North Carolina Barbecue Pork
SERVES 8 TO 10
Ingredients:
NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE PORK
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1½ tablespoons pepper
1 (6-pound) bone-in pork butt roast, with ¼-inch fat cap
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum pan
4 (3-inch) wood chunks
1 recipe Lexington-Style Barbecue Sauce or Eastern North Carolina–Style Barbecue Sauce
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE
1½ cups cider vinegar
1 cup Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
LEXINGTON-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons pepper
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. FOR NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE PORK: Combine salt and pepper in bowl. Place pork on large sheet of plastic wrap and sprinkle all over with salt mixture. Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
2. Open bottom grill vent completely. Set up charcoal snake: Arrange 60 briquettes, 2 briquettes wide, around perimeter of grill, overlapping slightly so briquettes are touching, leaving 6-inch gap between ends of snake. Place second layer of 60 briquettes, also 2 briquettes wide, on top of first. (Completed snake should be 2 briquettes wide by 2 briquettes high.)
3. Starting 4 inches from 1 end of snake, evenly space wood chunks on top of snake. Place disposable pan in center of grill so short end of pan runs parallel to gap in snake. Fill pan with 4 cups water.
4. Light chimney starter filled with 15 briquettes. When coals are partially covered with ash, pour over 1 end of snake. Make sure lit coals touch only 1 end of snake. Use tongs if necessary to move any coals that touch other end of snake.
5. Set cooking grate in place. Clean and oil cooking grate. Unwrap pork and position fat side down over water pan. Insert temperature probe into thickest part of pork. Cover grill, positioning lid vent over gap in snake, and open lid vent completely. Cook, without opening grill, until pork registers 170 degrees, 4 to 5 hours.
6. Place 2 large sheets of aluminum foil on rimmed baking sheet. Remove probe from pork. Using oven mitts, lift pork and transfer to center of 1 sheet of foil, fat side down. Wrap tightly with first sheet of foil, minimizing air pockets between foil and pork. Wrap with second sheet of foil. (Use additional foil, if necessary, to completely wrap pork.) Foil wrap should be airtight. Make small mark on foil with marker to keep track of fat side.
7. Remove cooking grate. Starting at still-unlit end of snake, pour 2 quarts unlit briquettes about one-third of way around perimeter of grill over gap in snake and spent coals. Replace cooking grate. Return wrapped pork to grill over water pan, fat side down. Reinsert probe into thickest part of pork. Cover grill and continue to cook until pork registers 200 degrees, 1 to 1 ½ hours longer.
8. Remove probe. Transfer pork to carving board, fat side up, and let rest in foil for 1½ hours. Remove bone from pork. For Lexington style, chop pork with cleaver into 1-inch pieces. For eastern North Carolina style, chop pork into ¼-inch pieces. Toss with ⅔ cup sauce. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
9. FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.
10. FOR LEXINGTON-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE: Combine all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer sauce to bowl and let cool completely.
About this recipe:
NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE PORK: We developed this recipe using a 22‑inch Weber kettle grill. Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. Plan ahead: The pork butt must be seasoned at least 18 hours before it is cooked. Our Lexington-Style Barbecue Sauce is tangy and salty and our Eastern North Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce is tangy and spicy. We like to top the sandwiches with Carolina Red Slaw & Spicy Barbecue Slaw.
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE:
Makes about 2½ cups. This sauce is meant to be tangy and spicy to balance the rich smoked pork. One 12-ounce bottle of Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce will yield more than enough for this recipe.
LEXINGTON-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes about 2½ cups. This sauce is meant to be tangy and salty to balance the rich smoked pork.
Recipes provided by Cook's Country; used with permission.
You can watch past episodes of Cook's Country on WSKG Passport.
For more information about WSKG Passport, please visit our support page.
To see other recipes from Cook's Country and other shows, visit our Food page..