PULLED PORK BARBECUE - EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA STYLE

[Revised 3/11/2019]

This is my slow cooker (formerly known as a Crock Pot) recipe for easy, delicious barbecue.  Takes almost all day so begin early in the morning!

INGREDIENTS:

1 – 4-7 pound dead thing (I prefer a BOSTON BUTT pork roast - preferably bone-in and not tied with strings)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 GALLON       CIDER vinegar (NOT WHITE) - save the bottle

1 C              Sugar

3 TBSP          Ground black pepper
2 TBSP        Cayenne pepper flakes

10 TBSP        Salt

3/4 C           Franks Original Hot Sauce

***note:  ingredients for 1/2 gallon listed at bottom

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a large pot and heat to a simmer - stir and simmer until sugar and salt have dissolved.  Remove from heat, cover and let sit overnight.  Stir well before using, as pepper flakes will settle to the bottom.  Store any unused sauce in the vinegar bottle.  Does not need to be refrigerated.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Prepare the meat by removing any large fat deposits.  Place in crock pot and cover about halfway with sauce (shake/stir sauce well before pouring).  Set cooker to high until bubbling and then reduce to low… USING GREAT CARE, turn the roast over every 1-2 hours.  For a large roast, remove from cooker after 5-6 hours and place in a large rimmed roaster pan.  Use a fork to shred the outer meat that’s tender – refrigerate this.  Return the roast to the crock pot and continue cooking until all the meat is fork tender.  USE CAUTION REMOVING THIS FROM THE POT – IT MIGHT FALL APART AND SPATTER YOU WITH HOT BBQ SAUCE. 

Remove the roast to the rimmed pan and remove the bone as soon as you can jiggle it and discard.  Using a pair of forks, pull the meat apart. Add refrigerated meat to this.

Ladle out as much of the used sauce/grease in the crock pot as you can and discard it.  Return shredded meat to the cooker and add FRESH sauce to cover about half the meat.  Cook on HIGH until bubbly – then on LOW for another 30-60 minutes, stirring the meat until it's tender.  Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the meat to a serving bowl. Let the BBQ drain a bit - don't serve it soggy. (Another serving option is to reheat it in a frying pan with a small dollop of bacon grease until hot)  No Southerner can cook without bacon grease!

Serve hot with some of the (shaken) sauce from the jug, and Franks’ Hot sauce/Texas Pete, for those with iron tongues.  ENJOY!!

This BBQ freezes well in heavy ZipLoc bags.

Vinegar based sauce does not need to be refrigerated and will keep for months.

The sauce recipe is what's called EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA VINEGAR BASED BBQ SAUCE - trust me - it does NOT get any better!


***2 qts     
    
2 qts        CIDER Vinegar (min. needed for a 4-5 lb Boston butt)

1/2 C        Sugar

5 TBSP      Salt

1/2 C        FRANKS ORIGINAL HOT SAUCE

2 TBSP      Black pepper

1 TBSP      Red pepper flakes (more for more heat)

Note:  this BBQ freezes well!

* Texas Pete can be added at the table if you prefer