Here are some good basic recipes for one good Southern chow down. We hope to add some favorite and unique recipes from our friends from time to time. Send them to us!
Real Eastern North Carolina Style Barbeque (the easy way)
The secret is always slow cooking... and the sauce. This is not Texas or Alabama so it is not so much about smoke... not that there is anything wrong with a little smoke. If you are cooking a whole pig, like you are supposed to, you will get smoke. Most people don't want to cook a whole pig. Most people can't and a whole lot shouldn't. Many people just don't have the appreciation for hanging out and cooking all day...
After much trial and error, not to mention the undeniable guilt for taking a short cut, I have come up with the next best thing to true Eastern North Carolina (though partial pig) Barbeque... It is not just easy. It is good! I'll call it Real Eastern North Carolina Style Barbeque, since I don't know where you'll be making it! Here it is exactly:
4-5 lbs. Pork Loin (with extra fat and that white stuff trimmed off...some might use pork shoulders, and I have, but for this, the loin is far easier, self basting and with better yield and less grease.)
1 Cup Carolina Sunshine Barbeque Sauce (I like the "Hot". A kick but not too hot.)
Cut the pork loin into one inch thick slices across the grain and place in a "Crock Pot" or similar slow cooker. That is cheating I know but now add the one-cup of Carolina Sunshine Barbeque Sauce, put the heat on low and go find something else to do for about 8 to 10 hours. If the cooker is working, you should be able to come back and take a fork or two and start shredding the pork...it should just pull completely apart while you are shredding and stirring. No chopping, no mess. The liquid will be absorbed and you will be thinking to yourself "man that smells good"! Now, all you need are hamburger buns and your favorite Dixie Style Cole Slaw and you have the perfect sandwich. Add Carolina Sunshine Barbeque Sauce to taste - but it may already be like you want it. Time for a party!
back to top
Oven Baked Ribs
We can’t always grill and we can’t always barbecue. Try this really simple rib recipe to impress your family and friends. And there is no mess! Feel free to experiment but this recipe will get you going…
1-2 racks of pork ribs (4-5 lbs per) Trim a little fat now to avoid some grease later.
One cup of Carolina Sunshine Barbeque Sauce (hot or regular)
1 tablespoon Mustard (yellow mustard is fine!)
1 cup Ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar or cane syrup
2 tablespoons of Carolina Sunshine Butt n’ Rib Rub
Spray or mop the ribs with olive oil or vegetable oil. Not a lot, just to wet it.
Rub the ribs with the Carolina Sunshine Rib n’ Butt Rub and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. (Of course you can rub them long before you cook them and it only makes them better.) Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the Carolina Sunshine Barbecue Sauce, the ketchup and brown sugar (or syrup), or use our Tangy Lexington style sauce. Baste the ribs with the mixture and cook for another 20 minutes or so. Absolute heaven!
back to top
Sunshine Chicken
As a marinade you mix:
One part Carolina Sunshine Barbeque Sauce
Three parts Orange Juice (That is orange JUICE, not orange drink!)
Put the mixture in a zip lock freezer bag with a few chicken breasts in the refrigerator for about 5 hours....but not too long since it will change the texture of the meat. Move 'em around every so often. Put them on the grill like you always do and enjoy the difference! You might even dust them lightly (to taste) with Carolina Sunshine Butt n’ Rib Rub.
My experience has been with boneless chicken breasts but I guess a chicken is a chicken. DO NOT try to save or reuse the marinade no matter how good it is. You can make some more.
back to top
Barbeque Salad
Don't knock it unless you have tried it.
A bag of mixed salad greens from the store (or you can do it the hard way)
Real Eastern North Carolina Style Barbeque - about two cups
Mix it up or put it on top (about ¼ cup or more per serving)
A dressing can be made with one part Carolina Sunshine Barbeque Sauce and one part salad oil. Delightful! Not particularly old fashioned but mighty tasty... and with a kick! Or you can use your previously favorite dressing.
Grilled Tenderloin
Now this is grilling, not really barbecuing. But good, good, good! Recipe is for a 4-5 lb. pork loin…adjustments can be made accordingly….and remember it is about what you like. You should experiment!
1 pork tenderloin (4-5 lbs.)
One cup of Carolina Sunshine Barbeque Sauce (hot or regular)
4 tablespoons of Carolina Sunshine Butt n’ Rib Rub
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup of cane syrup (or molasses) don't forget the syrup is sweeter but what a flavor!
Marinate the tenderloin overnight in the Carolina Sunshine Barbecue Sauce with 2 tablespoons of the rub. Works well in a freezer bag and keep moving it around when you think about it.
Now the fun.the cooking. I use lump charcoal, I use gas and I use wood. Different grills cook at different temperatures. We have already established you are a "griller" since you have read this far - so cook it as you like it.but generally over a medium heat with the lid closed, turning and basting somewhat frequently. Baste the meat with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of the rub, the cane syrup and the Dijon mustard. You can thin it out a little with some of the Carolina Sunshine Barbecue Sauce; a tablespoon or so. And make sure it is done. Cook too slow you'll miss something, cook too fast and you'll burn something. This is going to take you a couple of hours or so (or a beer or four if that is your unit of measurement). However you cook it, get that meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees and you are there.
back to top back to top
Dixie Cole Slaw
This is a pretty good all around cole slaw made for decades around here... along the lines of the Colonel's slaw.
1 head of cabbage, shredded (or save your knuckles and buy a bag of shredded cabbage ready to go)
1 or two carrots (your preference. Pretty much only adds color)
1/4 onion. (Some
may want less... or none at all... particularly if it's a strong or big onion.small and sweet would be the words here)
Sauce:
1 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1 cup sugar (yep, that is one whole cup. Eastern NC BBQ is not for the squeamish.)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 vinegar
Mix together and pour over the cabbage mix and stir it all together. Let it sit for a few hours before eating. And KEEP IT COLD.
back to top
Eastern Style Slaw
Warning! This is a huge recipe for a party of 25 people or more. You might want to reduce it accordingly for a smaller get together !
6 heads of cabbage finely shredded (see? Talking about 35 cups or so right there!)
1 ½ cups chopped green onions. (Certainly less can be used; depends on your tastes.)
1 carrot chopped up
1 ½ quarts of mayonnaise (or salad dressing---this is about what you like, not me.)
¾ cup of vinegar (apple cider vinegar seems milder than the white)
¾ cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of celery seed
1-2 tablespoons of salt to taste
In a damn big bowl, combine the cabbage and onion.
In a smaller bowl, mix well your mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, celery seed and salt.
Now kind of drizzle this mix over the cabbage and onion and toss it and mix it around.
Refrigerate until serving. BE SURE TO KEEP IT COLD….warm coleslaw can seriously make you wish you were dead.
Hush Puppies
There is a little work to these but they are well worth it!
1 cup yellow cornmeal (you can use white but I like the yellow)
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup chopped onion (less if it is your taste)
1 can or tube of cream style corn (and THIS is your secret ingredient)
a little milk if you need or you want
Now mix together the dry ingredients. Add onion and corn. Mix that all up well.if more liquid is needed to make the mix the desired consistency, then you can add that milk. Now for the "art" of it all... drop heaping teaspoons into deep hot fat, about 360° and fry until golden brown.
back to top
Simple Blackberry Cobbler
( My "Takes about an hour Blackberry Cobbler")
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1 cup of self rising flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups frozen blackberries
Vanilla Ice Cream if you want (and you should)
Mix together 1 cup sugar, flour and milk until just blended.... whisk in the melted butter. Pour this mixture into a lightly greased 12x8 baking dish; sprinkle the blackberries and the rest of the sugar evenly over the batter.
Now bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until golden brown and bubbly. Is said to make 6 servings for most folks... we end up with about three.
back to top
Beer can Chicken
A six-pack of your favorite beer
A bucket of your favorite fried chicken
A comfortable couch and an ACC or SEC Football game.... ahhhhhhh.
The only thing that might make that better would be serving that Barbeque, too.
