Sunday, August 22, 2010

Adventure with the “King” of Carolina BBQ



The wife and I recently went on a road trip down south to Orlando. One the way we stopped at a place for lunch. This place was the BBQ King Drive-In just off I-77 in Charlotte NC. We had found this place by watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives…..and as I had hoped, it was amazing! It was so good in fact we stopped for lunch there on the way back from Florida as well. We had a pulled pork sandwich which was doused in a Carolina style BBQ sauce and topped with a sweet vinegar-based cole slaw. We also had their fried chicken which they dip in their sauce. The onion rings and home-made hush-puppies were to die for! With this food being so good, naturally I had try to replicate something on the menu. What stood out to both my wife and I was the delicious BBQ sauce. I know my recipes recently have focused on sauces, but you have to admit, a killer sauce can make all the difference between a good meal and an awesome meal. So without further delay, here is the damn close recipe that I figured out for the BBQ king sauce:
4 cups apple cider vinegar
1 and 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 and 1/4 cup water
1/8 cup Tabasco sauce
1/8 cup + 1 tbsp liquid hickory smoke
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp onion powder
1tsp garlic powder
1 lemon cut in half
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan, including the lemon halves. Simmer for about 1 hour. This will allow the sauce to reduce and thicken. Enjoy!
Here is the link to the triple D video of the BBQ king