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Slingin’ Hash

SC BBQ Newsletter from Destination BBQ

07/25/22

Kindling

Hey <<First Name>>

Alright, going for a shorter newsletter this week. I will confess that is partly due to a general lack of newsworthy content that I have run across, but it also gives me an opportunity to have you vote for a preference.

You got last week’s longer newsletter and this week’s shorter version. Which fits your mailbox better?

By the way, I published a book on Amazon last week.

No…not the cookbook. That still has a way to go. You can do me a favor: visit Amazon, search for “BBQ History” or “History of BBQ” and see if you can find it. It looks like this…but DON’T BUY IT:

You don’t need to buy it.

If you haven’t already, you can read the whole thing for FREE. The book is just a word-for-word copy of the history of BBQ piece I published on Destination BBQ last September.

I really just did it as practice and see what it took to go through the process of publishing a book on Amazon. The goal is to publish the cookbook later this fall as both a print book and an ebook via Amazon, so I needed to have at least tried it ahead of time.

You can help me, however, continue the experiment by searching for the book, not by its title, but by those topic search terms. If and when you find the book, if you’ll click into it and maybe view the sample. I’m curious to see what happens when people look for the topic and investigate the book. Will it rise in the search result rankings or does it not matter at all.

That’s why I haven’t provided a link directly to the ebook.

Thanks and enjoy,

Jim

PS: <<First Name>> if you have Kindle Unlimited, the book is FREE. It would also be helpful for those with KU to download and look through the book. Thanks!

And don’t forget to vote. Here’s your sticker:

Lookin’ Good

Time to feature a “scroll-stopping” image. How about this one from Cox Sauce in Charleston.

Hot ‘n Fast

— BBQ Masterclass — If you’re a beginner and would like to cook like a seasoned pitmaster or if you’re a seasoned pitmaster and want to refine those skills, Wayne Preston, owner of Bucky’s BBQ in Greenville, is offering a couple of classes you might want to attend.

“You will learn making rubs, making sauces, meats to use, and temperatures and timing. Your class includes a printed manual that has recipes and tips for future reference. Learn about cookers, charcoal, meat selection, trimming, seasoning, and much more.

“You will come out of this class with what you need to be a home Pitmaster to the family! We will cook Pork, Chicken, Ribs, and even Brisket. Then we eat it all! A great class to start learning! Every student gets a handbook including what we discuss as well as recipes and other helpful tips and websites. You will go home with all the rubs and sauces that you made.”

The first class is on July 30. Then next is August 8. The price is $99.

— Mail Order Cue — Writing for Southern Living, BBQ Editor Robert F. Moss shared “8 Ways to Satisfy Your Barbecue Cravings by Mail.”

What makes this list worthy of inclusion in an SCBBQ newsletter is the inclusion of Charleston pitmaster John Lewis’s place Lewis Barbecue.

But beyond Lewis, whose mail-order meats we also feature in our SC BBQ Gift Guide, the seven remaining BBQ joints on Moss’s list are elite options. Texas and Tennessee locations make up the bulk of the mail-order options listed. Places like Snow’s in Lexington, TX, and Peg Leg Porker in Nashville are included, but so are restaurants in Alabama and Illinois.

While Moss’s list wasn't presented as an exhaustive list, I would like to have seen Maurice’s included. They have long offered authentic SC barbecue and hash via mail-order.

Where There’s Smoke

Here are a couple of the upcoming BBQ competitions and festivals in SC.

The Smoke Ring

In each edition, we’ll metaphorically spin the SCBBQ globe and randomly select an SC BBQ joint to spotlight.

This time, the globe stopped spinning on Circle M BBQ in Liberty.

Under new ownership, Circle M BBQ near Liberty is Pee-Dee-style BBQ in the Upstate. While original owner Marion Martin built his BBQ reputation on the teachings of his wife’s family from around Kingstree. As such, Circle M is one of the few places in the Upstate that serve vinegar-based BBQ.

“He uses a pit, just like his wife Mary’s relatives taught him when the young couple was dating while attending Clemson. Her family taught him to only use a vinegar-based, mopping the hog as it slowly cooks over hickory coals.

“Using this technique, the sauce spreads throughout the meat along with the juices from all parts of the hog. These flavors intermingle with the light smoke from the embers to offer a taste you simply cannot get just using butts or shoulders.”

If you’re looking for BBQ while traveling Interstate 85, Circle M is about 10 miles from Exit 21, a straight shot down 178.

Check out Circle M BBQ

We’d love to hear your opinion of this stop on the SC BBQ Trail in our

I Love SC BBQ Facebook Group