NCBS is Revamping It`s Website - The North Carolina Barbecue

NCBS Pig Tales™ July 2008
NCBS PIG TALES™
July 2008
NCBS is Revamping It’s Website
THE NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE SOCIETY™
Page 4
NCBS is revamping its website. We will be removing the “New Members” link, in the future new members will
be posted in Pig Tales™. There will now be a link with pictures and bios of each board member so NCBS members and web viewers can become acquainted with the board members. NCBS will also be adding a new link entitled “Pig Talk” so web viewers can become more conversant with North Carolina pork terminology. Last, but
certainly not least, we will be adding a new NCBS forum where a new barbecue question for viewers will be
posted each month allowing viewers to email their responses (when appropriate) to NCBS to be published.
Here’s a preview of “Pig Talk”
Pig Talk
Pork Terms from Pen to Pit to Plate
Raising Hogs
Pig Pen: Confinement for pigs usually dirt floor with
wooden fence.
Pig Lot: Larger confinement for free ranging pigs containing woods (preferably oak trees for acorns) water
source and shelter.
Slop: The feed, generally table scraps, commercial hog
food, acorns, peanuts and corn, etc.
Stand ‘um up: When the weather begins to cool in
early Fall the farmers will place their pigs on floored
pens and feed the pigs extra rations (mainly corn and
peanuts) to clean them out and fatten them up before
slaughter.
Hog Killing Weather: Late Fall when the temperature
is around 40-45 degrees or lower in the daytime so the
farmers can slaughter, dress and butcher the hog with-
The Pig
Bob: The nose or snout.
Corkscrew: The tail.
Trotters: The feet.
Chitlins: Intestines washed thoroughly, boiled, battered
and fried. Enjoyed by some.
Fatback: The fat layer on top of the hogs back.
Hog Jowls: The cheeks.
Souse Meat: The ears, nose and jowls of the pig ground and made into a gelatin block, usually served in small
squares with vinegar, salt and pepper on saltine crackers. Often referred to as “head cheese.”
Spare Bone: Cartilage located behind the pig’s nose that is discarded by most when dressing hogs. Don’t know
why as some eat anything else a pig produces including the blood which is used in sausage some parts of the world
Mountain Oysters: Pig testicles often cooked by dipping in batter, deep frying and slicing like an egg – not for
the faint of heart.
Continued on Page 2…
NCBS PIG TALES™
PAGE 2
July 2008
Pig Talk Continued...
Pig Fries: Another term for mountain oysters.
Middling: The side of the hog with the ribs attached.
Generally cured like bacon.
Tenderloin: The premium part of the loin—two small
strips.
Lard: The drippings or grease from pig fat after it has
been rendered (cooked and pressed out).
Loin: The meat below the fatback.
Oink: The grunt of a happy pig.
Squeal: Sound made by an unhappy pig.
The Pit
Ground Pit: A long hole dug in the ground, generally
about three/four feet wide and two feet deep, the length
depending on the amount of meat to be cooked.
Raised Pit: Generally built with cinder blocks above
ground. Most build a pit three blocks high,
closed on one end and open on the other to permit adding hot coals from the fire box (usually
an open top 55 gallon drum with holes punched
around the bottom).
Pit Rods: Traditionally rods placed across the
pit to support the meat over the fire. Some use
rebar. Some pit masters are using expanded
metal with 2 inch holes as a grill in place of rods
to avoid having a pig break up when removing it
from the pit and large pieces of meat fall into
the fire. Some pit masters use rods with hog wire over
the rods to prevent loss of meat.
Pig Cover: A covering placed over the pig while the pig
is on the pit smoking. Most use heavy foil and then cardboard and some add a layer of tin roofing. This cover
traps the heat and smoke. Some refer to this step as
“wrapping the pig.”
Fire Up: Getting the wood or charcoal started to make
hot coals.
Bank the Fire: Moving the hot coals to the side of the
pit to produce low even heat for a long period of time.
This is the same principle used by folks with homes
heated by fireplaces for hundreds of years. At bedtime
they would bank their fire by pushing the hot embers to
the rear of the fireplace and covering the coals with ash
to hold the heat over night. In the morning they would
add wood and rake the coals out under the wood – and
then with a few pumps of the bellows they had a fire.
Smoke a Hog: The process of cooking a whole hog.
Stoke Up: Stir the coals to achieve a hotter heat.
The Plate
Bark aka “Outside Brown”: The part of the meat
exposed to the most heat – preferred by most bbq
aficionados because of its more intense smoky,
woodsy, nutty flavor.
NC Eastern Style Sauce: A vinegar based sauce
made generally from mild vinegar, water, white
sugar, hot peppers, black pepper and cooked down a
bit.
NC Western Style Dip: A vinegar based sauce with
the addition of tomato (paste, puree or ketchup) plus
brown sugar and spices. West of Raleigh, NC this
condiment is referred to as “dip.” The terms Western
Style and Lexington Style are interchangeable. The
Western Style pits also put this “dip” on their slaw
(chopped cabbage) and make what’s called bbq slaw.
Chopped BBQ: Done by hand or machine
and the pieces are generally about the size of
pecan halves.
Coarse Chopped BBQ: Done by hand or
machine and the pieces are generally one to
two square inches in size.
Blocked BBQ: Same as coarse chopped bbq.
Minced BBQ: Done generally by machine
and running the meat through three times to
produce a much finer chopped product. This
style is found mostly around the Hertford NC
area.
Sliced BBQ: Meat sliced approximately ¼ inch
thick, sometimes thicker depending on the pit master.
Generally comes from the ham or in the Western
Style area from a larger round outside muscle of the
shoulder which is lighter in color than the rest of the
shoulder.
Pulled BBQ: Meat hand pulled from a cooked pork
shoulder. Considered by many as the best of the best.
Pig Pickin’: A party where the cooked meat is pulled
from the pig by hand and served to the guests by the
pit master or backyard cook or where the guests pull
their own meat with tongs or rubber gloves.
Eating High on the Hog: A term used when one is
eating the choice parts of the pig that are located on
the top half of the pig, i.e. Boston Butt (the top half
of the shoulder) loin, tenderloin, ham, etc. This term
is used in the South to describe eating well in general
or living large. He is eating “high on the hog” or living “high on the hog.”
NCBS PIG TALES™
PAGE 3
July 2008
Upcoming Events
North Carolina
September 5-6, 2008 - 6th Annual
Bikes, Boogie & Bar-B-Q, Gastonia, NC www.hogdays.com
September 13, 2008 - Masonic
Carolina Pig Jig BBQ Cook-Off,
Raleigh, NC
www.carolinapigjig.com
September 11-13, 2008 - Blues,
Brews & BBQ, Charlotte, NC
www.charlotteshout.com/nav.cfm
September 26-27, 2008 - 5th
Smokin in the Valley, Maggie Valley, NC www.wncbbqfestival.org
October 4, 2008 - 1st Annual Court
Square Cook Off, Graham, NC Contact Jason Cook, 336-226-1693
jcook@stokescook.com
October 10-11, 2008 - 5th Annual
Vander Pig Cook-Off, Fayetteville,
NC - Contact Dennis or Julie Byrd,
910-483-2858 vanderbyrd4@yahoo.com
October 23, 2008 - 79th Annual
Mallard Creek BBQ, Charlotte, NC
mallardcreekpresbyterian.org
October 25, 2008 25th Annual Lexington Barbecue Festival, Lexington, NC www.barbecuefestival.com
November 1, 2008 - Hog Happnin’,
Shelby, NC hoghappnin.com
South Carolina
Know Your Monthly
Facts
There’s always something going on somewhere. Below is what is
now being celebrated:
July
July is Sandwich Generation Month. July 3rd
is Stay out of the Sun
Day, July 15th is Gumi
Worm Day and July 28th
is Singing Telegram
Day.
August
August is What Will Be
Your Legacy Month. August 1st is Girlfriend
Day, August 6th is National Fresh Breath Day
and August 13th is National Underwear Day.
September 20, 2008 - Greenway
Barbecue and Bluegrass, Fort Mill,
SC - Contact Bill Steele, 803-5471138, billsteele@leyroysprings.com
September 26-27, 2008 - Berkeley
BBQ Cook-Off, Monks Corner, SC
- Contact Don Saturday, 843-8997833, dsSaturday@aol.com
October 3-4, 2008 - Pigtales, Barbecue and Bluegrass, Manning, SC Contact Jayne Powell, 803-4359942, jwpowell@sc.rr.com
October 3-4, 2008 - Squelin on the
Square, Laurens, SC - Contact Johnathan Irick, 864-984-2119,
mail@mainstreetlaurins.org
October 3-4, 2008 - Edgefield Heritage Festival Jubilee, Edgefield, SC
- Contact Joel Jolly, 803-275-7404,
eheritagefestival@yahoo.com
October 24-25, 2008 - Carolina Q
Cup, Lexington, SC - 803-359-6113
ext 224, lhighl@sc.rr.com
October 31-November 1, 2008 - Pig
on the Ridge, Ridgeway, SC - Contact Tom Connor, 803-337-8880,
dcgx1@aol.com
November 7-8, 2008 - Parker Miracle House Foundation BBQ
Cookoff, Sumter, SC
Continued on Next Page…
NCBS PIG TALES™
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July 2008
Upcoming Events Continued...
Cookoff State Championship, Cookeville, TN Contact Tony Stone 931-526-1063
tony@stonesteele.net
lowe@bellsouth.net
October 24-25, 2008 - 19th Annual
Jack Daniels World Championship
Invitational Barbecue www.jackdaniels.com
September 27, 2008 Bartlett Festival & Car
Show - Bartlett, TN
www.cityofbartlett.org/
index.asp?NID=628
Tennessee
August 15-16, 2008 - Amazin’
Blazin’ BBQ Cook Off - Lebanon,
TN www.tnamazinblazin.com/
September 5-28, 2008 - Dollywood
Barbeque and Bluegrass, Pigeon
Forge, TN www.dollywood.com/
mini-section/default.aspx?id=97
September 5-6, 2008 - Cookeville
October 3-4, 2008 - Smokin’ on the
Square - Gallatin, TN - Contact
Arlie Bragg - 615-758-8749
arlieque@comcast.net
Invite Your
Friends to Join
the Fun Tribe™
October 9-11, 2008 - Tennessee
State BBQ & Fall Festival - Lenoir
City, TN www.tnstatebbq.com
October 10-11, 2008 - Lewisburg
Rotary Club BarBQ Cook off Lewisburg, TN - Contact Richard
Finley - 931-359-3410 - white-
Do you have an upcoming
event that you would like us
to list? Email us at
info@ncbbqsociety.com
Advertise in
NCBS Pig Tails™
Draw Attention to your
barbecue related
business. Email us at
info@ncbbqsociety.com
or call (336) 765-NCBS
for information
www.capstrat.com
Gold Sponsor of NCBS
NCBS PIG TALES™
PAGE 5
July 2008
Viper’s Vapors (Guy Stuff)
Whitakers BBQ Club
By barbecue aficionado Phil Babcock:
If you want to start a lively discussion in North
Carolina in virtually any setting, it is easy. Simply
bring up the subject of barbecue and brunswick stew. It
is doubtful that opinions are more varied when it comes
to the discussion of these foods – and in some cases the
differences are hotly debated! I should know about
these good foods since I was fortunate to have been
raised from the 1930s through the 50s in an area where
both had long been a tradition.
You see, I was raised in Whitakers. It is a small
farm based town in the eastern part of the state, of less
than a thousand souls, that until recent years was exactly one mile in diameter and bisected by Highways 44
(now 33) and 301. It straddles the Edgecombe/Nash
County line with half the town being equally in each
county. It had the distinction of being the only such
town in the state, and the country according to some,
having perfectly round boundaries.
Around 1950, the town achieved national publicity
through the Reader’s Digest for the unique method employed in slowing traffic through town on Route 301.
At the time it was the main north/south highway and
known as the “Death Highway” for the high number of
fatalities on it. The Lions Club erected a large sign at
each end of town at the highway with the large word
“NOTICE” as the heading. It was followed by “At 35
MPH you to can drive through Whitakers in two minutes TRY IT.” Amazingly, you could actually see drivers slowing down to try it.
Many local farmers had for generations traditionally,
at the end of the harvest, put on a barbecue and brunswick stew dinner for their and the tenants’ families.
They often included friends and relatives. In the making of brunswick stew, some would substitute summer
squirrels for the chicken.
There is a spot on the Neville family farm bordering
Fishing Creek, about two miles northwest of Whitakers,
where the creek bottom is sandy and sand bars are present. This setting had been a favorite of bathers for
generations and during my youth had bath houses for
changing. Neville family lore has it that at times there
were as many as a hundred bathers at the site. It is at
this idyllic site under large shade trees with the sound
of running water that in 1919 the Whitakers Barbecue
Club came into being with the sole purpose of eating
barbecue. Now, 89 years later, the club is still in exis-
tence at the same location, although its membership
has dropped. That is probably a testament to the
change in pace of our lives over the years rather than
the purpose of the club. Without question, this makes
this club, dedicated only to the eating of barbecue,
unique not only in this state but probably in the world.
The club was limited to 55 members, and for years
there was a waiting line for membership. If you
wanted to join, you had to virtually wait on the list until a member died for the line to move since seldom
would anyone quit. The reasoning behind this number
simply was what a ninety-pound or thereabouts pig
would feed. Membership was restricted to men only
and also by their residency. The membership consisted of 33 members from Edgecombe and Nash
Counties and 22 members from around Enfield. This
was done so no group from any one area, namely Enfield, would gain control, thus it was virtually controlled over the years by those from Whitakers. Members represented the entire social fabric including small
businessmen, professional types such as bankers and
lawyers, and farmers with the latter being dominant.
There were strict prohibitions against drinking, gambling, and speeches. Women were not permitted except on special occasions. While prominent politicians
were often guests, their presence was limited to the
enjoyment of the food and camaraderie and pressing
the flesh, and they did!
Dennis Rogers of the News and Observer had the
pleasure of being a guest of Judge Ben Neville in the
latter 1970s and wrote an interesting column based on
interviews with the Judge and Lee Ward who was a
renowned barbecue cook with over 50 years of experience. The meal consisted of barbecue, slaw, boiled
potatoes (with paprika that made them red), and cornbread with the member bringing his drink of choice.
The Judge said that the idea of having a club came
about after some farmers had a barbecue at the site.
With his customary cigar in one hand and a fork in the
other, the Judge told Mr. Rogers that the barbecue was
not as good as it used to be because they used to get
the pigs from a farmer who fed them on peanuts – no
reflection on the cook but rather the quality and taste
of the meat. The Judge noted that “he had had many a
good feed down there.” I am sure that sentiment has
been expressed many a time over the years. At the
time he was a guest, membership was $20 a year and
the meals cost only $2. For that you could eat all you
wanted.
Continued on Next Page...
NCBS PIG TALES™
PAGE 6
July 2008
Viper’s Vapors Continued…
The club’s constitution and by-laws formally
adopted in 1937 set up the elected positions of President, Secretary/Treasurer, and a Council of Administration consisting of four members. The Council was
responsible for the affairs of the club and for maintenance of the property and grounds. The meals were
held every Thursday, around noon time from May
through August, with the responsibility (until the
1980s) for the meals being rotated among the membership. If one wanted ribs, and we still don’t have a pig
with enough, then you had to get in line early. The
member responsible for the meal would have to get the
pig and other foodstuff, pick up the cook, and build the
fire, in order to get the pig on by 2 or 3AM. He collected money for the meal and paid all related bills. If
he failed to put on the dinner he could be fined five
dollars, a healthy sum for the day, or lose his membership. He could get another member to substitute if he
were in a bind. Club lore has it that when Bob Melton
opened the first commercial barbecue place in Rocky
Mount in the mid 1920s, he hired a fellow who had cut
his teeth cooking barbecue at the club.
The eating of barbecue and brunswick stew was so
ingrained in the culture that in my youth there were
two places in town catering to the public. Lee Ward,
who was our next door neighbor, started cooking
brunswick stew in a large iron wash pot every Saturday and later added facilities for cooking barbecue.
His brunswick stew was in such demand that you had
to get your order in early, by the pint or quart, or simply do without. Queen Jones ran a restaurant and
served barbecue and brunswick stew by the plate, take
out or eat in. Both prepared their barbecue the same
way, draining the grease, and hand chopping it while
mixing by hand. Only vinegar, salt, and red pepper
were used for flavoring, and it was prepared to the
cook’s taste with the desire of having the eater get the
full flavor of different parts of the pork including skin.
Most recipes for brunswick stew are similar. Fortunately, my mother was thoughtful enough to get Lee’s
recipe and save it. Lee used a large iron wash pot fired
by wood and scaled up the following recipe to get the
desired quantity. In lieu of a large pot, a heavy smaller
one with a heavy bottom is suggested. He started with
1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds), 3 quarts water, 1 1/2
quarts tomatoes, 2 quarts butter beans (or baby limas),
and 1 pound of ground fat back (that can be added at
any time). These would be cooked slowly together for
about three hours. Then add 3 pounds (before peeling)
of ground potatoes. About 20 or 30 minutes later add 1
quart creamed white corn. Especially after the corn is
added, the stew will have to be stirred carefully to keep it
from sticking to the bottom. Season to taste with salt,
pepper, and sugar. It is important to stir often throughout cooking to avoid burning. Total cooking time will
be about four hours and this recipe will produce about 6
quarts of stew.
The longer you cook the stew the thicker it will be.
Lee’s stew was eaten with a fork. If you don’t want to
pick the bones out, precook the chicken and debone it. If
doing this, when you begin cooking the chicken, start
cooking the beans and tomatoes in a small amount of
water to give them the same cooking time as the chicken
in order to make a thicker stew. Add to the chicken and
broth after deboning the chicken, if you prefer this
method. Then proceed with the recipe.
Chicken was also a barbecue favorite. My father,
Clarence “Bab” Babcock, cooked for many years and
frequently barbecued chickens for groups. His preference was to use a charcoal bucket, a ceramic bucket covered with tin, and real charcoal but essentially the same
effect can be had with a grill. He took a dressed chicken,
split the underside from the rear to the neck, and broke
the back so it would lay flat on a rack. He covered the
chicken with an iron frying pan or some other cover and
cooked the chicken for about an hour. I recall him remarking that when a certain club member was present,
he could put away two chickens at one sitting.
He used a sauce, with which he basted the chicken
several times during cooking as it was turned, and served
it over the barbecued chicken. The recipe for each
chicken included 1 cup of vinegar, ½ to 1 stick of butter,
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon
juice, and crushed red pepper to taste. Simmer slowly
until flavors mingle to taste. This same sauce can be
used on barbequed pork ribs.
I have fond memories of enjoying these foods during
my youth in an area that was steeped in tradition. I remember fondly the annual tradition of my father and Lee
sitting on our back steps each New Year’s morning, each
with a glass of whiskey, toasting each other to the best in
the New Year.
Do you have an article, picture or
thought you’d like to share with Viper’s
Vapors (guy stuff)? Don’t be shy, email
us at info@ncbbqsociety.com
NCBS PIG TALES™
PAGE 7
July 2008
Contest Results
Individuals honored at the festival include
NCBS Vice President Jim “Trim” Tabb, Carolyn
Wells of KCBS, Festival Committee Member Bill
Crowell, Festival Committee Member Kirt Flynn,
The 15th annual Blue Ridge BBQ Festival Kings of Cooking of Shelby, NC and Oink, Cackle &
took place June 15-16, 2008 in Tryon, NC. This
Moo for competing in all 15 years of the festival.
year the festival met its three year goal of going
green by reducing waste by 75 percent.
15th Annual Blue Ridge BBQ Festival, Tryon, NC
June 13-14, 2008
Kansas City Barbeque Society Team of the
Year, Cool Smoke, took home title of Grand Champions.
2nd Bub-Ba-Q, Jasper, GA
3rd Divine Smoke, Greenwood, SC
4th Mountain Magic Country BBQ, Shelby, NC
5th Lotta Bull BBQ, Marietta, OK
6th Carolina Barbecue Company, Hildebran, NC
7th Buttrub.com, Santa Rosa, FL
8th Silence of the Hams, Waynesville, NC
9th Blindogs Outlaw BBQ, Gang, Huntsville, AL
10th Neckbones, Shelby, NC
26th Annual Hillsborough Hogs
June 20-21, 2008
Boasting it’s 26th year, Hillsborough Hog Days
went off without a hitch this year. The area’s largest
antique car show, an arts and crafts area and more
than 100 vendors made this the place to be for fun
and barbecue.
2008 Cook Off Winners
1st Bryan Cyr and Justin Poe, Rougemont, NC
2nd Matt Mehok and Jim Bolognese, Durham, NC
3rd Jen and Chuck McLean, Durham, NC
4th Jeff Whitney and Frank Vogler, Clemmons, NC
5th David Burch and Mark and Billy Johnson,
Rougemont, NC
Did you know that many of
NCBS’s
members cook competitively?
Did you or your cooking team
recently win an event? Let
your fellow members know.
info@ncbbqsociety.com
NCBS PIG TALES™
PAGE 8
July 2008
Our Mission
The mission of the North Carolina Barbecue
Society (NCBS) is to preserve North Carolina’s barbecue history and culture and to
secure North Carolina’s rightful place as the
Barbecue Capital of the World. Our goal is
to promote North Carolina as “the Cradle of
’Cue” and embrace all that is good about
barbecue worldwide. As we strive to achieve
these lofty goals we will be guided by the
polar star that barbecue is all about good
food, good friends and good times.
NCBS Pig Tales™ is the official bi-monthly publication of The North
Carolina Barbecue Society and is free to members. Dues start at
$35.00 a year ($25.00 for seniors and students). Visit
www.ncbbqsociety.com to download application.
Become a contributing correspondent and send us your articles,
ideas, pictures and recipes. Email correspondence is preferred.
We reserve the right to edit any article, ad, comment or recipe.
Contact NCBS
144 Sterling Point Court
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
Phone: (336) 765-NCBS
®
Fax: (336) 765-9193
info@ncbbqsociety.com
www.ncbbqsociety.com
Amanda T. Brooks—Editor in Chief, Layout and Design
Columnists
Deadline
Jim Early
All rights reserved, The North Carolina
Barbecue Society © 2007
Contributing Correspondent
Phil Babcock
Are you interested in becoming a
business sponsor of NCBS? Visit
www.ncbbqsociety.com,
email us at
info@ncbbqsociety.com or call
(336) 765-NCBS for more
information
NCBS wishes to give its membership a voice in NCBS
Pig Tales™. The articles in this publication reflect the
views, opinions and preferences of the author of the article and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions
and preferences of NCBS officers, board members or the
staff of NCBS Pig Tales™.
The recipes shared in this publication, unless they are
excerpts from Jim Early’s books The Best Tar Heel Barbecue Manteo to Murphy and Jim Early’s Reflections:
The Memories and Recipes of a Southern Cook, have not
been kitchen tested by this publication.
For SEPTEMBER issue is
AUGUST 1, 2007
Any ad, recipe or article received after this date may
appear in the next issue
NCBS Officers
President…………………………………... Jim Early
Vice President……………………………...Jim Tabb
Secretary………………………........Mary E. Lindsey
Treasurer……………………………………Jim Early
NCBS Board Members
Jim Early
Jim Tabb
Mary E. Lindsey
Bill Eason