North Carolina BBQ

I just sent in my registration to compete in the Kings Mountain, NC BBQ Cookoff in April. This is about 30 miles west of Charlotte.

I know that there are distinct tastes in the different regions of NC. Does anyone have any suggestions on going Vinegar based, catsup based, sweet, hot, etc?

Thanks

Dale

Hi Dale,
Check out this link. It has BBQ sauce recipes for Eastern, NC....Western, NC and in between (Piedmont style). I live in western NC.

http://recipes.taronga.com/sauces-bbq/default.html

The eastern NC style is very simple, and vinegar-based with no tomato. The western style also uses vinegar most of the time, but uses tomato. The Piedmont style can go either way or be one of many combinations between Eastern and Western NC styles.

Check out these links too, has alot of info on the Piedmont style of BBQ, especially around the Lexington, NC area...which is considered by many to be the BBQ capitol of the world (or at least of NC). I threw in a few other very cool BBQ links to check out too:

http://www.ibiblio.org/lineback/lex.htm

http://www.ibiblio.org/lineback/bbq/wdh.htm

http://www.ibiblio.org/ch-scene/bbq/lexington.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/ch-scene/bbq/bbq.html

http://www.barbecuefestival.com/

http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~thc/bbqtour/

http://www.carolinacountry.com/features/bestrest/bestrest.html

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/recipes/carolin3.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/6931/jointsrankings.html

http://origins.colorado.edu/~kachun/pigroast.html

http://www.kristaandstephen.com/trips/bbq.html

http://www.carolinaredclay.com/barbecue.htm

http://www.triadipages.com/e/eatingplaces/barbecue/default.htm

http://bbqcentral.hypermart.net/amregions/overview.htm

Dale, how long have you been competing? True bbq sauces are regional, but remember the judges come from all over the country, so their tastes may be different. Use whatever has been working for you.

Dale
I've cooked in different regions of the country and have found that sweet works best everywhere
compared to other sauces. Now I haven't won everywhere so take this suggestion for what it is worth. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
I see your brother just pick up a CookShack 150, hope things go well for him up in AK.
Jim