ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Barbecue in North Carolina

Barbecue in North Carolina is a special way of cooking meat, usually pork, over a fire. In North Carolina, there are two types of barbecue: Eastern style and Western style.

Eastern style barbecue uses the whole pig, cooked over hardwood coals, and then the meat is chopped up and mixed with vinegar-based sauce. The sauce is made up of vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. You might see some people add a bit of sugar or ketchup to their sauce. The Eastern style barbecue is usually served with slaw, hushpuppies, and sweet tea.

Western style barbecue uses only the pork shoulder, also known as the Boston butt. The meat is cooked over hardwood coals and mixed with tomato-based sauce that includes vinegar, brown sugar, and spices. The Western style barbecue is usually served with coleslaw and baked beans.

Both styles of barbecue are loved by North Carolinians and can be found in restaurants and at cookouts all over the state. Some people even have friendly debates over which style is better, but everyone agrees that North Carolina barbecue is delicious!