North Carolina Barbecue Society facts for kids
The North Carolina Barbecue Society (often called NCBS) is a special group that works to share and celebrate the food and culture of North Carolina. They are based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the United States. One of their main goals is to promote fun events like the Tar Heel Barbecue Classic and the Lexington Barbecue Festival. They also want to make sure everyone knows about North Carolina's amazing barbecue traditions.
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What the NCBS Does
The North Carolina Barbecue Society has a clear goal. They want to protect North Carolina's barbecue history and culture. They also aim to show that North Carolina is the "Barbecue Capital of the World."
A simpler way to think about their mission is: "to cook and eat barbecue as often as possible, preferably with good friends." They also want to promote North Carolina as the "Cradle of 'Cue," meaning it's where barbecue really started.
How the NCBS Started
The North Carolina Barbecue Society began in 2006. The person who started it and is still its president is Jim Early. He is a lawyer and also wrote a book called The Best Tar Heel Barbecue: Manteo to Murphy. This book reviews many barbecue restaurants along the "Historic Barbecue Trail." This trail connects 25 barbecue places across North Carolina.
The NCBS also holds special cooking classes called "boot camps." These are two-day events that happen three times a year.
- One is in early May at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, NC.
- Another is in July at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort near Boone, North Carolina.
- The last one is in late September near Wilmington, North Carolina, at Castle Haynes.
At these boot camps, students learn how to cook and smoke different meats. This includes whole hog, chicken, steak, pork butt, ribs, brisket, and seafood. Sometimes, they even learn to cook wild game. Students also learn how to make Chef Early's special Pimento Cheese.
In 2012, CNN listed 10 top cooking schools from around the world. The North Carolina Barbecue Society was the only school from the United States on that list!
North Carolina Barbecue Styles
North Carolina is famous for having two main types of barbecue: Eastern style and Lexington style. People often debate which one is better or should be "official." Both styles cook meat slowly over hardwood coals, usually hickory wood. However, they use different methods and sauces.
In 2006, there were attempts to make Lexington style the official barbecue of the state. These ideas were part of bills in the State House and Senate, but they did not pass.
Eastern Style Barbecue
Eastern style barbecue uses the meat from the entire pig. People sometimes joke that it uses "every part of the hog except the squeal." The sauce for Eastern style is often very simple. It can be just vinegar and pepper. This sauce might be brushed onto the meat while it cooks, or it can be used to season the meat after it's done.
Lexington Style Barbecue
Lexington style barbecue is also known as Piedmont or Western style. This style uses a sauce made with vinegar and ketchup. It only uses the pork shoulder, which is a darker, juicier cut of meat. Lexington style barbecue is often served with red slaw. This is a type of coleslaw that uses the barbecue sauce (called "dip" locally) instead of mayonnaise.
How the NCBS is Supported
The North Carolina Barbecue Society gets its support in two main ways. Members pay dues to join the organization. Also, official sponsors help out. Most of these sponsors are barbecue restaurants in the area. They benefit directly from the work the NCBS does to promote barbecue.
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