Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue

by John Shelton Reed, Dale Volberg Reed, William McKinney (With)

Overview

North Carolina is home to the longest continuous barbecue tradition on the North American mainland. Now available for the first time in paperback, Holy Smoke is a passionate exploration of the lore, recipes, traditions, and people who have helped shape North Carolina's signature slow-food dish. A new preface by the authors examines the latest news, good and bad, from the world of Tar Heel barbecue, and their updated guide to relevant writing, films, and websites is an essential. They trace the origins of North Carolina 'cue and the emergence of the heated rivalry between Eastern and Piedmont styles. They provide detailed instructions for cooking barbecue at home, along with recipes for the traditional array of side dishes that should accompany it. The final section of the book presents some of the people who cook barbecue for a living, recording firsthand what experts say about the past and future of North Carolina barbecue.  Filled with historic and contemporary photographs showing centuries of North Carolina's "barbeculture," as the authors call it, Holy Smoke is one of a kind, offering a comprehensive exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469629674
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	06/30/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed live in Chapel Hill, N.C. Both are members of the Southern Foodways Alliance. John Shelton Reed is author of Barbecue: A Savor the South Cookbook, and he is co-founder of The Campaign for Real Barbecue (http://www.truecue.org) and one of the moving spirits of the Carolina Barbecue Society. William McKinney founded the Carolina BBQ Society while a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He now lives in Virginia.
John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed live in Chapel Hill, NC. Both are members of the Southern Foodways Alliance. John Shelton Reed is author of Barbecue: A Savor the South Cookbook, and he is co-founder of The Campaign for Real Barbecue (http://www.truecue.org) and one of the moving spirits of the Carolina Barbecue Society.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

John Reed believes that the traditional barbecue joint is a place in the South where people from all walks of life and all races, from the sheriffs' deputies to the construction workers to the town bankers, gather to eat the local specialty at a price just about anybody can afford. . . . A passage in Holy Smoke says, 'North Carolina barbecue is an edible embodiment of Tradition. For many of us, barbecue symbolizes Home and People.'" —Calvin Trillin, New Yorker

Editorial Reviews

Starred Review.

North Carolina barbecue may be the most complex of a decidedly complicated American tradition, with perennial battles over sauce, meat, wood and countless other factors. Married collaborators the Reeds (1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South), along with Carolina BBQ Society founder McKinney, help 'cue fans navigate the smoky waters of North Carolina cuisine-its history, practice and players-in this expert guide, tempered with a smart sense of humor and true love for the food (Carolina transplants, the Reeds don't take the region's legacy lightly). The Reeds trace the evolution of the cooking style from its first appearance in the late 1600s, revealing the 19th century origins of the vinegar-based sauce synonymous with the state. Though the focus in on pork, the Reeds delve deep into all facets of the cuisine, including its social and political significance, and offer tips on picking one's restaurants wisely, a blueprint for building your own pit, and recipes. Would-be Carolinian pit-masters will learn all they need about smoking butts as well as whole hogs, whipping up crucial sauces and sides, and preparing dessert (from homemade Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding to Moon Pies and wine jelly). Even if readers never attempt to recreate the region's trademark delicacies, they'll certainly gain a deeper appreciation and understanding for this remarkably complex regional style and the characters who keep it alive. 260 illus.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly

Does the world really need another barbecue book?' The answer is yes, thanks to the book's dozens of useful recipes (some lending credence to the claim that three pillars of Southern cooking are sugar, salt and fat), hundreds of evocative illustrations and photos, and a narrative spiced with historical anecdotes.—The Wall Street Journal

Part cultural history, part cookbook, Holy Smoke . . . may be the best tome ever written about pulled pork.—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[A] funny, fantastically southern memoir of the infamous East-West brawl over North Carolina barbecue. . . . Everything we ever wanted to know about the history of the 'cue, the sauce, and the people behind this Tar Heel tradition.—Southern Living

Part-cookbook-part-manual . . . and an excellent guide to the Tar Heel state's distinctive interpretation of a great American cooking style.—The Christian Science Monitor

This heartfelt, thorough, witty compendium of the state's barbecue places, pitmasters, pig pickins, history lessons, tall tales and basic recipes makes me bone-deep homesick in a way I haven't felt in years.—Rachel Wharton, The Art of Eating

A comprehensive and entertaining exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition. . . . Holy Smoke is full of everything you might want to know about Tar Heel 'cue, and probably more.—The Weekly Standard

Filled with history, interviews and all kinds of kooky heirloom Southern recipes, this is a lovingly curated book on the 'barbaculture' of the Tar Heel state.—Chile Pepper

A cultural and culinary history of barbecue . . . the book includes directions on shaping cornmeal into perfect hush puppies, a who's who of the region's pit masters, and mouthwatering photographs of sizzling pigs.—The Chronicle of Higher Education

A dance through the legends, history, fables and reality of North Carolina barbecue. . . . While laughing along with the fun stories, don't forget to take the recipes seriously.—Edible Piedmont

A fine book, one that every Tar Heel, whether born and bred or merely welcomed and fed, needs to read carefully.—Tim Tyson, Raleigh News & Observer

Highly entertaining and guaranteed to whet your appetite for you-know-what.—Fayetteville Observer

[A] most worthy book about Tar Heel Barbecue. . . . An indispensable reference work. . . . The authors have carefully recorded first-person accounts of how these restaurateurs go about their business. It is as if they turned on the mike, asked the right question and got out of the way. . . . A fascinating account.—Jack Betts, CharlotteObserver.com

If this book doesn't set your mouth to watering, then you need your taste buds checked.—Ben Steelman, Wilmington Star-News

A darn good book.—Kathleen Purvis, The Charlotte Observer

Captures the near-religious fervor that devotees have for this succulent sustenance.—Duke Magazine

One of a kind, offering a comprehensive exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition.—Sandlapper

Brings to life the state treasure that North Carolina has in barbecue, and in the people who practice it.—Michael Hastings, Winston-Salem Journal

The most definitive book . . . on the food that ties sons and daughters of The Old North State together by the taste buds.—Burlington, NC Times-News

A valuable addition to the barbecue lover's bookshelf.—Charleston City Paper

An apogee on all things barbecue. . . . Much more than a simple collection of recipes, the book supplements its exploration of this regional favorite by delving into the history of North Carolina barbecue. . . . And of course, there's no shortage of recipes and cooking techniques presented here, covering not only the meat, but a variety of side dishes, deserts, and even that signature Southern beverage, iced tea.—WNC Magazine

Sheer fun. . . . Informative, fast-paced, thorough, and filled with facts. I was reading through it the other evening and could have sworn I smelled the sharp, smoky aroma of pork slowly cooking over hickory coals.—Jack Betts, The Charlotte Observer

Southern studies guru John Shelton Reed and fellow pork pro Dale Volberg Reed have teamed up with pig-pushing alum William McKinney to give us the first definitive guide to the people, places and culinary secrets behind the world's best barbecue.—Carolina Arts & Sciences News

John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed . . . really have written the book on North Carolina barbecue.—Mountain Xpress

Maybe . . . you're wondering where the difference in barbecue styles comes from and why this difference is so fiercely contested. Or maybe you're interested in history or cultural history or North Carolina history. I've got just the book for you. . . . True Tar Heels will have a hard time giving this one away, so buy two.—Moreton Neal, MetroMagazine

It's here. Not another guide to North Carolina barbecue restaurants . . . [but] 'an exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition.' While Holy Smoke is assuredly about food, it is more, in my mind, about 'foodways'—the roots and evolution of the food, which more than any other, is identified with the people of this state and its history and traditions.—Carroll Leggett, MetroMagazine

Sure to be a favorite with folks who love the Tar Heel state and its history and foodways.—Metro Magazine

Should bring readers to a deeper respect for an American art form.—Southern Cultures

The book leaves no glowing coal unturned in its examination of our state's barbecue history, cooking techniques, recipes, and characters who have honed the fine art of turning hogs into something heavenly.—Our State

From the Publisher