The owner of Whole Hog Cafe North Little Rock, Rich Cosgrove, answers a question he's frequently asked: How did you come to offer “The Shack” Barbecue Sauce at Whole Hog NLR?
The Shack was a special place to me, and to many Arkansans. I can still taste that sandwich after all these years. So, it was providential when a lil’ ol’ lady customer of mine called to order several pounds of pulled pork.
I asked her which of our seven sauces she would like and she said, “Don’t need any, got my own.” So I said, “You bring me some of that!” She did, along with a handwritten recipe for The Shack Sauce. Although the sauce tasted authentic, indeed nostalgic, I was skeptical, as there are numerous versions available on the web – all of which are different.
About six months later, another customer brought me a copy of a newspaper article from over 25 years ago, published when The Shack finally closed its doors. The article contained the original recipe given to the reporter by a 14-year veteran employee of The Shack. I compared the recipe to my handwritten copy. Sure enough, a perfect match.
Since then, we have been making The Shack Sauce every day, from scratch, and offering it to our customers along with our seven signature sauces AND a white Alabama-style sauce which I’ll feature in another Blog Post.
Want to know how to make the famous Shack Sauce? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll send you the recipe! Or check out this video of Rich giving a demonstration:
