n the eastern half of the state, a thin vinegar sauce is the norm. e
tangy sauce also gets a little heat from the addition of pepper. is
style involves smoking the whole hog. Traditionally, this process was
done over a pit of coals dug into the ground.
e motto at Bill Spoon's Barbecue on South Boulevard is "We cook the
whole pig; it makes the difference." e eatery has been serving eastern North
Carolina-style barbecue since 1963. Charlotte native Bill Spoon moved to
Wilmington, North Carolina, for a while, and that's where he learned the
barbecue tradition of the region. When he returned to Charlotte, he brought the
cra back with him.
"It's kind of a mild-to-medium hotness," Steve Spoon, Jr. says of the sauce. Steve,
Bill's grandson, now owns the restaurant. "It's very smooth and complements
the barbecue well. It enhances everything in the pork."
"
Our sauce has kind of a mild-
to-medium hotness. It's very
smooth and complements the
barbecue well. It enhances
everything in the pork."
Steve Spoon, Jr.
vinegar
•
meat: whole hog
26 OCTOBER 2016