9:02 p.m. - 03.25.2003
The Delicious Dish
I interrupt this blog today for a word about Q.
Specifically, that sweet southern dish, barbeque. Or rather the sauce. Cuz my baby's got sauce, and your baby ain't sweet like mine.
There are a number of camps within the highly secular world of BBQ sauce and I think it's very important you be fully informed. This way, when you next attend your favorite pig pickin', you'll be able to "wow" 'em with your learned knowledge of all things swine.
(ed's note: if you have no interest in swine - join us again tomorrow as we discuss tofu fries and wheat shakes!)
Bar-B-Que sauce is broken down (in my mind) by the geographic locales St. Louis, Memphis, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina.
For the traditional red sauce that we all know and love, we're talking St. Louis, Memphis, and Texas. Texas, natch, is a heavy Mesquite flavor. Memphis is a sweeter red sauce, and St. Louis is the plain-jane traditional red. The variants then, and the reason for my writing, are the sauces of North and South Carolina.
South Carolina's sauce is very unique, and I wonder if many of you have ever even seen it. The catch is that SC's is a mustard-based sauce. That's "moo-tard" for the francophones reading.
So yes, it's a yellow barbeque sauce - originating in the Lowcountry/Charleston region. I personally prefer a good red. Except...
North Carolina Q is also a red sauce, but a vinegar based one. "...." vinegar based? The absolute foulest creation ever poured onto delicious god-given pulled pork on a bun.
Horrible is the only word that comes to mind. And I'm not biased - this isn't an editorial, this is fact people. It's nasty shit. If you're every driving through NC and think it may be a good idea to sample the local cuisine - stay away from the Q! Save your adventurous tastebuds for maybe the moo-tard based sauce a wee bit down the road in SC.
Why the big fuss over the nasty defilement that is NC Q sauce? Because I forgot I was living in the heart of nasty vinegar country and grabbed a Q today. Disgusting. They should have a disclaimer at the restaurant stating "Beware: This is NC BBQ. It's not what you're wanting. Go away."
Now then, we were all able to learn a valuable lesson today through my folly. Aren't you glad now that you know? And knowing is half the battle!
We now return to our regularly scheduled blogging.
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