If I could choose one word that describes Rodney Scott’s South Carolina whole hog barbecue, it would be the word balance-balance of spice, balance of flavor, and balance of smoke. With the hands of a master, Rodney Scott perfects each element to create the best pork barbecue you’ll ever taste.
Rodney will tell you that he achieves his barbecue perfection through ages old techniques, by using three items-an ax, wood and smoke. The difference is in the aroma of the burning wood coals and the fat of the hog. The melted fat drips into the hot coals causing them to be infused with a smoky, fatty flavor.
In 2018, Rodney Scott won the highly coveted, James Beard-Best Chef of the Southeast award-a dream that he thought was out of reach for a poor African American kid from South Carolina. When interviewed, He said that he thought back to a humble moment the day he graduated from high school when a classmate mocked him saying, “He wasn’t going anywhere but down the road to cook hogs.”
At a young age, Rodney learned that the art of barbecue encompasses hard work, with no short cuts. Rodney Scott grew up in the forests of Hemingway South Carolina. He was the only child of his parents who owned the town variety store-the local gathering place. Their store had a barbecue pit in the back and it was Rodney’s job, starting at age eleven, to trapes through the thick forest with his ax, looking for red oak and hickory trees. His father taught him how to burn the split logs into coal, the secret that gave their smoked pork its unique flavor.
As one of America’s most unique contributions to the world food culture, barbecue speaks about America more than any other food. In the deep south, barbecue became the universal language of community, fellowship, and conversation, gathering family, friends, and perfect strangers. Whole hog barbecue is a tradition of rural areas in America, and was initially cooked because it was an inexpensive way to feed a lot of people. It became traditional at celebrations, political events, and holidays.
South Carolina is attributed as the only state that serves the complete array of barbecue sauces. They include mustard-based, ketchup-based, mayonnaise-based, and vinegar-pepper sauces to serve with their smoked meats.
Rodneys first memories of eating barbecue, were of standing beside his mom while she pulled off the chunks of the pork that weren’t too spicy for a young boy to eat. Rodney now likes lots of spice as his sauces reveal. He describes the making a good sauce, and says that when it’s right, it makes you want to kiss-it makes your lips pucker.
With a proud mama and His son is by his side, Rodney Scott is passing on the generations old, deep south tradition of whole hog, smoked barbecue in perfection.
Tart and Spicy Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
INGREDIENTS
-
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
-
- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-
- 1/2 teaspoon dark chili powder
-
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
-
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
-
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
-
- 1 lemon, sliced
-
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
-
- Combine first 9 ingredients in a medium saucepan.
-
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
-
- Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat; cool.
-
- Remove lemons, if desired; serve at room temperature
Yield: 3/4 cup
