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I should probably, in the spirit of full disclosure, tell you that I am not from the South. I am from California, and to me, barbecue means meat cooked on a grill, over an open flame, ideally on the rare side. Heck, you could even throw some corn on there. Or artichokes. Or be really crazy and barbecue some avocados .
Fortunately for you all, this recipe is not one of my family recipes. It’s from my friend Mallory, who is from Illinois but LIVES in South Carolina, and she’s married to a North Carolinan (Carolingian?) to boot. Carolina Barbecue isn’t the style of barbecue most of you Yankees think of — there is no tomato, no molasses, no honey, no sweet and sticky sauce. Just vinegar, and lots of it. This is sour barbecue, and I love it. Hello, my name is Kate and I am addicted to things that are tart.
Of course, a real barbecue aficionado will point out that this is not barbecue at all because there is no fire or smoke, and that would be true, but let’s just ignore that, because I don’t know about you but I don’t have a barrel smoker in my yard – heck, I don’t have a yard – and a crockpot will just have to do.
I will further horrify barbecue aficionados by telling you that while I do make this with a pork shoulder or butt (and don’t try a loin, because it will be dry as dry and will be like sawdust. Sadly, you do need the fat here) I cut off the big piece of fat that is on top of that shoulder. You’ll know it when you see it. I’m no fat free nut (as my enduring love of bacon attests), but that big slab of fat kind of grosses me out, so it has to go. If you really love the lard, go ahead and render it. I won’t mind. After you cut off the fat, you rub the meat with spices, and set it atop some onions in your crockpot.
Then you mix up the kicker – the vinegar sauce. Vinegar, a little sugar, some salt, some seasonings. A little more vinegar. Did I mention I like things tart? You pour part of the vinegar mixture over the pork, you cover it, turn your slow cooker to low, and walk away for at least 8 hours.
When you come back, you will be confronted with something that looks like this:
If your mouth isn’t watering yet, then either your browser is set wrong or you don’ have a proper appreciation for the porky goodness that is about to ensue. Of course, you don’t stop here – what about the rest of that vinegar? This is the point at which you pull the pork. Start with two forks and pull the pork apart. Then use your fingers.
Looks good, huh? Maybe a little dry?
Deploy the shredded pork into a bowl, add the juices from the crock pot, and pour over the remaining vinegar sauce. (If your eaters aren’t vinegar addicts, you could always serve the sauce on the side, I suppose).
(I wished as soon as I took this that I had used a different bowl, but I wasn’t about to get another one dirty. This is reality folks).
The classic application for pulled pork is to eat it as a sandwich (though probably not so classic on ciabatta with parsley. I may have mentioned I’m from California). But don’t let your imagination stop there. Add it to chili, make it into nachos (tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, ranch beans and pulled pork topped with cheese. Yes, I have eaten this), use as a filling for enchiladas, or eat it straight with cornbread.
But save some for me.
- 2 onions, quartered
- 2 T brown sugar
- 1 T smoked paprika
- 2 t salt
- ½ t ground black pepper
- 1 (4-6 lb) pork butt or shoulder roast
- 1 T liquid smoke
- 1 c cider vinegar
- ⅓ c Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ t crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 t sugar
- ½ t dry mustard
- ½ t granulated garlic
- ¼ t cayenne pepper
- Place onions in crock pot.
- Blend brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper; rub over roast.
- Place roast in crock pot. Drizzle liquid smoke over roast.
- Combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic and cayenne pepper and stir to mix well.
- Drizzle about ⅓ of mixture over roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining mixture.
- Cook roast on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove meat and onions, discard onions and shred meat. Add juices from crock pot and remaining vinegar mixture (a portion may be reserved to pass).
- Serve plain or as sandwiches.
I’ve made this twice now and it is AMAZING! I add just enough pot liquid and vinegar sauce to make the meat “wet” then save the remaining liquid. Last time I added the pot juices to Split Pea soup and it was to die for! Coupling the left over pork with the soup made the perfect meal.
Thanks for a great recipe!
What a great idea Margaret! Split pea soup with an attitude…
I make this whenever the pork goes on sale, but I have also done this with a beef roast and it is delicious too. it comes out a little bit like sauerbraten- but smokey.
OK…sorry for silly question…
What is Liquid Smoke?
Really want to try recipe but no idea what that is?
Coming from the middle of NC which is a divided state where BBQ is concerned I can assure you this is the closest you’ll get to Eastern BBQ which is vinegar based.. Thank you!
Liquid smoke is a flavoring agent that comes in a little bottle and should be available at your local supermarket. As for WHAT it is — well, I had to turn to Wikipedia: it’s a liquid created when smoke is passed through water. You can skip the liquid smoke — it just won’t taste as barbecuey.
This is the perfect recipe I have seen since moving from N.C….add coleslaw made with Marie’s dressing and Texas Pete hot sauce or Louisiana Hot sauce…..and you will think you are on vacation at Kitty Hawk….
My brother discovered your recipe online and let me tell you it is soooooo AWESOME! I was never a huge pulled pork fan but this is a dinner we could eat once a week! We have ours with tortillas, salsa, a little cheese and squeeze some lime on it! THANK YOU!!!
Living in the Bay Area, I was feeling homesick for the South a few weeks ago and tried this out. This recipe is like crack. I rarely make the same recipe twice, and I’ve made this (using a pastured pork shoulder roast from the farmer’s market) once a week for the past three weeks. There’s just my husband and me, so we have lots of leftovers. Deeee-lish! Thanks so much for posting it.
The only change I’ve made is to cut the sugar in half, as we generally eschew sugar.
Oh! Also, those onions have been slow-roasted in pork fat and vinegar for 8 hours, which is to say, they taste amazing. Though it’s not traditional for Eastern Carolina bbq, we have just been tossing them in with the shredded pork.
Amazing! That is all
I made this last night for my family. It’s the first pulled pork recipe I’ve ever tried, bit it was such a huge hit I won’t be looking any further. Thanks!
Just made this recipe! The meat is so tender and delicious! I noticed the reviews who effectively made BBQ Pork Soup and so I countered this by removing the liquid from the slow cooker and only adding in the rest of the vinegar sauce left from step one. I found the meat to not be very vinagery at all and this definitely kicked it up a notch. Also if you really want it to feel like it was done on a fire I might suggest adding a little more liquid smoke. I didn’t do this but will try it next time…. I guarantee there will be a next time!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!!!
Sally JPA is right… Those onions are CRAZY good! Don’t let them go to waste!
Great looking recipe. It is in the crock pot as I type this. One question. What kind of bread is that in the picture? Just trying to make my sandwich look as nice as yours. Thanks.
Tried this for the first time, was amazing! It was very easy to make. I took Josh advice and added more smoke, that did the trick..
I made this dish last night before bed and ate it for lunch today. It was so simple and delicious! I did cut the white sugar in half also. I also had ALOT of extra liquid but I did something a little different instead of discarding the onions I put them in the blender with some of the sauce and used that gravy! It was awesome.
I just made this recipe. It is awesome! do NOT forget to add Texas Pete to your sandwich or BBQ plate! great recipe
My husband first had Carolina style pulled pork when we were in Boston at the Highland Grill. I have been trying to recreate it since. This recipe more than fits the bill. It is delicious. Make sure you get the pork shoulder. It makes all the difference.
I made this yesterday and it was awesome! My husband has already asked whether “we” can make this again next week!
Made this for dinner tonight. I’ve made pulled pork in the crock pot, before, but used the traditional “yankee” style, with tomato based bbq sauce. My son, who is not a big pork fan, asked for this style, as he actually tied it last time he was in NC. I myself have always loved it, and always had it when in Chapel Hill. One word for this – AMAZING!!! Had the perfect amount of seasoning & vinegar tanginess!! It was as if I were eating in Chapel Hill again!! Pure heaven!! I have added this to my recipe file and will be making this quite often (as soon as next week) !!! oh, almost forgot, used the onions too, as an onion lover,couldn’t help but use them!! Thank you very much!!
I’ve been eating Low Country (Carolina coastal area) barbecue my whole life… (I’m 64). I tried this recipe…followed it to the proverbial “T”. Absolutely horrible. Vinegar is my favorite base for barbecue but this has all the subtlety of a Mack truck. No balance of flavors… don’t waste your pork…
Gave this a try – it turned out great. Not quite the “South Carolina” style I was looking for, but lots of flavor with a little spicy twist. As an alternative, I added regular bbq sauce and cilantro with the chiabatta buns. Thanks for sharing!
I have made this recipe now 3 times without the liquid smoke because I couldn’t find it and it was amazing. It’s cooking now WITH the liquid smoke (because I finally found it) and it already smells wonderful. This has become my go-to recipe for BBQ–everyone I have made i for thinks it unreal!! AWESOME! Thank you!!!
It’s cooking now — can’t wait! This is definitely Eastern NC BBQ, which is different from Lexington-Style NC BBQ and SC BBQ. If you’re making it looking for one of the latter two, it won’t fit the bill (though as an Eastern Nc style fanatic, I think this far surpasses both the other kinds!)
For a very funny overview of BBQ around the south, look up The BBQ Song in YouTube! Thanks again for the recipe!
Oh…also, Eastern NC BBQ is traditionally served with “red” slaw, which is vinegary and NOT mayonnaise based. Usually they pile the heavenly piggy goodness on a soft, squashed, cheap white bun, put the red slaw on top, sprinkle on a little fiery vinegar sauce (NOT Texas Pete!), smoosh it together with your hands, and eat before it gets too soggy and begins to fall apart! Side dishes are hush puppies, beans, more slaw, and occasionally french fries.
Last comment and then I’ll hush…you don’t even have to shred it for Eastern style BBQ. Just lift the (falling apart) pieces to a cutting board once it’s cool enough to handle, and use a cleaver or other big knife to chop it up. Easier to mound on a sandwich and to eat…no chance of long strands coming out and flopping on your chin!
I want to say this recipe is awesome. This is the second time Im making it. The family loved it. I live in Va Beach and its better than the pork we get out. Thanks for sharing.
I have been to a many “pig pickins” in my life, and hope this recipe does the trick…being born in N.C. I can truly appreciate Eastern North Carolina cue! Thanks for the recipe
Ashley
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