Whole hog barbecue is one of Tennessee’s oldest food traditions, and it takes real patience to do it right. Instead of cooking just a few cuts, these pitmasters smoke the entire hog low and slow over wood coals, sometimes for a full day.
The result is pork that pulls apart soft, with a mix of textures you cannot fake with shortcuts. If you want to taste barbecue the old way, these four Tennessee spots keep the fire going and the flavor honest.
Bring an appetite and maybe some napkins.
1. B.E. Scotts BBQ, Lexington, TN
Pull off US-412 in Lexington and you will find a spot that cooks whole hog barbecue over wood coals the way it used to be done. The pulled pork here comes out lightly smoked, soft, and tender, without a hint of char to get in the way…