Eastern Carolina pulled pork
Whole-shoulder pork with a sharp vinegar and chilli sauce
In eastern North Carolina barbecue means pork, slow-smoked whole hog or shoulder chopped and dressed with a thin sauce of cider vinegar, chilli flakes and pepper, with no tomato at all. It is served at pit-cooked joints around Ayden and Goldsboro with slaw and hushpuppies, and piled into soft buns at cookouts. This oven version slow-roasts a pork shoulder until it pulls apart. Chef's tip: dress the meat with the sauce while it's still warm, so it soaks right in.
- Total time
- 440 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the pork
- 5 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup water
For the vinegar sauce
- 1 ½ cups cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
To serve
- 1 ⅛ lb coleslawopt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, 1 tbsp smoked paprika and 2 tsp black pepper, rub all over the 5 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours.
120 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 300°F (275°F fan). Put the pork in a roasting tin with the 1 cup water, cover tightly with foil and roast for 5 hours.
300 minStep 3: Uncover and roast for 1–1½ hours more, until a dark crust forms and the meat reads 90–203°F inside and a fork twists easily in it. Pork is safe from 145°F, but shoulder needs this extra heat to pull.
80 minStep 4: Shake the 1 ½ cups cider vinegar, 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp hot pepper sauce in a jar until the sugar dissolves.
3 minStep 5: Rest the pork 20 minutes, then pull and chop it, discarding any big lumps of fat. Toss with half the sauce and the tin juices. A common mistake is drowning it; it should be moist, not wet.
25 minStep 6: Pile into 10 soft burger buns with 1 ⅛ lb coleslaw and pass the rest of the sauce at the table.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does eastern Carolina pulled pork take?
- About 440 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 420 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of smoked paprika?
- Sweet paprika + a pinch of chipotle or a drop of liquid smoke.
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