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Pulled Pork over white rice, add some sauteed seasoned chopped bell peppers and onions and this is how I like pulled pork! - Image via WikipediaNorth Carolina (and South Carolina too) is known for its pulled pork and long, long, long, very long slow smoked cooking of the piggy meat. That's the secret, they say, to success with pulled pork. Otherwise, if you are impatient and don't cook the meat long enough, you end up with a tough product. How long do the experts tell us we should cook the meat? They are talking at least two days. That's how it gets infused with that awesome smokey flavor over a wood fire.
You can take the shortcut of cooking your piggy roast in a slow cooker though you won't achieve that intense smokey flavor that can only be achieved from a wood fire. However, the piggy roast will be moist, tender, and very flavorful when you add any of the following wonderful BBQ sauces. Whichever method you use, if you don't think it's tender enough then send it back to the cooker and cook longer to the level you like.
North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches
From: National Pork Board
Serves: 18
Ingredients:
1 pork butt, Boston butt or un-trimmed end-cut pork shoulder roast, about 7 to 9 pounds
5 to 7 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
3/4 cup Lexington-Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
North Carolina Coleslaw (recipe follows)
18 hamburger buns
Directions:
1. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking.
2. Remove pork from wrapper. Do not trim any excess fat off the meat; this fat will naturally baste the meat during the long cooking time. Brush pork with a thin coating of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place on tray until ready to cook.
3. Before placing the meat on the grill, add soaked wood chips. Place pork in center of the cooking grate with fat-side up. Cook slowly for 4 to 5 hours or until instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the middle of the pork registers 190 to 200 degrees and the meat is very tender and falling apart. If there is a bone in the meat, it should come out smooth and clean. There is no need to turn meat during the cooking time.
4. Let meat rest for 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using a sturdy fork and a knife, pull meat apart and discard fat. Set aside any crispy bits of fat that have been completely rendered and look almost burned. After the meat is completely shredded, chop the reserved crispy bits and mix them into the warm pork.
5. Mix with enough Lexingston-Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce to moisten. Serve on a white hamburger bun and top with North Carolina Coleslaw.
No Stress Barbecue Pork Sandwiches
From: Carma Rogers with the National Pork Board
Serves: 10 to 12
Ingredients:
4 to 5 pounds boneless pork butt (or pork shoulder roast)
1 (14-1/2 ounces) can beef broth
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/3 cup hot pepper sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
10 to 12 sandwich buns
Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 Tablespoons hot pepper sauce
Directions:
1. Put pork in bottom of a large slow cooker. Mix broth, liquid smoke, pepper sauce and Worcestershire; pour over meat.
2. Cover and cook on High for 5 hours (or 8 to 10 hours on Low) until pork is very tender.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, combine all ingredients in large saucepan; set aside.
4. Place pork on cutting board; reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from pork. Coarsely chop pork; combine with reserved cooking liquid and sauce in saucepan; heat over medium heat until warm.
5. Spoon pork onto sandwich buns to serve.
Now for the easy to make sauces:
Lexington-Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
From: National Pork Board
Makes: about 2 cups
Ingredients:
2 cups cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon ground white pepper
1/2 to 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes (the more flakes, the hotter the sauce)
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 10 minutes to indefinitely in the refrigerator. The longer the it sits, the hotter it gets. Store covered in the refrigerator.
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South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce
From: “It’s All American Food” by David Rosengarten
Makes: about 4 cups
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup French’s mustard
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1-1/2 cups cooking liquid from pork shoulder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Combine the butter, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire, cayenne and the cooking liquid in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently with a wire whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
From: “It’s All American Food” by David Rosengarten
Makes: about 2 cups
Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 cup cooking liquid from pork
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Cook the mixture for 3 minutes, stirring frequently with a wire whisk.
3. Use or serve sauce immediately.
North Carolina Coleslaw
From: National Pork Board
Serves: 18
Ingredients:
Lexington-Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
1 large head of cabbage, chopped
Directions:
Mix barbecue sauce into chopped cabbage until well mixed and not quite wet. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Have a great weekend, everyone! Thanks for visiting! Guess you had better get started on this pulled pork is you want to eat by Sunday noon... :)
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