Carolina Pulled Pork With Lexington Red Sauce Recipes

BBQ PULLED PORK WITH CAROLINA SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Carolina BBQ sauce: Combine the cider vinegar, ketchup, sugar, molasses, mustard, soy sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, salt and a pinch ground black pepper in a stainless steel saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool before using. If not using immediately, pour it into a bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• For the BBQ pulled pork: Combine 1-quart water with the soy sauce, salt, sugar, honey and molasses in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in 1 gallon plus 3 quarts water. Pierce the meat with a boning knife in several places, then add the meat to the brine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the meat from the brine, coat lightly with salt and pepper, and arrange in a smoker. Load 2 boxes filled with applewood chips into the smoker. Set the smoker at 250 degrees F and smoke for 8 hours. Remove the meat from the smoker to a cutting board and shred when cool enough to handle. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with the BBQ sauce.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix mild paprika, light brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, ground black pepper, onion powder, and salt. Rub spice mixture into the roast on all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare a grill for indirect heat.
• Sprinkle a handful of soaked wood over coals, or place in the smoker box of a gas grill. Place pork butt roast on the grate over a drip pan. Cover grill, and cook pork until pork is tender and shreds easily, about 6 hours. Check hourly, adding fresh coals and hickory chips as necessary to maintain heat and smoke.
• Remove pork from heat and place on a cutting board. Allow the meat to cool approximately 15 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. This requires patience.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and white pepper. Continue whisking until brown sugar and salt have dissolved. Place shredded pork and vinegar sauce in a large roasting pan, and stir to coat pork. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm on the grill for up to one hour until serving.

LEXINGTON-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Combine paprika, pepper, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl, working out any clumps in the sugar with your fingers. Spread dry rub all over pork and rub in well. Allow to rest 15 minutes to 24 hours.
• Prepare charcoal grill for indirect heat (place all the coals on one side). Soak 4 cups of wood chips in water for 15-30 minutes. Place the chips on the coals. Heat the top grill with the lid on for 5 minutes. Place the pork on the top grate on the side away from the coals. Open the top air vents fully, and position them over the meat. Open the bottom air vents half- to fully-open, depending on the weather (more closed on a windy day). Leave undisturbed 2 hours.
• Transfer pork to a disposable aluminum roasting pan. Wrap with a double layer of aluminum foil. Place in a preheated 325°F oven for 2-3 hours longer, until fork-tender. Let rest covered for 30 minutes.
• Remove the fat cap and set aside on a plate. Shred the meat into a bowl, discarding any large hunks of fat or gristle. Pull off the "bark" (the dark brown "skin") from the fat cap; discard the remaining fat.
• Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup over the pulled pork; serve the rest on the side.
• Serve between slices of white bread, with pickle slices.

CAROLINA "RED" PULLED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients.
• Coat the pork shoulder all over with the rub and press the spices into the meat. Allow the pork to stand at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before grilling.
• Follow the grill's instruction for smoking with wood chips. With the lid closed, grill and smoke the pork, fat side up, over indirect low heat (250°F to 300°F) for about 1 hour. (Note: Smoke the pork for the first hour only.) Meanwhile, make the sauce.
• In a heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and let simmer for about 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and, if desired, add extra hot pepper sauce.
• After the pork has been grilling for 1 hour, baste it with the sauce and continue to baste every 30 minutes. Continue grilling until the temperature at the center of the meat registers 180°F When it is done, the meat should be tender enough to tear with your fingers. The total grilling time will be 5 to 6 hours.
• Transfer the pork shoulder to a baking sheet, brush liberally with some remaining sauce, and tightly cover with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 30 minutes before serving.
• To serve, pull the warm meat apart with your fingers or two forks and shred into pieces. Discard any large pieces of fat. Pile the seasoned pork on hamburger buns along with your favorite coleslaw and a generous amount of sauce.