Pulled pork is the quintessential barbeque dish. Every state, region and city in the south has its own interpretation of the ultimate pulled pork. In my opinion, it’s Eastern North Carolina that has the best version. The pork is coated in a dry rub, then basted in a sauce made from beer and vinegar then finished with a sweet and spicy vinegar-based sauce. The sauce is very lightly flavoured, and puts the focus on complimenting the natural rich flavours of the pork.
This is where I have to acknowledge that my method is not traditional. I don’t own a grill or smoker so I use the oven. The oven still gets good results, you get even heat distribution that is stable and ensures the pork is cooked all the way through.
Once pulled, the pork is best served immediately, I suggest serving alongside coleslaw or potato salad to balance out the heavy vinegar.
Eastern North Carolina Style Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3-3.5 Kg Pork shoulder preferably bone in
Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
Basting Ingredients
- 1 cup lager
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
Finishing Sauce
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 130°C. Use a paring knife to remove the skin from the pork and trim away the thick fat. Mix the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl and use to coat the pork generously.
- In a separate bowl, combine the basting ingredients and mix well. Transfer the pork to a wire rack over a roasting pan. Place into prepared oven and bake for 7 hours. Baste generously each hour.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the finishing sauce. Use two forks to shred the pork then toss in the finishing sauce before serving.