THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 17, 1994 TAG: 9407140178
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS LENGTH: Long : 126 lines
THERE IS A proverb that says ``Wherever you find two Russians, you'll find three opinions.'' The same is true when it comes to Southerners and their barbecue.
Folks in Texas don't believe in pork barbecue. In Abilene, roasting a pork shoulder is almost like Willie Nelson cutting a disco record. It just ain't done.
In Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, (particularly in Memphis), ketchup-based sauce is the only way to eat right. Head into South Carolina, and mustard is the ace of base. And here in North Carolina, vinegar-based sauce is as much a part of life as jump shots in January.
Having been blessed in this life by being allowed to visit places like Joe Allen's Barbecue in Abilene (a joint with the best brisket and the best little jukebox in Texas), Dreamland Barbecue in Tuscaloosa (a favorite of national television crews who head South to cover SEC football), and the Rendevouz in Memphis (I've seen Elvis there . . . maybe), I've eaten more than my share of barbecue.
And while among diehards in all of these marvelous places there appears no common ground on who has the best, at least one place may have found a delicious compromise.
Pigman's Bar-B-Que on U.S. 158 combines ketchup, smoke vinegar and a mixture of herbs to form a culinary equivalent of baseball's Tinker to Evers to Chance. It's a big-league combination.
Actually, Pigman owners Bill and Cheryl Shaver have concocted four different sauces, including the traditional Carolina vinegar-based sauce, and a ketchup-based rib sauce. The Shavers owned a small ham shop near their present location selling country hams. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. No one knows that better than Bill Shaver.
``We were selling country hams and ham rolls,'' he recounted. ``I looked at the cash register one day, and we had about $70 in there. Cheryl said, `You better get in the kitchen and start cooking something.' ''
Shaver started by cooking about 20 pounds of barbecue pork a week. That was in 1986. Now, he cooks about 800 pounds each week.
As for sauces, Shaver started with classic North Carolina vinegar and pepper.
``It was a little too sharp for me,'' he said. ``The sauce has really undergone a metamorphosis. We began working with the other sauces, and people who like ketchup-based sauces asked us about the recipe. Finally, they said, `Why don't you put it in a bottle and we won't have to worry about it.' ''
On two visits to the Pigman, I sampled sandwiches at lunch, and later, a combination plate of ribs and chicken. For the lunch, I had two small barbecue pork sandwiches ($2.89 each), sweet potato fries ($1.25) and a large sweet tea ($1) The sandwiches were meaty and filling. The meat inside the sandwiches was lean and flavorful, and the Pigman's vinegar-based sauce complimented the sandwich nicely. Some barbecue restaurants apply sauce like Madonna puts on makeup. But you won't find the Bozo school of mass application at work when it comes to sauce at the Pigman.
An unexpected treat at the Pigman are the sweet potato fries. Hot from the oven and dusted lightly with cinnamon and sugar, the fries are almost like a built-in dessert. My kid sister detests sweet potatoes, but when she visits the Outer Banks, she'll love these babies.
And for true purists, good old iced tea like grandma used to make is the only way to wash down a pork delight. We highly recommend the extra large tea, which includes a plastic cup to take home, a special benefit for bachelors for whom such cups are the closest they'll come to Waterford until taking the plunge.
On another occasion, I visited the Pigman for dinner, and went for the Half & Half Combo Plate ($13.75), which includes a half-slab of St. Louis-style ribs and half a chicken. The ribs - smoked for 15 hours according to the menu - were so tender they almost fell off the bone. In some rib places, diners get bones bathed in sauce, not so at the Pigman.
The chicken was also meaty and tender, and cooked to perfection. Frankly, either the chicken or the ribs alone with the accompanying slaw, baked beans, and hush puppies would be more than enough for hungry diners.
If there is one criticism, it is that the Pigman needs to include loaf bread on the menu. That's right, just plain old-fashioned Wonder Bread-builds-your-body-12-ways bread. This sauce is so good it doesn't need to be wasted. And while in polite circles, sopping may not be permitted, remember, this isn't caviar we're talking about, it's barbecue sauce. Leaving sauce unsopped is like using Dom Perignon to wash down bologna sandwiches. Like Willie Nelson singing ``Disco Inferno''. . . well you know the rest.
Something interesting that we missed was Pigman's Original Tuna-Que. Yellowfin tuna is trimmed, marinated and smoked. Also, for the cholesterol conscious, there is Turkey-Que.
The menu boasts deli sandwiches, Buffalo Shrimp, and a barbecued shrimp sandwich ($4.95). There is aslo a children's menu boasting Kiddie's Shrimp, Kiddie-Que and Chicken tender Bites, each for $3.95.
As for atmosphere, it's a great place to take the whole family. A parrot named Joker and a mascot named Piggy Lou will fascinate the kids. Inside, there are all kinds of pork memorabilia to take home. You'll also see an autographed football from the 1987 Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins, and a Wheaties featuring Doug Williams behind the protection of Joe Jacoby, Russ Grimm, and Jeff Bostic, a.k.a. The Hogs.
But even of you don't sing ``Hail to the Redskins,'' diners at the Pigman will sing praises for its pork. In the art of compromise, and in cookery, it's a winner.
``I have people ask me all the time if this is fast food. It's not fast food - it's good food fast,'' said Shaver. ``We have about a three-minute window from the time people come in and order until they get their food. But the barbecue has been cooking for 15 hours. People have tried to find all kinds of ways to make barbecue faster. Slow cooking is the way to do barbecue right.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Bill Shaver, owner of Pigman's Bar-B-Que, plays with his pet, Miss
Piggy Lou.
PIGMAN'S BAR-B-QUE
Where: Milepost 9 1/2 Kill Devil Hills
Phone: 919-441-6803
Hours: Daily 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Prices: Sandwiches $2.89 to $4.95, Dinner entrees from $6.25 to
$14.95
Children's Menu: Three items at $3.25
Reservations: Not required
Smoking: Available
Drinks: Soft drinks, iced tea and spring water.
Credit Cards: Visa and Mastercard
Take Out: Available
Accessible: Handicap Accessible
by CNB