The History of Pulled Pork BBQ and Mustard Sauce in South Carolina
When one comes from South Carolina or simply resides within the state for a brief period you come to realize there is this wonderful meal often unknown outside of South Carolina: Mustard Based Pulled Pork BBQ. It is absolutely fantastic. When you enter the world of Pulled Pork and the appropriate sauces you are introduced to a wide variety of recipes and restaurants. One family stands out due to their legacy and an ongoing family and statewide squabble: The Bessinger Family. Joe Bessinger began the journey to BBQ greatness in 1934 with the invention of the “Golden Secret Recipe BBQ Sauce” and opened his first restaurant, “Holy Hill Café,” in Holy Hill, SC. This location closed during the Great Depression and in 1946 Joe and his son Melvin opened “Eat at Joe's.” Several other locations were opened by Joe and Melvin throughout the midlands and were later sold to his sons. Maurice Bessinger of Piggie Park in Columbia, SC since 1961 approx (currently run by his children, Lloyd, Pa...