Dowd’s South Carolina Hash

A few weeks ago I read a great article about the “Hashmasters” of South Carolina in Garden & Gun magazine. If you live in the South and like food, clothing, hunting, design, or gardening, it’s a must-have magazine.

Carolina BBQ hash is exclusive to a very specific area of the country, particularly the area between Columbia and Greenville, SC. Upon inquiring, I discovered many people in Atlanta didn’t have a clue what hash is. On the other hand, when I mentioned that fact to some of my co-workers, they were equally intrigued because they grew up with hash – it’s as engrained in the local BBQ culture as mustard based sauce.

I’ve had it a few times over the last few years, always served with rice, but have never been impressed. It’s often sweet and can have a slimy texture. I decided to seek out one of the producers profiled in the article – Dowd’s. I swung by the Dowd’s production facility (aka their house), but was a little intimidated to knock on their door, and besides, there were no cars in their car port. I recalled that the author of the article picked some up at the Newberry Food Lion, which was only a half mile away. Fifteen minutes later, I was cruising towards South Carolina with three jars of the stuff.

I finally sampled it today for lunch. It’s much different than the hash I’ve tried, much tangier and hearty, with a more even consistency. While not the most appealing looking food product, the mushy, or more accurately, stringy texture is what makes the hash so appealing. The pork has simmered so long, it’s broken down into individual fibers, which latch on to each other to create a sponge that soaks up the mustard based braising liquid and peppery seasonings. It was really very good, you must seek this out the next time you are in the area. I haven’t had anything quite like it.