The BBQ
Glossary

The smaller, leaner ribs cut from the upper back of the pig, near the spine. More tender than spare ribs but with less fat and flavor. Popular in casual BBQ restaurants.

The dark, caramelized crust that forms on the exterior of smoked meat — the result of the Maillard reaction between the meat's proteins and sugars, accelerated by smoke and heat. A thick, well-developed bark is the hallmark of properly smoked BBQ.

The upper portion of the pork shoulder — the most common cut for pulled pork in South Carolina. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the rear of the pig; the name comes from the barrels ("butts") in which the cut was packed in colonial New England.

A shredded cabbage salad — a universal BBQ side dish. In South Carolina, coleslaw is often served on top of pulled pork sandwiches, providing a cool, creamy contrast to the hot, smoky meat.

A staple side dish in South Carolina BBQ — slow-cooked leafy greens (collards) with smoked pork (ham hocks or fatback), onions, and pepper. A Gullah-Geechee tradition that has become inseparable from the SC BBQ experience.

A Southern staple made from cornmeal — the traditional accompaniment to BBQ in South Carolina. The best SC cornbread is slightly sweet, with a crisp crust from a cast-iron skillet.

Crispy fried pork skin — a byproduct of the whole-hog cook. At the best SC whole-hog restaurants, the crispy skin is served alongside the pulled pork, providing a textural contrast. Not to be confused with pork rinds (which are made from dried skin).

The culture, language, and foodways of the descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans who lived in the coastal regions of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Gullah-Geechee foodways are foundational to South Carolina BBQ — including the whole-hog tradition, hash, and rice-based dishes.

A South Carolina original: a thick, savory stew made from the organ meats and offcuts of the whole hog — liver, heart, and head meat — cooked down with onions, pepper, and sometimes mustard. Always served over white rice. A Gullah-Geechee tradition that predates the Civil War.

The fourth SC BBQ sauce style — thicker, sweeter, and more tomato-forward than the light tomato style. Found primarily in the Upstate region of South Carolina and in restaurants catering to visitors unfamiliar with the mustard and vinegar traditions.

Traditional pig breeds — such as Berkshire, Duroc, and Red Wattle — raised on pasture rather than in confinement. Heritage-breed pork has more intramuscular fat, deeper flavor, and better texture than commodity pork. Sought out by Lowcountry chefs and pitmasters.

The most common smoking wood in South Carolina, producing a strong, bacon-like smoke flavor. Hickory is used by most SC pitmasters for pulled pork and ribs. Too much hickory can produce a bitter, acrid smoke — balance is key.

Deep-fried cornmeal fritters, often served as a side dish at SC BBQ restaurants. The name supposedly comes from the practice of throwing scraps to dogs to "hush" them during fish fries.

One of the four South Carolina BBQ sauce styles — a thin, tangy sauce with a tomato base, lighter in body than the heavy tomato sauces of other regions. Common in the SC Midlands and Pee Dee regions.

The preferred hardwood for whole-hog BBQ in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Live oak burns hot and clean, producing a mild, sweet smoke that complements pork without overpowering it. Rodney Scott and other SC pitmasters use live oak exclusively.

The coastal plain region of South Carolina and Georgia, characterized by sea islands, salt marshes, and tidal rivers. The Lowcountry is home to the Gullah-Geechee culture and a distinct culinary tradition that blends African, European, and Native American foodways.

A thin, liquid sauce applied to meat during the cook using a mop or brush — used to add moisture and flavor. In SC whole-hog BBQ, the mop is often a simple vinegar-pepper mixture applied every few hours.

South Carolina's most distinctive regional BBQ sauce — a tangy, golden blend of yellow mustard, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Traces its roots to German immigrant settlers in the SC Midlands in the 18th century. The Bessinger family is the most famous custodian of this tradition.

A BBQ smoker with a separate firebox attached to the side of the main cooking chamber. Smoke and heat travel from the firebox through the cooking chamber, cooking the meat indirectly. The most common type of smoker used in professional BBQ.

A mild, slightly sweet smoking wood in the hickory family. Pecan produces a more subtle smoke than hickory, making it a popular choice for chicken and ribs. Increasingly favored by Lowcountry pitmasters looking for a gentler smoke flavor.

The northeastern region of South Carolina, centered around Florence and Marion counties. The Pee Dee is the heartland of the whole-hog BBQ tradition — home to Scott's Bar-B-Que in Hemingway and dozens of other legendary whole-hog pits.

The lower portion of the pork shoulder, below the Boston butt. Slightly fattier and more flavorful than the butt, but with more connective tissue. Often used in whole-shoulder cooks alongside the butt.

A Southern spread made from sharp cheddar, pimentos, and mayonnaise — often called 'the pate of the South.' In Charleston BBQ, pimento cheese appears as a side, a topping for fries, and a sandwich spread. Home Team BBQ's pimento cheese fries are a local legend.

The person responsible for tending the fire and managing the cook at a BBQ restaurant or competition. In the SC whole-hog tradition, the pitmaster is a skilled craftsperson who may spend decades perfecting their technique.

BBQ cooked over a direct hardwood fire in an open pit — as opposed to an offset smoker or closed chamber. Pit-cooking is the traditional SC method, requiring the pitmaster to manage the fire by hand throughout the cook.

Pork shoulder (or whole hog) cooked low and slow until the collagen breaks down and the meat can be pulled apart by hand. The best pulled pork has a mix of bark (dark, smoky exterior) and tender interior meat.

The process by which fat melts and liquefies during the cook, basting the meat from within and contributing to tenderness and flavor. Properly rendered fat is a sign of a well-executed low-and-slow cook.

The cartilaginous ends of spare ribs, cut off when trimming St. Louis-style ribs. Rib tips are a BBQ delicacy — fatty, smoky, and deeply flavorful.

The pink layer just beneath the bark of smoked meat, caused by a chemical reaction between myoglobin in the meat and nitrogen dioxide in the smoke. A deep smoke ring (1/4 inch or more) is a sign of a long, slow cook over real wood.

Spare ribs trimmed to a rectangular shape by removing the rib tips and sternum cartilage. The most common rib cut in South Carolina BBQ — meatier than baby back ribs and more uniform in shape.

The phenomenon where the internal temperature of a large piece of meat (brisket, pork shoulder) plateaus for several hours during the cook — typically between 150°F and 170°F. Caused by evaporative cooling as the meat sweats. Experienced pitmasters know to be patient through the stall.

The oldest BBQ sauce tradition in the Carolinas — a thin, tart blend of cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Predates tomato-based sauces by centuries. Rodney Scott's sauce is the most celebrated modern expression of this tradition.

The essential accompaniment to hash in South Carolina BBQ. Long-grain white rice, cooked simply, serves as the base for hash — a tradition rooted in the Gullah-Geechee foodways of the Lowcountry.

The practice of cooking an entire pig — from snout to tail — over hardwood coals. South Carolina's most sacred BBQ tradition, requiring 12–24 hours of tending. The whole hog is the ultimate expression of a pitmaster's skill and patience.