I think it’s safe to assume that the history of barbecue in North Carolina traveled from east to west. If you have any doubt, you only need to look at the ingredient difference between the two styles of sauce. In the East a barbecue sauce can be as simple as vinegar, salt, and pepper. Western North Carolina compounds the East’s flavors with a variety of extra ingredients including ketchup, a generous amount of brown sugar, and sometimes Worcestershire sauce (See page 224). Eastern Carolina barbecue has generally consisted of cooking whole hogs, but it is the vinegar sauce that adds an element of uniqueness to its barbecue. The sauce will add an increased level of moisture to the chopped meat while enhancing its flavor with a distinct cider-vinegar tang.

Ingredients

　　5 cups distilled vinegar

　　1 cup cider vinegar

　　5 tablespoons dark brown sugar

　　3 tablespoons salt

　　1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

　　1 tablespoons hot sauce

　　2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

　　1 teaspoon black pepper

　　Combine the ingredients in a large nonreative bowl and mix well. Make at least 24 hours prior to usage for best flavor. Store the sauce in a tightly covered jar for up to 2 months refrigerated.

　　Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book by Chris Lilly. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Lilly. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Vice president, executive chef, and partner of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Chris Lilly oversees the two company-owned restaurants as well as their new chain of franchises.