Inspired by North Carolina

THE MEAL

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Did you know that American barbecue basically originated in North Carolina? Indigenous tribes in the Caribbean cooked meat over indirect flame using green wood to create lots of smoke. The Spanish called it “barbacoa” and brought it north with them to the British colonies, especially North Carolina and Virginia. From there, it spread west and has been adopted and adapted by just about every other state. And to clarify, barbecue is different than grilling meat over direct flames—it’s all about cooking low and slow.

My dad’s obsessed with his Traeger, so we’ve actually made this kind of barbecue before, and it turned out great this time too. It’s perfect for feeding a large crowd, as that was the original intention of barbecue!

PULLED PORK WITH VINEGAR SAUCE

“Barbecue” in North Carolina refers almost exclusively to pork and involves cooking the entire pig. When barbecue cooking was introduced to North Carolina, pig was the cheapest and most abundant meat option. When times were tough, pigs could be let loose to survive on their own in the wild, so they didn’t require a lot of feed or upkeep. Then in November (“hog-killing time”), families would butcher their hogs in preparation for winter, preserving meat, rendering lard, and feasting as a community. But when they were recaptured for slaughter, the pigs were lean from living feral, so low and slow cooking techniques not only added great smokey flavor but also helped tenderize the meat. British colonists added sauce the meat as it cooked, because basting meat was something they already did when roasting meat.

Something North Carolinans can’t always agree on, though, is what kind of sauce to use in barbecue. Originally, the sauce was always vinegar-based, and tomatoes were never added. But around WWI, barbecue stands in the Piedmont, North Carolina, area added tomato sauce to their recipes, and it became widely popular. Now it’s hotly debated whether Lexington style (with tomato) or Eastern style (with vinegar only) is best.

I wanted to go with vinegar only, but like I said, my dad rules over the smoker, so he did the pulled pork for this meal. It is a North Carolina-style recipe, but technically it’s Lexington-style, because it did include ketchup. Also, Lexington-style is usually only pork shoulder, where Eastern style is the whole hog. Obviously we didn’t cook an entire hog, so Lexington-style it is!

It turned out REALLY good. I love pulled pork. This recipe has kind of a tangy flavor from the vinegar sauce, and it’s incredibly tender. Shredding it with forks was a cinch. It’s a very time-consuming process, but if you have the time and need to feed a lot of people, this works great!

RED SLAW

So I know my “red slaw” didn’t turn out very red, but the important thing is that it was made North Carolina-style, with a ketchupy sauce instead of mayonnaise! Actually, the sauce used for this coleslaw is almost exactly the same as the sauce used in the pulled pork! It’s very vinegary, has a nice crunch, and pairs well with the pulled pork, which is exactly what it’s meant to do!

In North Carolina, “Carolina-style” refers to putting this style of coleslaw, onions, and chili on things like hotdogs. It’s a well-loved condiment(?). I liked it a lot, too! Mayonnaise isn’t my favorite, so I didn’t mind excluding it in this recipe.

If you want to know more about coleslaw in the South, you can read more about it in my post about the Mississippi-inspired meal!

BBQ BOILED POTATOES

When researching North Carolina foods, I had a hard time finding anything besides barbecue. It wasn’t abundantly clear which sides are generally served with barbecue, but I went with one dish that kept popping up—barbecue boiled potatoes. Even though they were mentioned several times, though, I couldn’t find any obviously “authentic” recipes. Every time I Googled “North Carolina potatoes,” all I got was sweet potato recipes. This one turned out delicious, but I’m sorry if it was “wrong”!

I wasn’t sure I would like these potatoes or if they would have a good flavor, but they turned out pretty amazing! To make them, you peel and cube the potatoes and boil them in a barbecue-flavored sauce. The sauce seems watery and diluted, but it imbues the potatoes with so much great barbecue flavor! And they’re SO tender. Again, I don’t know if they’re authentic to North Carolina meals, but I’m definitely going to make them at another barbecue in future!

PEPSI

Is Pepsi okay? Yeah… I don’t love it though. 

Pepsi-Cola was invented in New Bern, North Carolina, in 1893 by pharmacist Caleb Bradham. He believed it would help with health, energy, and digestion. It was named Pepsi-Cola because it was flavored with the cola nut and was believed to help with dyspepsia (indigestion). In the early 1900s it was advertised as “delicious and healthful.” 

When looking up random facts about Pepsi, I learned that Coca-Cola outsells Pepsi in almost every part of the country except central Appalachia, North Dakota, and my home state of Utah. That really surprised me, because I literally don’t know anyone who chooses Pepsi over Coke. I certainly don’t. My preference is Dr. Pepper. Then Coke. Then root beer. Then Sprite. Then maybe Pepsi. I didn’t mind having a six-pack of Pepsi to drink with this meal, but it was the first time I’ve ever bought it.

Another beverage that would have fit this meal is a soda called Cheerwine. It was invented in 1917 by L.D. Peeler of Salisbury, North Carolina. It’s said to be “the oldest continuing soft drink run by the same family” and is hugely popular in the South. It’s cherry-flavored, which makes me super interested to try it. But I couldn’t find any without having it shipped to me, so I didn’t bother hunting it down for this meal.

SWEET POTATO PIE

You guys. I was so excited to FINALLY be making an actual pie using an actual pie crust.

But alas.

I messed up.

Since I was making this meal for my large family, I had a time limit and a deadline. And so, I cheated. I used a boxed pie crust mix. And it sucked. As you can see in the photos, it was thin and crunchy and shattered when I tried to cut it. It was SO disappointing, and I didn’t have time to make a new pie before dinner. I’m so sorry to let you all down! Next time, I will absolutely make every pie crust from scratch.

Anyway, did you know that almost half of all of America’s sweet potatoes are grown in Eastern North Carolina? Sweet potatoes originated in South America and were shipped not only to the American colonies but also to Europe, where they quickly gained popularity. Creamy vegetable pies were a thing since medieval times, so it was a natural next step to use sweet potatoes in their favorite desserts. Henry VIII supposedly loved sweet potato tarts, and sweet potatoes even get a shout-out in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor!

Sweet potatoes became popular for pies in the American South because they were easier to grow than edible pumpkins. Now, there’s a pretty clear divide between people who prefer pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie (especially at Thanksgiving). Personally, I think they’re pretty interchangeable! They’re both orange, creamy, and taste like squash! I was actually really surprised at how similar to pumpkin pie it was. Maybe commercial pumpkin pie is creamier than the sweet potato pie I made, but I honestly don’t know which flavor I prefer. Maybe I need to do a taste test!

(P.S. Krispy Kreme donuts would have been a good choice for this meal, too, because they were invented in Winston-Salem, North Carolina!)

So how do you think I did? Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions for improvement, and be sure to tune in next time for my take on a meal inspired by Virginia! If that’s where you’re from, what do you think I should make to represent your state? Bonus points if you have reliable recipes or pro tips before I make the attempt! Thank you for reading!