North Carolina is home to the longest continuous barbecue tradition on the North American mainland. Authoritative, spirited, and opinionated (in the best way), Holy Smoke is a passionate exploration of the lore, recipes, traditions, and people who have helped shape North Carolina’s signature slow-food dish.
Three barbecue devotees, John Shelton Reed, Dale Volberg Reed, and William McKinney, 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.
John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Both are members of the Southern Foodways Alliance and the North Carolina Barbecue Society. They have collaborated on other books, including 1001 Things Everyone Should Know about the South and Cornbread Nation 4: The Best of Southern Food Writing. William McKinney founded the Carolina BBQ Society while a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He now lives in Virginia.
Reviews
“[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
“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
“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
“Jam-packed with entertaining and authoritative history, culture, personality sketches, and thoughtful opinion.”
–D.G. Martin, syndicated columnist
“A treasure trove, a testament (in the Holy Roller sense), an exuberant celebration of the one thing s.0erved in the South that is better than fried chicken.”
–Nicki Leone, BiblioBuffet.com
“Part cultural history, part cookbook, Holy Smoke . . . may be the best tome ever written about pulled pork.”
—Atlanta Journal-Constitution
http://uncpress.unc.edu/HolySmoke/index.html
Tags: Barbecue, Holy Smoke, John Shelton Reed, North Carolina BBQ, Tarheel, UNC Press
