South Carolina Barbecue Association

[The Cynical Chef]

Last year I joined the SC Barbecue Association because I love barbecue and I live in South Carolina. I should have learned a little bit more before I joined up. I assumed that this group would be in the KC or Memphis camp but not the case. The SCBA is a feifdom unto themselves, not associated with any other sanctioning body. The SCBA also believes that SC can and will be the Barbecue Capitol of the World...and I am not kidding!

Do I renew or not my membership or not?

To be fair, the SCBA claims that barbecue was started in the New World right here in SC...which may be true but does that mean that the this state can be the Q capital of the world? Why can't they start small and work on improving the sorry state of Q in SC first? Am I just too damn cynical or is there good Q in this state...other than Sweatman's in Holly Hill & Foster's in Lake City.

[moosnsqrl]

John,

I'm sure the opinion of someone in KC is not worth the butcher paper it's written on but . . .

Regardless of the current reality of that organization, your participation (if you have the time) can only lend it more credence.

I say this secure in the knowledge that the true home of true 'cue is, of course, KC.

You would be amazed at how politically charge bbq (esp competition bbq) is, but it is still a source of great fun, great comeradrie, and great food. Wherever we go, simply mentioning that we're from KC elicits lively conversation. It's all good.

[Bombdog]

John

I agree with Judy here. If you are not a member, then who else is going to change the pig headed <sorry for the pun> perception that SC is the que capitol of the world?

[BigHoss]

if they are not going to align with MIM or K.C. BBQ society then hell no dont renew the membership. personally, i dont care which southern state cooked the first hog over live coals in the new world. i think what matters is years & years of passion and tradition and history towards barbecue and to me that means 6 basic regions: eastern n.c., peidmont, s.c. & georgia, tennessee, k.c., and texas. throw in the "micro-regions" of north alabama (white sauce), mississippi, florida, mexico, etc.. of course i absolutely think moosnqrl must be coming down off of a crack pipe high stating that k.c. is the true home of "q", but hell i'm from north mississippi/west tennessee so where do you think my allegiance lies? (-ha).....but really and truly the capital of barbecue is not a region or a state, its the south. its dixie.....period. im talking about barbecue the cooking process not just anything cooked over a live coals. the competition circuit that has gotten so big over the past decade or so has produced the rise of regional/state associations, but most if not all are alligned with one of the major two sanctioning bodies. what i would really like to see happen is the National Barbecue Association (of which i am a member) bring the MIM & K.C. BBQ together as one sanctioning body....not just for the competition circuit but to better market and identify the importance and/or what is so great about these different regions to barbecue. most people outside of the know couldnt tell you what the difference is between them and from a culinary standpoint i would like to see them and their differences all celebrated on menus around the country. barbecue is to the south what cheese is to france......drive 50-100 miles in any direction and you'll still find unreal bbq, but with a little different spin to it. whether that means a different sauce, slaw, process, meat...whatever.

[ludja]

Is all the bbq in South Carolina flavored with yellow mustard? I lived in NC for a number of years, and am a big fan of Eastern NC bbq, but never got a chance to try SC cue. I have to admit that the addition of the yellow mustard never really attracted me too much...

[Toliver]

SC is known for its unique Q, which, I far as I can recall, is shared by no other state. That in itself would be a valid reason to have such a Q organization let alone join one.

That they believe New World Q began in SC is just a by-product of their passion over their native Q. It is something for which they can be forgiven and something that can be tolerated, like the odd uncle who takes to wearing a tinfoil hat.

Renew your membership and provide the balance they obviously need.

[bandregg]

Personally, as someone born and raised in Kansas City and who has lived in North Carolina for the last eleven years, I don't need any damnable "society" or "organization" telling me what barbecue is or how to cook it. If someone wants to compete in cooking, and I'm of the opinion that's a worthless enterprise on the face of it, they can join up, send in their check, get their secret decoder ring (drink more ovaltine), and barbecue up a storm trying to meet someone else's standards, they're free to. I won't.

And for what it's worth, the first places in the New World to barbecue were the Carribean islands where the word comes from.

[The Cynical Chef]

The uniqueness of SC Q is the yellow mustard sauces that can be found in the lower part of the state.

My disappointment with the SCBA is that they have taken the stance that South Carolina has the greatest barbecue in the country and will very soon be recognized as the Barbecue Capital of the World as well as the ancestral home of Barbecue in the new World.

What on Earth are they smoking cuz it sure ain't pigs!

Now if an SCBA member were to win an SCBA event, all that it qualifies them for is a write up in the SCBA newsletter. By snubbing the KC & Memphis contigent they have done a disservice to their members that will win an SCBA event and then may want to go on to a regional event.

And the only real difference between the 2 sanctioning bodies is that when judging time comes for a MIM event, the uniqueness of your booth counts towards your overall score. Not so at a KCBS sanctioned event.

It is my opinion that the state of Barbecue in South Carolina is in deplorable condition. The general public and most of the traditional media regard Sticky Fingers (with 25 or 30 locations) as the pinnacle of SC Barbecue while in Alabama EVERYONE knows that the original Dreamland or Big Bob's are at the top...TN has Nealy's, NC has Lexington #1. It's too bad that the SCBA was not formed with the intention of improving the condition of Carolina Q. And I know all about Sweatman's but I promise you that Sweatman's is better known in the state of Florida than in SC.

Tomorrow I am headed to the NC BBQ Cahmpionships at Tryon and will try my best to find a member of the SCBA.

[Holly Moore]

My disappointment with the SCBA is that they have taken the stance that South Carolina has the greatest barbecue in the country and will very soon be recognized as the Barbecue Capital of the World as well as the ancestral home of Barbecue in the new World.

Breaths there a barbecuing region with soul so dead that never to itself has said, "We have the best barbecue. We are the barbecue capitol of the world!"

[The Cynical Chef]

My disappointment with the SCBA is that they have taken the stance that South Carolina has the greatest barbecue in the country and will very soon be recognized as the Barbecue Capital of the World as well as the ancestral home of Barbecue in the new World.

Breaths there a barbecuing region with soul so dead that never to itself has said, "We have the best barbecue. We are the barbecue capitol of the world!"

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I understand your point Holly..... there is tremendous (both civic & culinary) pride that eminates from the various BBQ'ing factions. I wish that South Carolina had the product to back up the boast.

It ain't braggin if you can do it

[GRITS]

If the barbecue sauce has ketchup or mustard in it, I don't eat it. I only like vinegar sauce - so much so, I take a swig of it straight from the bottle!

[The Cynical Chef]

If the barbecue sauce has ketchup or mustard in it, I don't eat it.  I only like vinegar sauce - so much so, I take a swig of it straight from the bottle!

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Next time try some Kentucky Bourbon instead.....

[MollyBGoodwin]

The uniqueness of SC Q is the yellow mustard  sauces that can be found in the lower part of the state.

My disappointment with the SCBA is that they have taken the stance that South Carolina has the greatest barbecue in the country and will very soon be recognized as the Barbecue Capital of the World as well as the ancestral home of Barbecue in the new World.

What on Earth are they smoking cuz it sure ain't pigs!

Now if an SCBA member were to win an SCBA event, all that it qualifies them for is a write up in the SCBA newsletter.  By snubbing the KC & Memphis contigent they have done a disservice to their members that will win an SCBA event and then may want to go on to a regional event.

And the only real difference between the 2 sanctioning bodies is that when judging time comes for a MIM event, the uniqueness of your booth counts towards your overall score.  Not so at a KCBS sanctioned event.

It is my opinion that the state of Barbecue in South Carolina is in deplorable condition.  The general public and most of the traditional media regard Sticky Fingers (with 25 or 30 locations) as the pinnacle of SC Barbecue while in Alabama EVERYONE knows that the original Dreamland or Big Bob's are at the top...TN has Nealy's, NC has Lexington #1.  It's too bad that the SCBA was not formed with the intention of improving the condition of Carolina Q.  And I know all about Sweatman's but I promise you that Sweatman's is better known in the state of Florida than in SC.

Tomorrow I am headed to the NC BBQ Cahmpionships at Tryon and will try my best to find a member of the SCBA.

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Hey Cynical - when you refer to "Big Bob's" which town in AL are you talking about? I'm in Charleston now, but grew up in teeny little Decatur, Al where we had a 'Big Bob Gibson's" that served white sauce bbq, although it was generally accepted that Greenbriar in Madison was better. Just wondered if that's who you were talking about.

[kayb]

Bumping up this old topic to make note of a meal I had on the road last week. We stopped in Maurice's, in West Columbia, SC, and had a barbecue plate:

 

 

It was ... OK. I had had SC mustard barbecue sauce before, so it wasn't a total taste bud shock, but I'm one who prefers sauce served on the side rather than meat being tossed in the sauce. The meat itself was better than a lot of 'cue I've tried, not as good as several others. Beans were pretty good, heavily flavored with the mustard sauce, a good portion of meat mixed in. The potato salad was decent, obviously homemade, but the eggs were overcooked and a tad rubbery.  I had a dish of banana pudding, which was of the Paula Deen style (condensed milk, cream cheese, instant pudding, whipped topping) was pretty good.

 

Certainly not worth all the hoop-la it gets. Most roadside places in West Tennessee and North Mississippi do better.