Kindling
Hey Reader
First, a Happy Memorial Day to you and yours. While many of us fire up the grill this holiday, let's first pause to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They’re the reason we can gather, share meals, and enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted — including the freedom to argue which is better mustard or vinegar!
Well, it's been a long, dry winter and spring, and my lawn is proof of that, but while I've not done a great job of keeping up with my Monday and Friday newsletters, I've not been in a drought myself. I have been getting a lot done behind the scenes along the way.
As you likely know, I finally published results from a survey that polled over 1300 people, representing every county in the state. That was challenging, and the biggest lesson I learned from it was that next time I need to make a simpler survey!
Before that, I actually coded a web app (with the help of AI) that tells you what hardwoods pair well with different cuts of meat. Want to know which woods work well with pork belly or beef ribs? I've got you covered, but what about other things? Salmon... or duck...or venison...or anything from cheese to tofu, the BBQ Wood Pairing Guide is a helpful resource. Give it a look and let me know what you think.
More recently, I've been trying to work through my list of restaurants that I need to add to our SC BBQ Trail map. The list was embarrassingly long and still includes a number of places that I have known about for years. Some, I'm not sure actually belong; others clearly do. In the last week or so, I have added 5 "new" places to the map. Make a scavenger hunt out of it and see if you can find them. 😉
In this issue, I'll tell you about one of them, spotlight another that's been on the map awhile, and dig a bit deeper on what I think is one of the most interesting findings in the survey. But, if you're garden is still green, you might soon have a need for an old recipe that I'll share below.
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Cheers,
Jim Roller
Destination BBQ
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PS: Shoutout to Rocky and Ronnie for topping the leaderboard of those referring new subscribers to the newsletter. Join the club and find out our secret code using your personal referral links at the bottom of this issue.
Playing with Fire
Have your tomatoes come in yet?
Ours either...but we have gotten some cherry tomatoes in, and with those, the promise of fresh garden tomatoes in short order. No summer would be complete without a tomato pie or three, and what better way to make it than with this simple and beloved recipe from the former Lone Star BBQ in Santee? (who still hasn't recovered from their devastating fire and subsequent problems.)
No pie crust needed. Enjoy...
Smoke Signals
—Survey Says
I know, of course, that you dove right into the 2025 SC BBQ Survey when I sent out that email a week or so ago, but in case you didn't have time to comb through that tome of information, I thought I'd share some tidbits from among the results over the next few issues of Slingin' Hash, your (periodic) Monday newsletter.
What I think is the most interesting story to come from the survey is what I mentioned (but failed to show) in the announcement email: the map has changed.
Now, you most likely are familiar with this old sauce map:
This map was created in 1987 by University of South Carolina geography professors Charles F. Kovacik and John J. Winberry. It was based on what sauces they saw in restaurants around the state. But while their map may have captured restaurant practices of that era, it left out an important question:
What do the people of South Carolina actually prefer on their plates?
That’s where our new map comes in. Based on the results of our statewide survey, this updated map shows each county’s most popular barbecue sauce style as determined by popular vote. Unlike the original, which generalized across wide regions, this new map provides a more detailed, county-by-county look at what South Carolinians say they enjoy most.
And while the professors weren't perfect, it's fair to say this map isn't either. There are certainly a number of counties where representation was low, and the smaller numbers may have skewed results.
For instance, Lee County looks like an anomaly. Lancaster stands out as a three-way tie, with mustard in 4th place. And Anderson, as the lone heavy tomato county in the state, jumps off the page.
I posted the new map in the I Love SC BBQ Facebook group, and from the comments, it looks like folks agree with the results:
So, what do you think? Did the votes go the way you think they should have in your county?
