North Carolina Smoked Shoulder Benefit to Help Out Neighbors

Mom picked up a NC pork barbecue shoulder this weekend. I smoke shoulders or Boston butts sometimes, but they are a lot of work. And, this was a benefit for Mrs. Watson who has both a daughter and grand-daughter (age 16) with cancer.

This is a small town, and folks come together and help out. So CJs Barbecue Restaurant here in Cleveland, NC hosted. The guys came in and smoked shoulders. The bluegrassers came. Mrs. Watson is, by the way, one of the best of the bunch in this area when it comes to bluegrass. And, some of the men brought in some old time tractors and show cars too.

Yesterday I had lunch with Mom and Harry with our traditional NC vinegar based with red barbecue sauce. It's a thin bbq sauce with a little heat and known as Lexington style. That's Lexington, NC - of course. There's some debate about whether this style of barbecue actually started in Lexington. More likely, it started along the rail lines here in Rowan County. But, you'll not hear it called Rowan County or Salisbury style barbecue.

In any case, our barbecue is delicious and very different from other styles across the country. If you're ever in North Carolina and in the beach or piedmont areas, ask someone directions to one of the wood burning barbecue joints. They will know what you mean. There's a big difference between electric or gas and the wood burning barbecue, so be sure to find the real deal in NC.