After a day hike around Asheville, North Carolina, we went to eat at a place that looked like a shack, but the barbecue was to die for!
We asked the receptionist at the hotel where to eat locally. He showed us the restaurant which served the best barbecue. We drove around and around and then approached the place that looked like a shack. I could hear the noise from the road near the bridge along the highway. The tiny house was painted crimson red. The paint chipped away. It looked like someone did the color splash here and there. At the front door, a few wooden patches were nailed up and down with the crooked barbecue sign written on them. A long line of people outside the building waited to be seated. Getting closer, I could smell the smoke from the barbecue pit in the back of the small building. We sat at the black wooden table, waiting for our food. One guy was busy chopping the mouth-watering pulled pork. The other kept calling the numbers: 25, 25, and ding ding as he pushed the bell twice. 26 ding- ding! 27 ding- ding! The voice and the sound of the bell reminded me of the auctioneer chain at the auction.
My meal was served with baked beans. I poured the barbecue sauce on my pulled pork. I needed to learn to eat barbecue properly, but I didn’t care then. My mouth was watering! The crunchiness of the pork skin moistened with the watery sauce was heavenly and deliciously yummy. I could taste the tartness of balsamic, a hint of cayenne, and a tiny kick of crushed pepper. Everything is mixed with harmony as if the musician played well with his precise, delicate notes. And then I found out the best way to eat barbecue. Keep licking to finish the yummy sauce on your fingers or your plate. Who cares!
Anthony Bourdain said, “Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.” I am not an avid foodie searching for the best barbecue, but I could taste all the hard work in the food. The chef must spend much time perfecting a special sauce that passes down from generation to generation.
Where do you find the best barbecue?
Check out my inspired recipe using Balsamic Vinegar sauce for Chicken Wings
