals in a pit and cooked low and slow. When tender, the meat was either pulled directly off of the hog (pulled pork), or chopped.

BBQ has become a topic of either kinship or debate. One thing that is not disputed in North Carolina, is that barbecue is a noun, not a verb.

Barbecue is a noun

We do not barbecue our pork. Our pork is barbecue. It is also important to note that barbecue is always only meant as pork in North Carolina. Beef should not be considered barbecue, no matter how it is prepared or what kind of sauce dresses it.

The Great Debate

In North Carolina, barbecue as a noun may not be debatable, but the sauce that accompanies it and the avenue in which it is cooked, is. In the Western part of the state, sauce is tomato-based and BBQ is often cooked using just the shoulder of the pig. In contrast, the Eastern half of the state cooks their pigs whole hog and douses the BBQ with a vinegar-based sauce. There is evidence that shows that the Eastern way has deeper historical roots and deemed the most “traditional”.

As the voice of pork in the entire state of North Carolina, the NC Pork Council cannot pick sides. So long as BBQ is not being referred to as an action or beef, we are content with any proper North Carolina BBQ on our plates. We, along with so many others in this state, are proud of the heritage that is North Carolina BBQ.