Saucy or Sauce-free?

The Spoonstress and I were in Western North Carolina, close to the South Carolina border, this weekend before heading back east. Having fit all four directions into one sentence, I can retire happy.

Anyway, during this brief B.L.T. hiatus, we visited the Carolina Smokehouse in Cashiers, N.C. I previously wrote about about the East vs. West divide with Carolina barbecue, but I soon learned that this place was far enough west to surpass classification.

At the Smokehouse, the Spoonstress and I were asked what kind of sauce we wanted on our respective chopped beef and pork sandwiches--mild or spicy. I was imagining a thin, tomato-based "dip," as it's called here, and had no idea they were really asking what variety of store-bought sauce I wanted.

The thick, sweetener-laced topping converted the sandwich into a near Sloppy Joe, pretty much ruining it. The worst part was that the meat not covered in sauce was delicious.

There are certainly barbecue styles that do sauce well (Kansas City comes to mind), but Carolina isn't one of them. And unless you have an excellent sauce, why douse your hard-won, smoky flavor with anything?

The views of the folks running the supposed birthplace of burgers, Louis Lunch in New Haven have fortified my no sauce stance. Their ban on ketchup parallels my feelings about BBQ sauce. Furthermore, those in the South will note that the basic chicken sandwich at Chick-Fil-A is topped only with pickles.

Finally, this sauce-free spree continued closer to home. Last night, the Forkquarters hosted a spur-of-the-moment cookout. The Spoonstress and I were surprised to find that we didn't have any ketchup. With locally-grown tomatoes, grilled onions and melted cheddar, it wasn't really missed. Why would it be?