Carolina Pulled Pork

Pork shoulder slow-roasted until it falls apart, then dressed with a sharp, peppery Eastern Carolina vinegar sauce.

Prep

20 min

Cook

7 hr

Total

7 hr 20 min

Yield

10 servings

Ingredients

6 lb bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
For the rub:
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
For the vinegar sauce:
1½ cups apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp hot sauce
To serve:
10 soft hamburger buns
Creamy coleslaw

Method

Mix the rub and press it all over the pork. If you have time, wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Set the pork fat-side up in a roasting pan and add 1 cup water to the pan.
Roast uncovered for 3 hours. Cover tightly with foil and roast 3 to 4 hours more, until the meat reaches 200°F (93°C) and the bone pulls out easily.
Rest the pork, covered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, shake the sauce ingredients together in a jar until the sugar dissolves.
Shred the pork with two forks, discarding the bone and fat. Toss with ½ cup of the sauce and the pan juices.
Pile onto buns, top with coleslaw and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Kitchen note

The meat stalls around 160°F as moisture evaporates. Covering it with foil pushes it through to 200°F, where the collagen melts.

Where it comes from

Eastern North Carolina has cooked whole hogs with a vinegar-and-pepper sauce since colonial times. No tomato allowed.