🍖Smoker BBQ
Eastern Carolina Vinegar Pulled Pork
Whole-hog spirit in a single shoulder: smoky pork dressed in a fiery cider-vinegar and pepper sauce. No tomato.
20 min
Prep
11 hr
Cook
Involved
Difficulty
9
Ingredients
6
Steps
Ingredients
Servings
- 1.5 kg pork shoulder, bone-in
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 240 ml cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- Hickory wood
Method
- 1
Season the shoulder simply with the salt and pepper and smoke at 110°C (225°F) over hickory.
- 2
Cook until probe-tender at 96°C (205°F) — about 10–; wrap in foil after the bark sets to speed the back half.
- 3
Whisk the vinegar, brown sugar, chilli flakes, cayenne and salt to make the Eastern Carolina mop.
- 4
Rest the pork , then pull into strands.
- 5
Dress the warm pork with the vinegar sauce, a little at a time, until bright and tangy.
- 6
Serve on a soft bun topped with a forkful of slaw.
Notes
- Eastern NC sauce is thin and sharp — it should season the pork, not coat it.
- Let the dressed pork sit 10 minutes so it drinks up the vinegar.