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Dukes BBQ Style Hash Recipe

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If you know South Carolina BBQ, you know the name Dukes. And if you know Dukes, you have certainly heard about Dukes BBQ hash.

If you’re looking to add one authentic South Carolina barbecue hash recipe to your arsenal, this Dukes BBQ style hash recipe is one to copy into the family cookbook.

There are a dozen Dukes restaurants in SC at the time of this writing, but while they share similar qualities, they are not all the same. Walk into Dukes of Walterboro and you will not get the exact same menu or experience as you would at the Dukes in Ridgeville.

They are not a chain or franchise, per se, but rather a loosely connected assortment of family restaurants.

One thing they all have in common is a delicacy unique to South Carolina: hash and rice. This is not to be confused with Brunswick stew, common in BBQ restaurants in NC and GA. South Carolina barbecue hash has deep and long ties to the state that echo back almost to the origins of barbecue itself.

Here’s a good look at Dukes’ hash

South Carolina barbecue hash recipes all yield a thick stew of sorts whose exact ingredients vary from family to family and restaurant to restaurant.

Black shirt reading Hash & Rice.

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However, common among all the variations of SC BBQ hash recipes (see our cookbook), you’ll always find its base built upon a meat product — typically pork, sometimes beef, and often a combination.

This rich, meaty foundation is layered with some combination of onions, potatoes, and BBQ sauce. Then it is all boiled down (and often ground) into a thick, soupy stew.

Upstate Beef Hash - Meat boiling
Upstate Beef Hash – Meat Boiling

Sometimes lovingly called “liquid sausage,” SC BBQ hash is generally served atop a bed of white rice.

While that may not sound delicious to the uninitiated, most native South Carolinians expect a side of hash and rice when they go out to eat barbecue. Dukes’ BBQ hash recipe is one that has kept them coming back for over five decades.

Head, Tongues, and Liver

Here’s an old clip from SCETV. (Click below to watch video in a new tab.)

In it, host Dr. Dick Pillsbury discusses the Dukes BBQ hash recipe as served at the Dukes on Whitman in Orangeburg. Do they use these unusual parts from the pig to make their hash?

Below you will find our Dukes BBQ hash recipe we received from Michael Ott.

He originally grew up in Orangeburg County, the heart of Dukes BBQ country, and has family ties to Dukes BBQ. It is not Dukes’s actual recipe.

“It’s good, but not a match for Dukes,” he said humbly.

Hash and rice is a staple at BBQ joints around the state and if you’re looking for a homemade recipe, Michael’s is friendly for the home cook.

Curious about SC BBQ Hash?

We’ve published an in-depth look at South Carolina Barbecue hash.

We have also published a Google Web Story that condenses and highlights much of the article above.

In either piece, we examine the origins and history of yet another SC BBQ original. In addition, you will find a current listing of every SCBBQ restaurant that serves hash.

Map of SC with orange markers showing restaurants that serve hash
Restaurants Serving Hash in SC

For your convenience, we’ve included an interactive SC BBQ Hash Map which is similar to our SC BBQ Trail Map. This map filters the result to show only those places serving some version of an SC barbecue hash recipe, regardless of meat base, flavoring, or style.

How do you find the best hash and rice spot near you?

With your permission, the map will find your location and show you the closest 25 places serving hash within 100 miles of you.

And, of course, you’ll find several SC BBQ hash recipes to make at home.

Among them, you will discover a beef hash recipe (as seen in the photo above) that’s certainly a different style than Dukes’. It is more commonly found in the Upstate.

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Making the Dukes BBQ Hash Recipe

The recipe is really quite simple, though it does take time.

Cooking the Boston Butt

First, the recipe begins with the assumption that you have cooked a 5-pound Boston butt. It doesn’t really matter how you cook it for this recipe.

You can simply cook it in a crockpot or the oven if you want to keep it simple. Or you can smoke it on a smoker if you have more time and energy to invest in it.

Frankly, you could simply buy and/or use leftover barbecue meat. Just understand that there will be subtle flavor differences if you go with the smoker or barbecue route.

Whatever route you choose, it will be fine.

Putting it All Together

With the cooked pork ready, you’ll begin by sautéing onions and potatoes in a pot for about five minutes or so until the onions are tender.

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, pull the pork, cleaning it of any unwanted part.

Once the onions are translucent, you can add in the black pepper and pulled pork, covering them all with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer.

When the potatoes are done, simply blend (or grind if you prefer).

An immersion blender works well if you have one, but you can process in batches in a standard blender. However, most hash in South Carolina barbecue restaurants is actually ground in a meat grinder during this step. Here is a good, inexpensive, at-home meat grinder.

Or you could go the old-fashioned route and cook it down over coals in a cast-iron kettle! Photo below compliments of Buck Vaughan.

South Carolina Barbecue Hash over Fire

Avoid blending too smoothly, but if you do, it will still taste fine. I speak from experience on that one.

Add everything, including remaining ingredients, back to the pot and simmer until it’s the right consistency.

What is the right consistency?

Good question. You want a thick stew, something that can and will burn on the bottom of the pot if you’re not stirring regularly. And something that will sit on top of rice, not drain through.

The example below from Big Boy’s Original Smokehouse is yet another look at a true South Carolina barbecue hash. See there is nothing seeping through the rice.

Big Boys Original Smokehouse BBQ Plate with Hash Ribs
Big Boys Original Smokehouse BBQ Plate with Hash and Ribs

While something different altogether, a hot dog chili is of a comparable consistency. Or maybe a beef stew thickened with corn starch. (No…don’t use cornstarch in your hash. No one in SC does, I promise.)

Anyway, you get the idea.

Finish with a bit of butter and serve over rice.

Aah…that’s a classic take on South Carolina barbecue hash. (And if you’re not going to eat it all right away, South Carolina BBQ hash will keep in the freezer for up to a year.)

Authentic SC BBQ Hash Recipe from Dukes BBQ

Dukes BBQ Style Hash

Yield: 5 quarts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

An authentic SC BBQ hash recipe at its best, Dukes Barbecue style. Potatoes, onions, and pork are about all you need!

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs Boston butt, roasted or cooked in a crockpot until tender and falling off the bone
  • 2 lbs potatoes, chopped
  • 2 lbs onions, chopped
  • 1 cup mustard-based BBQ sauce
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons black pepper, ground
  • 1 tsp hot sauce, Texas Pete or to taste
  • 8 tbsp butter, (one stick)

Instructions

  1. Sauté onions with potatoes in a little oil until onions are tender.
  2. Stir in black pepper. 
  3. Pull pork and add to potatoes and onions. 
  4. Fill with water until covered. 
  5. Cook until potatoes are done. 
  6. Blend mixture slightly in a blender and return to pot. 
  7. Add BBQ sauce, ketchup, hot sauce to taste and vinegar. 
  8. Simmer until it's the consistency of thick soup. 
  9. Turn off heat and add butter.
  10. Serve over white rice.

Notes

For a different yet still authentic SC-style hash, substitute half the pork with a beef roast. That version of this South Carolina BBQ hash recipe will have more in common with the hash you find in the Midlands of SC.

Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 134Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 332mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

Want More Authentic SC BBQ Recipes?

Check out our SC BBQ Cookbook. Complete with over 150 pages of recipes from generations-old family cookbooks and today's top pitmasters.


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Rudy

Tuesday 9th of January 2024

Good Georgia hash has beef, pork & chicken.

James Roller

Wednesday 10th of January 2024

@Rudy, thanks for sharing!

Ray White

Sunday 23rd of April 2023

Born and raised in Sumter. We had several Bar B Q Huts owned by the same person. We got our Bar B Q and Hash at least once a week. Have not lived in Sumter since 1982. Now living in Ohio, and sure miss the hash and rice.

Ang

Tuesday 3rd of October 2023

@Ray White, I was stationed at Shaw AFB in 1982 and my favorite bbq place was called Ward’s. I loved their Rice snd hash as well as their corn fritters. I wish I could find the recipes for both.

James Roller

Monday 24th of April 2023

@Ray White, that's a long time to go without some hash and rice. Hope you get back home from time to time. If not, give this recipe a go and let me know what you think. It's not BBQ Hut style, but it's still a taste of home.

Si

Wednesday 8th of February 2023

Should this be 2 onions? Made it today using this recipe and not only was it not close to dukes it just wasn't good.

James Roller

Friday 17th of February 2023

Just to follow up on the 2 onions or 2 lbs of onions question, the original recipe as provided to me calls for 2 pounds of onions. Here it is copied from the original source: One 5lb Boston butt smoked, roasted or cooked in a crock pot until tender and falling off the bone 2lbs chopped potatoes 2lbs chopped onions 1 pt mustard based BBQ sauce 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons black pepper Hot sauce (Texas Pete) to taste 1 stick butter

Sauté onions with potatoes in a little oil until onions are tender. Stir in black pepper. Pull pork and add to potatoes and onions. Fill with water until covered. Cook until potatoes are done. Blend mixture slightly in blender and return to pot. Add BBQ sauce, ketchup, hot sauce to taste and vinegar. Simmer until it's the consistency of thick soup. Turn off heat and add butter. Serve over white rice.

James Roller

Thursday 9th of February 2023

@Si, Sorry it didn't turn out well for you. This is the recipe as provided by Michael Ott whose extended family owns and operates the Dukes on Chestnut St. in Orangeburg. It is not their recipe, but his take on it, as explained above. I have made it myself and quite enjoyed it, but I respect that yours didn't turn out as well. Apologies for that.

Michelle Dukes Chase

Sunday 6th of November 2022

This is not the original Dukes recipe, created by my great Grandaddy Willie Baltzegar, and served in my Grandaddy Dukes and his brother’s restaurants. But, that’s a good thing since it’s not supposed to be shared.

James Roller

Sunday 6th of November 2022

@Michelle Dukes Chase, thanks for writing. You're right; it's not, which is, of course, why it says "Dukes BBQ Style" in the title. This one came from Michael Ott. I'm sure the surname is familiar to you, as that family owns the Dukes on Chestnut in Orangeburg. But even Michael doesn't claim this is a Dukes recipe. “'It’s good, but not a match for Dukes,' he said humbly." Now, if you'd like to share just between us all, we can keep it a secret! 😉

Susan

Sunday 5th of June 2022

Born and raised in SC. Several years ago I moved to Georgia. I started craving and looking for hash, never knowing it was special to SC until now.

Fortunately I take regular trips home. I see a hash visit soon!

James Roller

Monday 6th of June 2022

@Susan, come on home! We'll leave the light on for ya.

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