Barbecue in these parts is ever so much more than just the meat; it’s also the preparation, the ritual, the social occasion, the fellowship, the anticipation, the realization, the memory.
John Egerton, taken from Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue by John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed
I finished this recently and highly recommend it if you want to know about the history of barbecue in North Carolina or the difference between eastern and Lexington style barbecue or read testimonials from some of the most revered pit masters in the state or all of the above. If we gave whole hog reviews to books, I would give it 5 whole hogs. Great book.
-Monk