We’re starting in Charleston, South Carolina. At one point a major hub of the slave trade in the United States, it’s now a blossoming culinary hotspot and booming tourist destination. After that we’ll be focusing on the cuisine of a West African nation that has had an outsized impact on how we eat in the States, before heading to an iconic Caribbean nation. We’ll be ending with two cities renowned for their Pre-Lenten celebrations. As with everything we do, we’re not the first to have done it, nor will we be the best. Our hope is to create a greater understanding of how classic cuisines came to be while paying homage to those who first cooked and created them. With that, we’re off to Charleston, South Carolina!
It would be impossible to write about (or cook food from) Charleston without first recognizing the influence of the Gullah Geechee people. Direct descendants of enslaved peoples from West Africa, the Gullah Geechee are one of the few African American communities who have been able to preserve cultural ties to their West African roots. The ancestors of the Gullah Geechee people were brought to the low-country specifically for their expertise in farming rice, a difficult crop that white colonists didn’t know how to farm. The enslaved Africans from the “rice coast” of Africa (modern-day Senegal to Liberia) brought with them not only their knowledge of rice farming, but also centuries of culinary traditions. After emancipation, their descendants were able to purchase land in the relatively insulated coastline and islands of South Carolina and Georgia, thus maintaining a strong sense of community. Today Gullah cuisine has had an undeniable impact on the cuisine of Charleston (and the South in general). According to Gullah Chef and Charleston native BJ Dennis, “Gullah cuisine is seasonal, and is pulled from the land and the sea at a very specific time of year.”
Pulled Pork
Section 1: Ingredients
Ingredients for the Spice Rub
¼ cup Kosher salt
2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoons onion powder
Ingredients for the Pork
5 lbs boneless Boston butt roast / pork shoulder
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Section 2: Instructions
Thoroughly rub the pork with spice rub and let marinate for a few hours or up to a day
Preheat your oven to 450F
Roast the pork uncovered for 1 hour at 450F, flipping once to ensure an even brown (if you have a large enough skillet at home, you can brown the pork on the stovetop, about 5-10 minutes per side)
Remove the pork from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325F
Pour the apple juice and vinegar over the pork and spread the garlic around the pan. Cover tightly with foil and return to the oven
Bake for 2.5 hours or more, until fork tender and shreddable. This will depend on your oven, the size of the pork roast, etc. It’s done when you can rip a piece apart with a fork. Test near the bone as that part will take the longest to cook
Pair with your favorite BBQ sauce
Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
Section 1: Ingredients
Makes about 1 ½ Cups
¾ cup yellow mustard
½ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ tsp chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ tsp hickory smoke
¼ tsp tabasco hot sauce
Section 2: Instructions
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Add to a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool.
