North Carolina Style Pulled Pork with Vinegar Sauce
Master Carolina-style pulled pork with our recipe featuring that iconic tangy vinegar sauce. Tender, smoky meat that melts in your mouth. Southern perfection!
Ingredients
- 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder Boston butt
- 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
Mop Sauce:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup beer I use whatever I'm drinking that day
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Vinegar BBQ Sauce:
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup ketchup omit for a more authentic Eastern North Carolina sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker for indirect smoking at 250 degrees F. Hickory or applewood is recommended. I usually start this process way too early in the morning while my family is still asleep.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, and paprika to create the rub. Apply liberally on all sides of the pork shoulder. Don't be shy—that meat needs seasoning! Work the rub into all the nooks and crannies.
- Place the rubbed shoulder in the smoker and close the lid. This is where the waiting game begins. Position the meat fat-side up so it self-bastes as it cooks.
- In a glass bowl, combine all the ingredients for the mop sauce. Apply the mop sauce to the pulled pork every hour using a BBQ mop or a food-safe spray bottle. This is my meditation time—just me, the meat, and the smoke.
- Smoke the pork shoulder, while mopping hourly, for 8-10 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 200 degrees F. Temperature is more important than time here, folks! You're looking for that magical moment when your thermometer slides into the meat like it's going through butter.
- While the pork is smoking, prepare the vinegar BBQ sauce. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool—it gets better as it sits. Store in the refrigerator up to two weeks.
- Once the pork is done, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for at least 1 hour before shredding. I wrap mine in foil, then a towel, and place it in a cooler. Works like a charm and keeps it hot for hours!
- Shred the pork and mix with your desired amount of vinegar BBQ sauce. I use two forks, but my buddy Rick uses these plastic "meat claws" that make him look like Wolverine. Remove any large pieces of fat or gristle as you go.
- Serve on buns with coleslaw. For the ultimate experience, toast those buns lightly before piling on the meat. Prepare for compliments and requests for the recipe.