North Carolina Style Smoked Boston Butt 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.

CAROLINA SMOKED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat smoker to 250 F. Place pork butt in the center of the cooking grate, fat-side down. Cover and smoke 8 hours, undisturbed. Check smoker temperature hourly; add charcoal and use vents as needed to maintain a temperature of 250 F through the duration of cooking.
• Make Carolina BBQ Sauce: In a mixing bowl combine sugar, black pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper, and hot sauce to make a paste. Add the Sweet BBQ Pit Sauce, followed by vinegar; stir well to combine. The final consistency should be quite fluid, rather than thick. Makes about 2 cups of Carolina BBQ Sauce. (Store in a covered container at room temperature for several months.)
• Check for doneness by placing a digital thermometer into the center of the pork, avoiding contact with the bone. Temperature should register 170 F. Use heat-proof gloves to remove pork to a large cutting board on a flat work surface. Chop the pork: As you chop, the pork will cool, so plan on doing this as the last step before serving. The meat should be tender and falling apart. Pull the bone out of the meat: it should come away smoothly, with no meat clinging to it. Discard bone. Pick through the meat and set aside any bits that you don't want to include in the final dish, such as the barky exterior or excess fat. (You may opt to include everything: Pitmaster Jones says the final mix is up to you!)
• Using one cleaver, begin to chop the meat, using your free hand to carefully steady the pork butt. When the meat is in large chunks, use both cleavers at the same time to finish chopping. Use the cleavers to toss the meat on the board as you go; repeat the chopping-tossing process until the meat is bite-size and well mixed. Drizzle a small amount of Carolina BBQ Sauce on top of the meat; continue chopping and stirring to combine. Add more sauce to taste: the goal is to lightly complement the smoky flavor of the pork without overwhelming it. Makes about 7 lbs chopped pork. (Sam Jones's serving suggestion: Cool leftover pork in the fridge, then serve as a sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise.)

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.

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE

Steps:

• Add hickory, oak, and maple chunks or chips to your smoker. Refer to the directions for your smoker to determine the correct amount of chips for the meat and for lighting instructions. When the chips are ready, add the pork and smoke it for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 250 degrees F. Remove the pork and wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• Cook the pork for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart when the bone is removed. Chop the pork coarsely and mix in salt and barbecue sauce, to taste. Serve with more barbecue sauce on the side.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, red pepper, garlic, and salt over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes and then remove from the heat. Let cool then add the black pepper.

NORTH CAROLINA STYLE SMOKED BOSTON BUTT

Steps:

• THE PREP WORD.
• 1 - Mix all these ingredients together as the rub for your smoked Boston Butt. This will store for weeks in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
• 2 - Apply a thin coat of mustard to the butt. You can use the cheap stuff or if you like it a little more tangy, use dijon mustard. The mustard provides some flavor, but also provides a base for the rub to stick to.
• 3 - Generously rub your butt with the rub recipe above. Wrap it up and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator to allow the spices to penetrate the meat.
• 4 - Buy a cheap spray bottle and fill it with Apple Juice and olive oil. You will spray the Boston Butt during cooking with apple juice to add flavor and to keep it moist as you cook. I recommend the dollar tree because the spray bottle will be done after this and you can buy a new one for $1.00.
• COOKING.
• 1 - Heat your BBQ to 225F degrees and put your butt on the grill. Indirect heat works the best and add your favorite soaked wood chips to add the smoked flavor.
• 2 - Plan on cooking the smoked Boston Butt about 60-90 minutes for every pound in the roast.
• 3 - Every 2 1/2 hours, open it up and turn the roast to ensure even cooking. Use the Spray bottle to spray your roast with combination of apple juice and olive oil to keep it moist.
• 4 - The meat is done when the internal temperature is above 190F degrees. The lower you keep the temperature, the more moist the meat will be.
• 5 - Don't be afraid to start early because it can take longer than expected. If it gets done early, you can always wrap it in foil and put it in a cooler. It will keep warm for hours after it is done. At least let the smoked Boston Butt sit for about an hour after you take it off the grill so you don't burn your fingers as you pull the meat.
• 6 - Serve with your favorite sides, salads, and drinks.
• You may consider cooking 2-3 smoked Boston Butts as your whole neighborhood will be stopping by to check what is cooking because of smells that will have tempted them all day long.
• Enjoy this recipe! Let us know what other recipes or tips you have for cooking the ultimate Smoked Boston Butt!

CAROLINA-STYLE PORK BARBECUE

Steps:

• Cut roast into quarters. Mix brown sugar, salt, paprika and pepper; rub over meat. Place meat and onions in a 5-qt. slow cooker., In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and seasonings; pour over roast. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender., Remove roast; cool slightly. Reserve 1-1/2 cups cooking juices; discard remaining juices. Skim fat from reserved juices. Shred pork with two forks. Return pork and reserved juices to slow cooker; heat through. Serve on buns with coleslaw.

JIMMY'S SMOKED BOSTON BUTT

Steps:

• 1. PORK RUB: Combine all spice ingredients; rub on pork. Wrap pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. NOTE: this makes more rub than what's needed for this pork butt. Store in air tight container for furture use. I always have a container full and ready.
• 2. Prepare smoker with charcoal and add soaked hickory chips (or your favorite soaked wood chips) to top of hot coals. Heat should be about 250 degrees. You will cook/smoke 60 to 90 minutes per lb or until internal heat reaches 190 degrees on themometer. Add charcoal as needed to maintain steady heat.
• 3. Every hour or hour and 1/2, open smoker and turn meat to ensure even cooking. Mop your roast with combination of beer and butter to keep it moist. NOTE: If you don't care to use beer, you could substitute with apple juice. Once done, remove from smoker, wrap in foil and allow it to rest about 1 hour.

SMOKED BOSTON BUTT WITH CAROLINA VINEGAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Smoked Boston Butt:.
• Soak mesquite wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat smoker to 225 - 250 degrees. Sprinkle soaked wood chips over coals.
• In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, paprika, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper. Spread mixture over all sides of roast. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Place roast in smoker. Cook, covered with smoker lid, until meat is very tender, 11-12 hours. Remove from smoker, and let stand for 30 minutes. Shred roast, discarding fat and bone. Serve with Carolina Vinegar Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce.
• Carolina Vinegar Sauce.
• In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper, salt, black pepper, hot sauce, and smoked paprika. Cover, and refrigerate for up to five days.

SLOW-SMOKED PULLED PORK (BOSTON BUTT)

Steps:

• Mix brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, seasoned salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl to make dry rub.
• Coat roast with spicy brown mustard. Sprinkle dry rub all over roast and work it into all the folds and creases.
• Combine pickle juice and olive oil in a small bowl.
• Preheat 5 pounds charcoal in a smoker according to manufacturer's instructions until white and flaming. Distribute 7 to 8 large wood chunks over the coals. Place a drip pan on top; pour in beer and enough water to fill the pan most of the way. Close smoker; bring liquid in the drip pan to a boil. Place roast on top and close smoker.
• Smoke roast, turning every hour, until browned, about 2 hours. Baste roast with pickle juice and olive mixture. Continue smoking, turning and basting every hour, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 175 degrees F (80 degrees C), 2 to 3 hours more.
• Remove roast from smoker and wrap with aluminum foil. Let rest, about 30 minutes.
• Uncover roast and cut into chunks. Shred chunks into small strands; transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze strands with both hands repeatedly, mixing after each squeeze.