I prefer Carolina style BBQ but I also like other styles

When I ask some folks which kind of Barbecue they prefer, they often think I’m talking about Pork or Beef, or maybe chopped or pulled, but that’s not what I’m asking about.  I want to know if they like a version that uses a tomato based sauce that’s tangy and sweet, or a vinegar and maybe mustard based sauce that’s delicious and peppery?

BBQ
Brookwood Farms BBQ Tangy Tomato Sauce

Many times if the person isn’t particularly well traveled or adventurous when it comes to trying new things, they will admit that they didn’t know there were two different kinds of BBQ sauces.  I think this is because they have been sort of regional in their use and you may only know what was served where you grew up.

BBQ
Brookwood Farms BBQ Carolina Vinegar Sauce

These are two examples of ready to eat BBQ that’s available in my local grocery store.  I like to buy some good rolls or buns and make sandwiches using these which can be heated before serving.  I found the Brookwood Farms offerings to be my favorite among the brands or BBQ Pork that were available.

If this is news to you, here is an article on the web that goes into more details.

Pre-cooked BBQ Chicken Meat – Taste Test

I grew up in the South and love BBQ meats.  There are different ways of preparing BBQ chicken, and lots of different tasting BBQ sauces.  Every now and then my local grocery store will have a Buy One Get One sale on pre-cooked BBQ chicken meat.  I decided to perform a taste test on the two brands they feature during these sales.

Lloyd's BBQ chicken meat
Lloyd’s BBQ chicken meat

Lloyd’s is the first of two brands that I tried.  For each brand I made sandwiches using rolls, and sometimes I would heat them and sometimes I would eat them without heating.  Lloyd’s BBQ sauce has a tangy taste to it that isn’t bad but I found that I wasn’t tasting the chicken as much as I like.  The texture is finely shredded.

Curly's Pulled Chicken
Curly’s Pulled Chicken

Curly’s is the second brand I tried in this taste test.  Curly’s BBQ sauce has a Hickory Smoked taste that is good but similar to what I described about Lloyds, it tends to overpower the flavor of the chicken meat.  The texture of Curly’s is pulled pieces, which are larger than the shredded chicken pieces in Lloyds.  My preference is for pulled but it does make it a little more difficult to get just the right amount on your bun without having a piece fall off while eating.

Which of these two won my taste test?  I like the Curly’s better but what I continue to buy at the store is the Curly’s Sauceless Roasted and Seasoned Chicken.  It’s next to these in the refrigerated case, and I like that I can taste the chicken easily.  I can still add some sauce of my choosing or not when I make a sandwich, but I portion it just right to retain the chicken meat taste.

KFC Nashville Hot Chicken – Taste Test

KFC Nashville Hot Chicken
KFC Nashville Hot Chicken

I like fried chicken, BBQ potato chips, Chick-fil-A sandwiches, and hot and spicy food.  I LOVED this new chicken recipe, Nashville Hot Chicken from KFC.

Those things are the tastes that I experienced while eating this chicken.  Mine came in a plastic container and not in a bucket.  There were slides of pickle spread across the tops of the chicken pieces, and the combination of chicken and pickle taste is what reminded me of tasting a Chick-fil-A sandwich.  The batter on these has spices but there is also a sweetness to it, and that’s what reminded me of the taste of BBQ potato chips.  Salty and sweet at the same time.

I normally don’t go to KFC for fried chicken, and instead prefer to get mine from Popeyes because I order the spicy variety, but as long as the Nashville Hot Chicken is available at KFC, I’ll be going there instead.  It won’t surprise me in the least bit to see this become a permanent addition to the KFC menu in parts of the US, if not nationwide.

Stouffer’s Chicken in Barbeque Sauce

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Stouffers Chicken in Barbeque Sauce

I eat more chicken than any other kind of meat.  The BBQ sauce that’s used on this Stouffer’s Chicken in Barbeque sauce meal is nice and tangy, and the side of cheddar bacon potatoes is pretty good.

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When the local grocery store offers these on sale as a buy 1 get 1 free, or some other deal that put’s the pricing between $2-$2.50 I will usually buy a half dozen different Stouffer’s meals, and this is always going to be one of the ones that’s placed into my grocery basket.

They also sell the cheddar bacon potatoes as a stand alone product.