Hemingway SC: Scott's BBQ

Scott's BBQ is widely considered to be one of the top BBQ restaurants in the country; some consider it the best. The pitmaster specializes in whole hog BBQ, although they also serve chicken. I was in the mood for adventure, so I climbed into the car in the morning and drove most of the day to get here. It is located at a country crossroads. Given the national reputation, I expected the patrons to be more touristy, but many seemed to be locals. But hey, if I lived here, I would eat here regularly myself. I didn't get a chance to look at the pit out back. Inside is a country store with a few tables. The walls are adorned with photos of the Obamas, a variety of stars, and BBQ awards. The ladies who run the store are very, very nice.

This is the first time I've seen a whole hog on the menu. That price seems pretty reasonable. But I wasn't quite that hungry so I ordered a BBQ plate plus a bag of pork rinds.

The rinds were great, with superb crunch and great flavor.

Here is the complete package. Below the bread are a fork, cole slaw, and beans. The cole slaw was good. The beans were perhaps the best I've had at a BBQ place. They weren't overpowered with sugar. The two flavors that came through very clearly were the richness of the beans and the pork.

And here is the pork. It was superb, well worth the trip. Most pulled pork ends up at least a little dry. This meat was moist and flavorful, a real joy to eat. I first ate some as-is, then added the sauce, which is a thin vinegar sauce. The sauce looks innocuous enough but it makes itself known with a nice finish. I really enjoyed it.

The pork was so good that I went back for ribs. I don't think that I've ever had ribs from a whole hog before. I think it gives a superior experience. Ribs that have been butchered are cooked very evenly, giving a uniform experience around the rack. In the hog, some parts come out crunch, other ribs softer. I really enjoy the variety of textures and flavors.

Scott's definitely lives up to its large reputation. I won't be here every week, but I will come back.

Comments

Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course)

DCA: Cava Mezze Grill

Cava is a DC area chain with light Mediterranean food. Saibal encouraged me to try lunch at their airport location and I was very happy with the experience. I ordered falafel on SuperSalad with assorted other toppings. The falafel was tasty. The SuperSalad was light, flavorful, and very easy to eat. Overall, a healthy and enjoyable lunch, something you can't always say about airport eating.

Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b

Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

Search This Blog