Styles of Barbecue

The oldest form of American open pit barbecue is practiced all along the flat coastal plain of the southeastern United States where the English colonists originally settled. What is called the “pit” is constructed either by digging a hole in the ground or by making a wide, shallow container, and placing a rack on top. A whole dressed hog is split and placed on the rack. Hardwood logs are burned down to coals in a separate fireplace and then these hot coals are continuously shoveled under the meat, which cooks anywhere from eight to fourteen hours, depending on the fire and the pitmaster. It is an extremely laborious process. No sauce is used on the meat nor is the meat basted while it cooks, although some pitmasters will allow a dry-seasoning rub before the meat goes on the rack to cook. When the meat is so tender that it is ready to fall off the bone, the pig is taken off the rack, the meat is “pulled” into shreds or chopped fine, then splashed with a thin, sharp sauce of vinegar and red pepper. This barbecue will sometimes be served as is, but it is most often topped with some coleslaw and additional sauce and sandwiched into a soft, white bun. Sweetened iced tea is the preferred beverage, and hush puppies are a typical side dish.