Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52270 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-01
• Released on: 2008-10-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 328 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780807832431
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
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.

Review
"The authors show that barbecue is more than just a meal. Love, hardship, and generations of striving go into every morsel of this 'white and brown.' All visitors to North Carolina should keep this relevant guide at their fingertips."
— Gastronomica

"What every book on barbecue should aim to be: well-researched, wide-ranging, funny, lavishly illustrated, and just downright enjoyable."
— alforno.blogspot.com

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

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

"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

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

"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

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

"Part cookbook, part how-to manual for the backyard barbecuer and part historical treatise. . . . This well-researched book is a hymn of praise to those pitmasters who have long labored over fires fueled by hickory and smoke."
— Blue Ridge Country

"A fascinating book presented in an interesting fashion. It's not wide, but man is it deep."
— BBQ Links

"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

"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

"Holy Smoke embraces the subtleties and complexities of our exquisite state dish and all the lore that surrounds it. Whether considering Eastern style or Lexington style, this wonderful book is as enticing as a tray of outside coarse-chopped with hushpuppies and a Cheerwine at Lexington =1--not that I'm preferential."
— Jerry Bledsoe

"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

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

"Even if it didn't taste so good, we would like North Carolina barbecue for its inspirational nature. Like chile in New Mexico and cheese curds in Wisconsin, its rituals and lore stir passionate symposia, infusing ###Holy Smoke# with a sense of purpose that is biblical."
— Jane and Michael Stern, Roadfood.com

"[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

"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

"'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."
— Wall Street Journal

"Jam-packed with entertaining and authoritative history, culture, personality sketches, and thoughtful opinion."
— D.G. Martin, syndicated columnist

"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] 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

"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 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

"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

About the Author
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.

Dale Volberg Reed and John Shelton 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.

Customer Reviews

The Book of North Carolina Barbecue
This book covers the bases of North Carolina Barbecue. It discusses the history of North Carolina Barbecue, how to cook pork shoulders and whole hogs, gives recipes for famous Eastern and Piedmont barbecue sauces and various side dishes and desserts, and has interviews with the foremost North Carolina barbecue restaurant owners who cook in the traditional style. The book is fun, interesting, and informative. Highly recommended.
Review by Certified Barbecue Judge (Memphis, Kansas City, North Carolina)

BBQ Odyssey
Bob from Baltimore:

I am a native of Baltimore, Maryland; a state that was the most northern of the southern culture and most southern of northern industry, I have a foot (or toe) in both. I first sampled Carolina Barbecue (BBQ) in the mid 1970's after a sister-in-law married into a North Carolina family. Initially a culinary culture shock; that defied my notion of BBQ, but over the years I came to love the unique local food and the small family restaurants that purvey it. I had the opportunity of meeting the authors of Holy Smoke at a book signing near Chapel Hill, NC. Their knowledge of Southern food and cultural history runs deeper than their most recent work. The book is highly read-able and cleverly illustrated with old images of BBQ "joints", advertisement and other themes. John and Dale Reed aided by Bill McKinney have connected the dots of this pit cooked North Carolina Odyssey to reveal a portrait of tradition, community and rivalry. The only this missing was a scratch and sniff of hickory smoke.

Well Researched
This book is an excellent overview of North Carolina barbecue. What sets this book apart from others on the subject is the amount of detailed research. The authors not only did their homework, they interviewed many of the major figures in North Carolina barbecue first hand.

The unique structure makes the book very readable. First they give a detailed history of barbecue in North Carolina while touching on the debates that echo within the state as to what constitutes "real" barbecue and what does not. This ranges from the style of sauce and what cut of the pig is used, to what fuel does the cooking (wood vs. gas, electric, etc.) Second, they go into the food in detail giving many excellent recipes and enough detail that even a barbecue novice could produce their own 'cue. Finally (and my favorite part) are the interviews. The authors scoured the state, interviewing the important restaurant owners and pitmasters who make North Carolina the epicenter of barbecue as we know it.

Highly recommended for fans of good food and history.