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Whether they’re checking out the newest restaurants or enjoying a stay at a bed-and-breakfast, contributing writers share their unique insight and stories from exploring the Palmetto State.
Whole-hog barbecue is a specialty at a handful of restaurants operating across the state.
Smoky, savory, sweet and spicy — the bold flavors of South Carolina barbecue beckon meat-lovers from around the world. This transportive culinary experience has been cultivated by centuries of traditions and techniques passed down through generations, but the whole story begins with a whole hog, slowly smoked over low heat.
Whole-hog barbecue relies upon rustic preparations rooted in an agricultural past, a time when farms were abundant and people gathered as a community to partake in meals. After a hog was slaughtered, the entire animal was smoked over fire, and when the meat was tender and cooked through, everyone gathered around the pit to dig in. Sauces ran the gamut from mustard-based to tomato-based to vinegar-based, depending on the region of the state.
South Carolinians still gather ’round the pit in a time-honored ritual known as a “pig picking.” Smokers are fired up, a whole hog ordered from local purveyors and the pig slow-cooked, usually overnight. When it’s almost time to eat, folks show up with fixings, such as coleslaw, potato salad, sweet potato casserole or rice and hash. There’s usually plenty of white bread for sopping up the juices and sauces. Add cold beverages and you’ve got a dinner party, South Carolina style.
Though it’s not as common a practice these days, whole-hog barbecue is a specialty at a handful of restaurants operating across the state. These establishments do the hard work for you. All you have to do is show up and fill your plate.
Rodney Scott helms the smokers at his own Charleston restaurant, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ.
Barbecue aficionados point to Scott’s Bar-B-Que in Hemingway as the quintessential whole-hog experience. It’s where Rodney Scott, the 2018 James Beard Best Chef: Southeast winner, got his start in the family business, developing his own smoking techniques and equipment. Operating in a humble clapboard convenience store in the Pee Dee region — where whole-hog cookery has long been a way of life — the Scott family has a reputation for great barbecue. Hungry crowds line up for the no-frills pulled pork served with white bread and sauce. It has been called the “most influential” barbecue in the nation. Stop in and see why.
Speaking of Rodney Scott, the celebrated pitmaster now helms the smokers at his own Charleston restaurant, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. He has stayed true to his process, smoking whole hogs “slow and low” for hours before flipping them and giving them a good mopping with his special sauce. When you order up a pulled pork sandwich or take home a pound for the family, you’re getting the real deal.
Hite's has been cooking barbecue in the same smokers since it opened in 1957.
The magic at McCabe’s Bar-B-Que in Manning happens in a screened-in room just off the back porch. Pigs are cooked for up to 12 hours before the meat is picked and mixed. The results deliver all the richness and juiciness that makes for an unforgettable whole-hog barbecue experience.
If zingy, spicy sauce piques your taste buds, don’t miss the mouthwatering “barbecue gravy” at Brown’s Bar-B-Q in Kingstree. Pit-tenders mop this signature vinegar and hot pepper onto the whole hog as it smokes in the pit, resulting in ultra-flavorful pork with a kick of spice.
And no barbecue experience would be complete without an all-star lineup of sides. Taste your way through all of them at the all-you-can-eat buffet at Shuler’s BBQ in Latta. This is where whole-hog barbecue is complemented by all manner of fixin’s: fried corn, sweet potato souffle, liver hash and several kinds of slaw. Be sure to bring your appetite.
4 Signature Sauces
South Carolina is also the only state in the nation where you’ll find all four of the basic types of barbecue sauce.
Most folks have an allegiance to one sauce over the others, but you need to try all four before you can choose a side.
Mustard South Carolina’s signature gold sauce lends a sweet and tangy flavor.
Heavy Tomato Sometimes called a tomato and sugar sauce, this is sweet and savory.
Light Tomato Savor this vinegar and pepper sauce with added ketchup for sweetness.
Vinegar & Pepper A touch spicy, this zingy sauce works wonders on pork.
Whether they’re checking out the newest restaurants or enjoying a stay at a bed-and-breakfast, contributing writers share their unique insight and stories from exploring the Palmetto State.
