Just got back from our Kentucky, Tennessee & North Carolina trip. Mammoth Cave was our favorite, especially going thru Fat Man's Misery. I was impressed with the Louisville Slugger Museum & factory tour (very well done); and we had perfect weather for Dollywood. Enjoyed a great hike at Chimney Rock but my family could not get me to go anywhere near the edge of the lookout (sorry!) However we are still searching for that great BBQ in the area (east Tenn-western NC). Ate at Three Butts on the Creek. Tried BBQ at the Sourwood festival in Black Mountain and also at Dollywood. They were ok, but still searching.

I just love KY and TN! We drive from Cincinnati through KY to Norris Lake in TN pretty regularly. Along the way, we always stop in Corbin, KY for Sonny's BBQ. I'm a pulled pork girl so that's what I always get - it's fabulous (dry w/variety of sauces on table). Their garlic toast is to die for as well. I thought the food in general at Dollywood was subpar.

Is this the same Sonny's BBQ restaurant chain that is in Florida? I've eaten at one in Orlando and also in Hollywood (Miami).

The Sonny's BBQ chain in FL is terrible.

Sonny's is faux BBQ--a chain. In NC you need to go a bit east to Lexington to taste the BBQ (pulled pork) that NC is famous for--western NC BBQ with a tomato based sauce. And even further east to Goldboro you get Eastern NC BBQ at Wilber's or Scott's with its famous (and hot) vinegar sauce.
If anyone wants a recipe, I have a winner that is dead easy.

Gretchen, you're making me hungry!!!

Every chain started as one restaurant originally. I've never eaten at any Sonny's in Florida. I imagine different locaitons may differ in quality (just like everyone says about Uno's pizza). I know BBQ pretty well and have eaten it in the Carolinas. I love Smokehouse BBQ in SC. Yum!!

Gretchen - If your recipe is for the vinegar and pepper-type pork bar-b-que, I'd really like it. I was born in Rocky Mount, NC but haven't lived there since I was 5. We go back ever so often and always make it a point to find that Eastern Carolina bar-b-que. Last trip we ate in Wilson, NC, but I don't remember the name of the restaurant. I was just on the phone with my mother this morning, she lives in Atlanta and I'm in Oklahoma. She said she was dying for some NC bar-b-que. There is a restaurant in Atlanta called Dusty's near Emory Univ. that serves NC style pork bar-b-que, but Mom said the last few times it hasn't been so good.

Please post your recipe here or email to me at [email protected].

Several years ago, driving past Memphis right around 5 p.m., we hopped off thinking we really needed to try some southern BBQ. We found a visitor info center where the doors were still open, but the desk person had gone home a few minutes earlier. We milled about a few minutes looking at the racks of leaflets when the janitor appeared. We asked him where we could go to eat. He asked us a couple of "refining" questions as to the style of BBQ we were after. Being northern novices...we didn't know. So he gave us directions for about a 10 minute drive to Interstate BarBQ...it's been written up in national publications. A nothing-fancy sort of place. But the food was good! Google would probably turn up more details...We also enjoyed the dry rub BarBQ at Stickyfingers in Mt. Pleasant (? I think) So. Carolina, outside Charleston. Yes, I know it's a chain...but it was gooo-o-o-d!

Suggesting Sonny's for really good barbeque, is sort of like when someone is looking for the BEST hamburger anywhere and someone else suggesting going to Burger King. It may be all right when you really NEED a barbeque fix, but it could hardly be called the epitome of barbecue.

I didn't want to say anything, but glad I'm not the only one who thinks Sonny's in Florida is mediocre. So far in our yearly travels to the south, our favorite has been Fat Matt's in Atlanta's Buckhead region. We were a bit "overdressed" for the place, but the BBQ sure was good. And the live music and casual atmosphere was like being on someone's back porch--loved it. Hey Gretchen, where's that recipe???

Oh,by the way, what defines a Carolina BBQ?

NC is noted for pork BBQ--it is pulled, chopped or sliced.Western NC serves a tomato based sauce--eastern NC serves vinegar based sauces, either with black pepper or red pepper. Do not sauce the meat before serving--you add sauce when it is plated. Slaw is usually put ON the sandwich.
And Sonny's unloads its sauces and meats from refrigerated truck wherever it is=a franchise.
Here you go.
Carolina Pulled pork
It is truly easy and delicious.
1 pork shoulder or butt, bone in or out--any size--the cooking time is the same for a 3r 8# piece.
BBQ rub of your choice mine if you or just rub the meat with a mixture of coarse ground black pepper and brown sugar. Let marinate 8 hours or overnight.
Method 1--IF you have a smoker that can control the temp (I have a sidebox smoker and can keep the temp at 200*-250*) smoke the meat for 4 hours, keeping the temp low. Then place the meat in a 250* oven for 4 hours to finish. It will be meltingly tender and have a wonderful smoky flavor.
Method 2 (and this is the one I have really used for 30 years). Place the meat in a 250* oven for 8 hours. I have often done them overnight. It will still have the melting tenderness. You will have to slap your hands to have any left over as you take it out of the oven.
When ready to serve pull chunks of meat off and then "pull" the meat into shreds by pulling between 2 forks. Do not discard the fat--mix it in. This is not a low fat dish and to really enjoy, use it!!!
For a traditional Carolina serving method very lightly moisten the meat with sweetened vinegar (1 qt. vinegar + 1/4C sugar and 2TBS coarse black pepper). You should not even be able to tell that there is any liquid on the meat.
To warm before serving put the vinegared meat in a pan (black iron frying pan or a Le Creuset dutch oven is good) and cover tightly. Heat at 250* until heated.
To serve, offer bbq sauces, cole slaw (in the Carolinas, it goes ON the sandwich), baked beans, rolls, and banana pudding. For fall bbq's Brunswick Stew is also offered.
For BBQ sauce here is my tomato based:
1 bottle ketchup (28 or 32 oz.)
1 ketchup bottle of cider vinegar
6 oz. yellow mustard
6 oz. worcestershire sauce
1/2C brown sugar
3 oz. liquid smoke
2-3 TBS coarse black pepper
Tabasco or Texas Pete to your taste
Simmer for 45 minutes.
If you use commercial bbq sauce I suggest diluting them 1/2 with vinegar for this use.
Eastern NC uses vinegar sauces--sweetened vinegar with 1/4C (at least!!) cayenne pepper OR black pepper. It is too hot for me!
South Carolina uses a mustard based sauce but don't know the recipe.

Don't know why that icon came up. The line is it doesn't make any difference in the cooking time for a 3 pound piece of pork butt or an 8 pound piece. It is the low and slow method that makes the meat so tender. I will also add DO NOT use anything but a pork shoulder or pork butt--not loin, not fresh ham. It must be a fatty and basically "tough" piece of meat.

Gretchen, thanks for the recipe. I will definitely try it using the oven method as I don't have a smoker. Would this work for baby back ribs too?

That is a bit different--not so long a time. The butt is a big hunk of meat--ribs just have a little meat on them. You can wrap rubbed ribs in foil, heat at 250* for a couple of hours, dredge in sauce and grill to crisp and brown.

Sonny's probably isn't the epitome of BBQ, but when you live in Cincinnati it's pretty good compared to what you are used to. Around here what people consider good bbq is found frozen in a tub at the local grocery store - yuck!! It's full of gristle and fat and already covered in sauce - ewww!! We do have one spot (BBQ Review) w/great brisket, but their pulled pork is soggy and drenched in sauce. So, you can see why Sonny's is a treat for me - at least it's dry and gristle free! I'll be in SC in a few days and will have Smokehouse BBQ for dinner the first night . . . my mouth is watering just thinking about it!!!

Gretchen~ what kind of wood do you use in your smoker, generally? We use mesquite on our brisket & love it, but what about the flavor for pork?

Does anyone know if there is a way to use wood chips on the stove or BBQ grill to get that smoke flavor?

Gretchen - Just thought I'd report back on the BBQ I made yesterday. After getting your recipe I called my step-mother who is not from North Carolina, but had written down many recipes when we went back to visit family in 1979. Anyway, I didn't recall sugar being used in the Eastern North Carolina BBQ I loved. The recipe she gave me for the sauce is:
1 1/2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Worchestirshire Sauce
1 tablespoon oil
2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
Mix all together and let come to boil over low heat then let stand at least 2 hours.

This sauce was perfect. I bought a 6 lb pork shoulder butt roast and smoked it for 4 hours then transferred to oven for 4 hours (I didn't rub with any sugar or spices - just put the meat on the smoker). I did spray it a couple of times during the smoking period with the vinegar sauce. I think it turned out very close to the BBQ I remember, however, it was a little greasy. Maybe I just had an extra fatty roast.

Offlady - you can soak wood chips (I used hickory) in water and the put the wet chips directly on your coals to get the smoked flavor on a grill. I don't know of a way to achieve this inside - you can try Liquid Smoke for indoor preparations.