Elizabeth Karmels North Carolina Style Pulled Pork Recipes

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• 1. If using the rub, combine the mild paprika, brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, pepper, onion powder, and salt in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Wearing rubber or plastic gloves if desired, rub the spice mixture onto the pork shoulder on all sides, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, preferably 8.
• If not using the rub, generously season the pork all over with coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground black pepper; you can start cooking immediately.
• 2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a drip pan in the center.
• If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.
• If using a charcoal grill, preheat the grill to medium-low and adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 300°F.
• 3. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup of the wood chips on the coals. Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the pork shoulder until fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 195°F, 4 to 6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the pork roast and the heat of the grill). If using charcoal, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 1/2 cup per side every time you replenish the coals. With gas, all you need to do is be sure that you start with a full tank of gas. If the pork begins to brown too much, drape a piece of aluminum foil loosely over it or lower the heat.
• 4. Transfer the pork roast to a cutting board, loosely tent it with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• 5. Wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves if desired, pull off and discard any skin from the meat, then pull the pork into pieces, discarding any bones or fat. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into shreds 1 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This requires time and patience, but a human touch is needed to achieve the perfect texture. If patience isn't one of your virtues, you can finely chop the pork with a cleaver (many respected North Carolina barbecue joints serve chopped 'cue). Transfer the shredded pork to a nonreactive roasting pan. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist, then cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it on the grill for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.
• 6. To serve, mound the pulled pork on the hamburger buns and top with coleslaw. Let each person add more vinegar sauce to taste.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix mild paprika, light brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, ground black pepper, onion powder, and salt. Rub spice mixture into the roast on all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare a grill for indirect heat.
• Sprinkle a handful of soaked wood over coals, or place in the smoker box of a gas grill. Place pork butt roast on the grate over a drip pan. Cover grill, and cook pork until pork is tender and shreds easily, about 6 hours. Check hourly, adding fresh coals and hickory chips as necessary to maintain heat and smoke.
• Remove pork from heat and place on a cutting board. Allow the meat to cool approximately 15 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. This requires patience.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and white pepper. Continue whisking until brown sugar and salt have dissolved. Place shredded pork and vinegar sauce in a large roasting pan, and stir to coat pork. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm on the grill for up to one hour until serving.

NORTH CAROLINA STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat
• Soak hickory or other flavor wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Place chips directly on gray-ashed charcoal if using a charcoal grill or in the smoker box if using a gas grill.
• Lightly oil the pork and season with salt and pepper. Place meat in the center of the cooking grate and cook slowly over low heat for 4 to 5 hours or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 180°F-190°F. The meat should be very tender and falling apart. You'll know it's done when the bone pulls out clean as a whistle and the meat has shrunk in size.
• Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes. While it is still hot, pull meat from skin and fat. Discard all but the best meat. Shred or pull the meat apart with two forks. As you work, mix pork with enough sauce to moisten.
• Serve on white hamburger buns and top with North Carolina Coleslaw that has been dressed with the same sauce. Serve additional sauce on the side, if desired.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Place hickory chips in center of smoker or roasting pan and top with drip tray and rack. Massage pork all over with a lot of salt and pepper. Place on rack, skin-side up. Cover with two long pieces of heavy-duty foil that have been folded together tightly at long seams. Crimp foil around edges of smoker, leaving enough space between pork and foil so smoke can circulate. Turn heat to medium and smoke for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size and your taste. Shut off heat and rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
• While pork is smoking, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk together sauce ingredients in a large bowl, season to taste and refrigerate.
• Remove foil from smoker and transfer rack and pork to a sheet pan. Place in oven. Cook for 40 minutes per pound (about 4 to 5 hours), until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the roast registers 190 degrees. Remove pork and rest until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. While still warm, pull meat away from bones. Discard skin, fat and bones, and reserve crispy browned bits of fat and crust. Working quickly on a large cutting board, shred chunks of meat, pulling it with forks or fingers into long strands. Add reserved crispy bits and chop meat roughly. Transfer to a serving bowl, season with 1/2 to 3/4 cup sauce, and mix well.

ELIZABETH KARMEL'S NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• 1. If using the rub, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Wearing rubber or plastic gloves if desired, rub this mixture into the pork shoulder on all sides, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably 8.2. Set the grill up for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium-low. If using a charcoal grill, preheat to medium-low and adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 325°F.3. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup wood chips on the coals. Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke-cook the pork shoulder until fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 195°F, 4 to 6 hours. (The cooking time will depend on the size of the piece of meat and heat of the grill.) If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side every hour, and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals, adding about 1 cup chips (1/2 cup per side) every time you replenish the coals. With gas, all you need to do is be sure that you start with a full tank of gas.4. Transfer the cooked pork roast to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. After the resting period, wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves if desired, pull off and discard any skin from the meat, then pull the pork into pieces, discarding any bones or fat. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into shreds 1 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This requires time and patience, but a human touch is needed to achieve the perfect texture. If patience isn't one of your virtues, you can finely chop the pork with a cleaver. (Many respected North Carolina barbecue joints serve chopped 'cue.) Transfer the shredded pork to a nonreactive roasting pan. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist, then cover the pan with foil and place on the grill for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.5. To serve, mound the pulled pork on the hamburger buns, and top with coleslaw. Let each person add vinegar sauce to taste.Serves 10 to 12Note: If not using the rub, generously season the pork all over with coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground black pepper you can start cooking immediately.Vinegar SauceThis peppery, piquant vinegar sauce is the preferred condiment of eastern North Carolina. In the western part of the state, the sauce becomes more tomatoey, while in southern parts of the Carolinas, mustard sauce reigns supreme.2 cups cider vinegar1 1/3 cups water1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, or more to taste5 teaspoons salt, or more to taste4 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepperCombine the vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, hot pepper flakes, and peppers in a nonreactive medium-size bowl and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Taste for seasoning, adding sugar or salt as necessary the sauce should be piquant but not quite sour.Makes about 4 cups