Western Carolina "Lexington Dip"
Chapter 1 — Rubs, Sauces & Mops
In the Piedmont region of North Carolina, one does not ask for barbecue sauce—one asks for dip. Born from the sweet-and-sour culinary memory of German immigrants and the industrial advent of Heinz ketchup, this is an uncompromising, watery, highly acidic mop designed for one purpose: cutting through the rich, rendered fat of a hickory-smoked pork shoulder. It is not a thick, syrupy glaze to be painted on at the end, but a sharp, penetrating finishing liquid that requires a full day of resting to let the crushed red pepper bleed its heat into the vinegar.
Before you start
The meat requires hickory or oak smoke.
For the home cook, pecan wood is an excellent, slightly milder substitute; leave the pork shoulder naked through the stall to build maximum bark, pushing for a target internal temperature of 190°F to 195°F until probe-tender.
Respect the rest.
Upon reaching temperature, swaddle the shoulder tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil and old towels, resting it in a dry plastic cooler—a faux Cambro—for a minimum of one hour to prevent catastrophic moisture loss.
Pull, do not chop, the meat.
Long, intact strands of pulled muscle fiber act like a sponge, absorbing this thin, watery dip far better than cleanly sliced meat.
No smoker? Employ the snake method or the oven.
On a standard 22-inch kettle, build a tightly packed semi-circle of unlit briquettes, top with hickory chunks, and light one end for a steady 12-hour burn; if weather forces you indoors, roast the seasoned shoulder at 300°F and unashamedly add a few drops of high-quality liquid smoke directly to the finished dip before tossing.
Ingredients
- apple cider vinegar1 1/2 cup
- distilled white vinegar1/2 cup
- water1/2 cup
- ketchup2/3 cup
- dark brown sugar2 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- crushed red pepper flakes1 tbsp
- Texas Pete hot sauce1 tbsp
- finely ground black pepper1 tsp
- cayenne pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Combine the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan.
Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, black pepper, and cayenne in a stainless steel or enamel pot, strictly avoiding raw cast iron or aluminum.
- 02
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Do not let it reach a rolling boil, as this evaporates the volatile acetic acids; simmer for precisely 10 to 15 minutes until the sugar and salt dissolve and the ketchup emulsifies into a thin, red liquid.
- 03
Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- 04
Transfer the dip to a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
This maturation period is non-negotiable, as the rest allows the dried red pepper flakes to rehydrate and bleed their capsaicin oils into the vinegar, marrying the flavors into a cohesive profile.
Notes
Use half as a mop and half as a finishing sauce.
Brush or spray the first half onto the pork shoulder during the last two hours of cooking to build a tangy bark, keeping the second half pristine to serve at the table or to dress a traditional red slaw.
This dip is virtually immortal.
Due to the extremely high acid and salt content, Lexington Dip will keep in the refrigerator for months without degrading.
From Cook BBQ at Home.