I will not enter the BBQ debate. Every state, probably every county in the USA, has a version of BBQ. I like all of them! Each version and variety of BBQ has a special character and eating pleasure to offer.
I live in the eastern Piedmont of NC and the BBQ around here is chopped and made of pork. However, I grew up on sliced pork BBQ in the western part of the state so I have tasted all the variations in between! Eastern NC BBQ is chopped and tossed with a vinegar based sauce so the spice and vinegar taste permeates throughout the pork whereas the sliced pork version in the western part places the emphasis on the pork taste.
In all the years I have eaten NC BBQ, it never occurred to me to pair wine with the various BBQ styles. While attending a rosé wine tasting at The Wine Feed, Phil and Phillip suggested a rosé would be good to pair with NC down east BBQ; I could not resist testing out the idea. They were right as usual!
Imagine this – a fresh yeast roll from La Farm Bakery, filled with homemade cabbage, carrot, green garlic and onion slaw, and Wilbur’s pork BBQ served with Bastianich Rosato 2009 wine. Just try it one Friday night after a long workweek. Take the Wilbur’s BBQ you bought on your way home from Emerald Isle Beach as you were passing thru Goldsboro, NC and then stashed in your freezer. Heat it up; make a quick simple clean slaw, take the La Farm Bakery Yeast rolls and pop them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes and pour a glass of Bastianich Rosato from The Wine Feed. Make yourself a “sangwich” (Southern Italian for “Sandwich”) and kick back for a taste of NC and the start of a happy weekend.
I ‘m just saying – it is good to be in NC!
The Gardener’s Kitchen Homemade Slaw Recipe
1 peeled, grated fresh carrot
1 small head fresh savoy cabbage thinly sliced (3 to 4 cups)
1 fresh green garlic – white bulb and green leaves minced
1 orange or yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons grated sweet onion
3 – 4 Tablespoons organic mayonnaise
Juice from ½ organic lemon
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl!
Note: Fresh veggies are important for slaw so try to get the freshest cabbage, carrots, peppers garlic and onions from your local farmers. This slaw is lightly dressed with mayonnaise. Keeping the taste simple and the mayonnaise light lets the taste of the pork and spices in down east BBQ and complementary taste of the rosé shine thru. If you like lots of mayonnaise in your slaw you will need to add more mayonnaise. Also, I have been known to add a little horseradish to this slaw so feel free to add whatever condiments, spices and acidic alternatives (vinegar) which will make you happy eating your BBQ with the rosé!