Carolina Red Pulled Pork Shoulder Recipes

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat slow cooker on Low for 15 minutes.
• Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper; place pork in preheated slow cooker. Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar in a bowl; pour over pork.
• Cook on Low for 8 hours. Transfer pork to a large platter and slice into 3 to 4 pieces. Shred meat with 2 forks and return to slow cooker. Continue to cook for 1 hour.

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.

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.

CAROLINA PULLED-PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Make dry rub:
• Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend.
• Place pork, fat side up, on work surface. Cut each piece lengthwise in half. Place on large baking sheet. Sprinkle dry rub all over pork; press into pork. Cover with plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Make mop:
• Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• Following manufacturer's instructions and using lump charcoal and 1/2 cup drained wood chips for smoker or 1 cup for barbecue, start fire and bring temperature of smoker or barbecue to 225°F. to 250°F. Place pork on rack in smoker or barbecue. Cover; cook until meat thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 165°F., turning pork and brushing with cold mop every 45 minutes, about 6 hours total. Add more charcoal as needed to maintain 225°F. to 250°F. temperature and more drained wood chips (1/2 cup for smoker or 1 cup for barbecue with each addition) to maintain smoke level.
• Transfer pork to clean rimmed baking sheet. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred into bite-size pieces. Mound on platter. Pour any juices from sheet over pork. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer pork and any juices to baking dish. Cover with foil; chill. Before continuing, rewarm pork, covered, in 350°°F. oven about 30 minutes.)
• Divide pork among bottoms of buns. Drizzle lightly with barbecue sauce. Top with coleslaw. Cover with tops of buns.

CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK BARBECUE & SAUCE

Steps:

• Sauce:.
• Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Cover and remove from heat, let stand for 30 minutes.
• Using funnel, return sauce to vinegar bottle and store in refrigerator.
• Shake well before using.
• PORK:.
• Wrap pork shoulder in wide, heavy duty aluminum foil. Meat may be basted with about 1/4 cup of the Carolina sauce before wrapping.
• Place in shallow roasting pan. Bake at 325℉ for 1 hour per pound.
• If cooking a whole pork shoulder, 10 - 13 pounds, wrap as directed, and.
• bake at 300℉ for 1 hour per pound.
• OR if using slow cooker, wrap as directed, and cook on low for 10 hours.
• When done, remove meat from oven and open foil a little to vent. Rest until cool enough to handle. Remove meat to cutting board. There will be quite a bit of liquid inside the foil; pour into quart jar and refrigerate. Remove fat from top after it has hardened.
• Using 2 large forks or your gloved hands, pull fibers of meat apart. Meat may be sliced or chopped if you prefer. Remove and discard bones and large pieces of fat and membrane. Place pulled meat in a large bowl, and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of Carolina Style Sauce. Stir to blend, taste, and add more sauce as desired. Commercial bottled barbecue sauce may be used if you prefer.
• Serve hot, in sandwich buns, with Carolina cole slaw.