American
North Carolina Pulled Pork
Low-and-slow, finished with a sharp vinegar sauce that cuts right through the fat.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
Eastern North Carolina barbecue is perhaps the oldest continuous BBQ tradition in America. It uses the whole hog — or in the more accessible home version, the whole pork shoulder — and finishes it with a sauce of pure simplicity: apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, black pepper and a touch of sugar.
No tomato. No ketchup. Just acid and heat slicing through the richness of properly smoked pork. The vinegar slaw is not just a side; in NC it goes on the sandwich.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
For the pork
- 7–8 lb bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
For Eastern NC vinegar sauce
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
For the vinegar slaw
- 1 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp celery seed
- ½ tsp black pepper
Method
- 1
SEASON: Mix salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and brown sugar. Rub all over the pork shoulder and refrigerate overnight uncovered.
- 2
SMOKE: Set the smoker to 225°F with hickory or fruit wood. Cook fat-side up until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 6–7 hours.
- 3
WRAP & FINISH: Wrap tightly in foil and continue until the temperature reaches 200–205°F and the bone wiggles freely, another 3–5 hours. Rest 1 hour minimum.
- 4
MAKE SAUCE: Combine all vinegar sauce ingredients and stir until the sugar dissolves. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature; it improves dramatically overnight.
- 5
MAKE SLAW: Toss cabbage and onion with vinegar, sugar, salt, celery seed and pepper. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
- 6
PULL: Using two forks or gloved hands, pull the pork into long shreds, discarding large fat pieces. Toss with about half the vinegar sauce, adding more to taste.
- 7
SERVE on soft buns with slaw piled directly on the pork, and more vinegar sauce on the side.
Substitutions
- Chef's Tip: The pork is done when the bone pulls out with no resistance. If you have to yank it, it needs more time.
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