This week, on Monday, I had my BBQ dinner pick up.  As many of you know, discussing BBQ in NC can be like talking about religion or politics!  Whether your preference is Eastern style (pretty much all vinegar with chili flakes), Lexington style (which has more tomato), or Western (more like a bbq sauce), I think they are all delicious.  I even like the SC kind (although I have a hard time calling it BBQ), which is a mustard sauce my husband grew up on.  Personally, my favorite is my Eastern style.  I admit I might be a little biased to my own, because the process of making BBQ is really what the food and fun is all about.  But there is something about that marriage of slow smoked pork and apple cider vinegar that is meant to be together, like bread and butter, or peanut butter and jelly.

BBQ is not something that can ever be rushed, that’s for sure.  I get questions often about how it is done, so I thought I would share a few pictures of the process.  We start the smoker early in the morning and let the shoulders smoke anywhere from 8-10 hours, then they are taken off and cooled slightly before pulling that delicious meat. In the excitement of pulling all the shoulders, which is not a quick process either, I forget to take a picture of the shoulders once they come off the smoker…I’ll save that for next time, or just order it to taste the yummy results.

BBQ basics, enjoying the best of food and life one shoulder at a time!

Rubbed shoulders and hickory chips; shoulders on the racks ready to go, now we’re smoking!