carolina-style pulled pork
I wrote about pulled pork earlier this year during my Summer of Barbecue, but I never gave a recipe for it. Barbecue is regional in the US. Heck, my MIL just told me last weekend that barbecue in Memphis differs from barbecue in the rest of Tennessee! The varieties could make your head spin and your colon tremble: sweet, spicy, vinegar-base, tomato-base, thick, thin, beef, pork, ribs, pulled, sliced, smoked, and don’t forget the hot-links. I like them all, really. But in southern Virginia, we get a heavy influence from North Carolina and so tonight I paid homage to Carolina pulled pork for dinner.
One of my favorite acts in cooking is the Magic Act, where you take cheap cut of meat and cook it forever, whether by dry or moist heat, and render it a tender heap of Culinary Nirvana. Since we’re talking Carolina barbecue, you automatically know it is 1) pork and 2) vinegar-based sauce. And if you didn’t know, it’s about time you learned. An excellent part of the beloved piggy (besides the belly and the leg) is the shoulder, aka butt, Boston butt, Boston roast, shoulder blade roast. It is a favorite for barbecue (and also of Chinese cooking!) for its wonderful flavor, marbling, tenderness, moistness, and low cost. The trick is low and slow heat.
I tend to believe that authentic barbecue is smoked over coals for hours on end. I could do that where I live, but then I might burn down the entire National Forest, so I slow cook in the oven. It’s a more practical approach.
the components of the dry rub
seeing red isn’t always bad
After mixing up the dry rub, rub it over the pork butt. Be sure to get it in those cracks and crevices too. Coat that baby well. Your hands should be a veritable mess when you are done.
rubbed and ready to go - don’t wipe your hands on that white shirt…
Did I mention you’ll want to start this at least a day ahead of time? Well, you will. This is all about flaaaaaavor. Pop the pork into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, overnight is preferable. Meanwhile, the sauce should also be prepared on the first day since the flavors benefits tremendously from sitting for a day. There really isn’t much to the recipe, just some patience and planning.
seared
The following day, pull the pork out of the refrigerator to sit for an hour. Sear it up on all sides and then into the oven for four hours on low heat. I covered my baking pan with aluminum foil. After I took it out of the oven, I realized it might have been a good idea to line the pan with aluminum too. Well, Jeremy was a love and scrubbed that baking dish clean, but I don’t loan him out, so definitely line with foil unless you like scrubbing dishes (in which case, maybe you should come visit?)
tender
pulling the pork should be easy
The pork should be falling-apart tender after four hours. I like to remove the fat and connective tissue while it is still hot and then shred the meat with two forks.
pour the barbecue sauce
Add as much sauce as you like and serve. I love to eat this with a nice soft and slightly sweet bread, which is also perfect for sopping up the extra sauce. And despite my love of non-mayo coleslaw, I do find a (not too) creamy coleslaw is awesome with this pulled pork. Obviously this barbecue is vinegar-intensive, so people who are looking for a sweet tomato-base sauce will have to wait for my next installment on barbecue. I like all kinds, really.
get in touch with your inner southerner
Carolina Pulled Pork
3-5 lbs. pork butt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups dry rub
Carolina vinegar barbecue sauce
dry rub
1/4 cup cumin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper, ground
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic
Mix together.
carolina vinegar barbecue sauce
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper, ground
Mix together and heat until sugar dissolves (don’t breathe the fumes). Let cool and store for 24 hours.
To make the pulled pork: Day 1. Rub pork with dry rub. Place in a baking dish and cover with plastic. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. Make the Carolina vinegar barbecue sauce. Day 2. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for an hour. Preheat oven to 325F. Heat oil in a large frying pan and sear the pork on high heat on all sides (a few minutes each side). Place pork in a baking dish lined with foil. Cover with foil and bake for four hours. Remove from oven and remove fat and connective tissue and any bone. Shred the meat with forks. Pour desired amount of sauce over the pork and serve hot.
November 10th, 2007 at 1:54 am
Pork is it’s own religion in the south…and with good reason. This looks super yummy.
November 10th, 2007 at 2:55 am
Pork butt? Butt as in bum? Or is this a cut of meat we call something different in the UK, I wonder?
Anyway, this is the second time I’ve come across a recipe for pulled pork in a week. Had never heard of it before. Very much looking forward to trying it out. :)
November 10th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Pork butt is actually part of the shoulder. It’s a Boston Butt cut.
And there are some decent electric smokers that are cheap that can be used pretty safely with wood chunks added to get real barbecue flavor with pork. The smoke flavor takes this to a different place completely.
November 10th, 2007 at 11:06 am
I also like all kinds of bbq but this version with the tangy vinegar sauce has a special place in my heart! I was wondering about searing the meat - do you think it adds a lot of flavor to the meat?I am thinking of using my slow cooker for this and I’m lazy to add the searing step. Also, do you eat this on a soft white hamburger bun, white toast, or on its own?
November 10th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I grew up in South Carolina but it took me a while to take a liking to Carolina-style bbq. Now I think it’s the only kind to eat! The thick, sweet tomato-based sauces completely cover up the taste of the meat in my opinion. I’m going to SC this weekend (I will be getting some of this on my trip) but I’m gonna have to cook up my own mess of this Carolina-style pulled pork REALLY soon…thanks for the recipe!!!
November 10th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
That would be EASTERN N.C. barbecue! In the West we have a tomato-based sauce. And in S.C. it’s mustard-based. (And yes. I’m from N.C. - born and raise and currently residing!)
November 10th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
This is the only kind of bbq I make and eat, but again I pour vinegar over everything (except pie!). Thanks for the recipe!!
November 11th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Peabody - it’s delish! But I just can’t consume that much pork in a week, I’m freezing most of it.
Wendy - as Curt points out, it is the butt of the shoulder, just that butchers have so many names for it. A friend of mine entered our local department chili cookoff one year and he whispered to me that he was using pork butt. He snickered as if it were some dirty joke. I smacked him in the arm and said it was the shoulder of the pig, not the butt. It’s okay, he’s a dork.
Curt - oh, thanks for that pointer! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for one of those.
HolyBasil - you know, that’s a very good question. I don’t know if it does or not. I think it adds some nice browning that you might not get otherwise, but I am often tempted to skip the step myself. Then I get nervous about making it inferior if I skip the step and wasting all of that good meat… So I always do it ;) I love to eat this with potato rolls, or if you can get your hands on fluffy white hot steaming southern rolls (I have no other description or name for it, but they are all over the south in barbecue joints). I need to get me that recipe *shudder*.
Miss Scarlet - I hope you had a good trip to SC and did some bbq research like a good bbq-lover!
Abby - yep, I knew this would bite me in the ass ;) So in SE VA, we were obviously most influenced by Eastern NC. I do recall reading that SC bbq is mustard-based which seems wrong to me, but I won’t knock it until I try it since I seem to love all bbq. You should post on some Western NC bbq!
Tartelette - I’m a vinegar freak too. Love pickles :)
November 11th, 2007 at 11:09 am
This pulled pork sounds really good.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
This looks heavenly! I have been craving some pulled pork for quite a while. I am going to save this recipe!!
November 12th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Kevin and Cedar - it’s terrific on a bun with some coleslaw!
December 10th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Hi Jenyu,
Just wanted to say that I love your blog and just finished the process, thru and thru, of making the pulled pork recipe and it’s fabulous. The pics were really helpful. I’ve always been intimidated by the whole “Rub” thing but I love to cook so when I found your blog I dove in and if you have a little time it’s great rewards. Next, St.Lous Ribs. Happy Holiday.
Maggie, Los Gatos, CA
December 11th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Maggie - thanks so much for your sweet comment. I’m delighted that you like the pulled pork. It’s so good, isn’t it? I cannot take any credit - all of the recipes are cannibalized and synthesized from other recipes. You are gonna love those St. Louis cut ribs :) Go girl!!
February 1st, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I just bought 12 pounds of Boston Butt. Having a bbq. Made the sauce and used the rub. .
Thanks for the good stuff.
February 4th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Seth - I’m coming to your house for dinner!!
February 11th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Check out the pictures I posted of the feast. You might need to scroll down a bit.
They are there.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Seth - wow, you went to town! Awesome that you guys put a huge dent in it :)
February 19th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Ok, yum. I did this the other day with 10lbs of pork. SOOO spicy. I would half the cayenne next time. Made some carolina cole slaw and served it on potato buns. It was a huge hit. (with rice krispie treats for dessert. can’t go wrong)
February 20th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
sarahmarie - omg! 10 pounds of pork?!?! that’s serious bbq. when is dinner?? :) i guess it is spicy, but i like spicy, as in - i LOVE spicy ;)
March 13th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Hi! I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful discovery your blog is for me! Not only are your photos beautiful and colorful, but I love the way you write! Very creative and quite humorous. :)
Also - I found a few of my new favorite foods on your blog, namely, this one, and also Brunswich Stew! Yum!
THanks so much! And please feel free to link my very new and amateur blog if you’d like!
Your’s has been saved to my ‘favorites’ folder.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Candyce - thanks so much. I’m really glad you found some useful recipes! :)
June 10th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Oh, yum. Shame my husband can’t stand vinegar — I wonder if it’s palatable without the sauce? (He doesn’t tend to like sauces in general, so maybe I have a shot…) I think I could use the extra sauce to make some coleslaw.
At least with beef, I think part of the reason for searing large cuts before slow-cooking them has to do with food safety. Of course, the thing to worry about with beef is the germs sitting on the outside, but I wonder if the searing step still important for pork — it at least gets it up to temperature a little faster, so it’s not sitting at a dangerous temperature for too long. I’d still do it.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Laura - actually, searing the outside lends to a nicer crisper outer crust while is wonderful to come across when you eat the pulled pork (or the beef for that matter). I seriously doubt it has to do with food safety as the temperature it is cooked at is high enough to kill off the baddies. And I worry more about pork parasites than germs on beef… if you don’t sear, you don’t get that lovely outer caramelized step.
June 14th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I am trying this recipe tonite, will let you know how it goes. by the way i have been reading through your blog and your pictures are outstanding. i wish i had talent like that. thanks for all your work.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Rob - thank you so much, that’s very kind of you to say.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Well, I tried the recipe….a very good starting point for me to make little changes here and there for my own tastes…I think I may only use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider and white vinegars and add maybe a quarter cup more brown sugar. i love carolina-style bbq since first trying it earlier this year…
do you trim the shoulder of fat before adding the rub? i did but i just wanted to know if i was doing the right thing.
thanks a bunch!
June 18th, 2008 at 12:02 am
rob - i do not trim any fat from the cut because when you cook it in the oven, the fat “bastes” the meat and keeps it tender and flavorful. try leaving it on next time :)
August 18th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Just discovered your site while looking around for others that have done pulled pork. I just smoked some in my weber and finished them in the oven and had a great time. They came out smoky tender. I really like your site and the pictures.
If you have a minute would love for you to come take a look and give me your opinion. http://cookingquest.wordpress.com
Really appreciate it… I will be back!
August 19th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Joe - yum! Sounds delicious. Thanks for the link and I’ll try to visit when I find a free moment (I’m still looking…)