Sunday, August 18, 2013

Information About Eastern North Carolina BBQ Sauce

By Essie Craft


If you have never heard of Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce then you need to know that it's considered the first ever recipe for barbecue sauces in America. Its mix of pepper and vinegar may not sound so inviting, but it has lasted for hundreds of years. These days people have tweaked the recipe a little and added their own things, buts its essence is still the same.

Barbecue is something of a tradition in the United States. It was started by Native Americans, who perfected the method of slow cooking by placing food well above the flames, so that it would not cook as quickly. This method also allowed all the smoke to permeate the meat and act as a marinade, giving the food that distinctive barbecue flavor.

Pigs were not always the meat of choice in barbecues. It only came about when the Spanish visited America and brought pigs with them. The Native Americans were able to show them how to cook the animal so that the flesh was tender and tasty. These days all sorts of things are put on the grill, such as vegetables, beef, fish, chicken and even turkey.

In America, there are generally 4 sorts of barbecues, each pertaining to a particular type of sauce. Usually, the sauces fulfill 2 roles. They can be used to marinate the meat and can be used as a baste, to put on the meat while it is cooking. Additionally, it can be what is called a finishing sauce, put in a bowl and used as a dipping sauce with the cooked food.

The four sauces that are considered to be the first ones made in the US are Eastern Carolina, heavy tomato, light tomato and mustard. Each one has its own flavor and each has been doctored throughout the years according to personal preference.

The sauce used in Eastern North Carolina barbecues has vinegar and hot pepper. It has more than just these two ingredients though. Food is about balance of flavor and this recipe balances the sourness of cider vinegar and the warmth of the pepper by calling for light brown sugar. Pepper flakes and cayenne can be added too for an extra kick and the recipe is often rounded off with salt.

Now that the internet has become a source of recipes and ideas, these days there is no such things as one recipe for anything, sauces included. You can use the original recipe and experiment by adapting it to your taste. If you don't like food too spicy just leave out the heat or cut it down. If you want more heat than add accordingly. With the onset of marinating, people love to soak the meat overnight to get maximum flavor.

Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce is truly the original sauce of America. Put it in the fridge once it's made and it should keep for a month. It's very simple to do and can be tweaked depending on your love of spices. The food should have a tangy flavor and this is especially important when using pork, which seems to go well with cider vinegar.




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