Joe’s North Carolina Pulled Pork

A delicious North Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich served on a soft bun, topped with fresh coleslaw made from shredded cabbage, carrots, and purple cabbage. The sandwich is presented in a rustic wooden tray lined with red and white checkered paper, highlighting its classic Southern charm.

Get ready for true North Carolina-style pulled pork—slow-smoked, rich in flavor, and coated in a vinegar-based sauce with the perfect balance of tang, heat, and sweetness. Hickory wood chips infuse the pork with deep, smoky goodness, while a dry rub adds layers of savory, slightly spicy flavor. Though this recipe takes time, the result is tender, juicy, fall-apart pulled pork that’s perfect for sandwiches, sliders, or serving with classic BBQ sides.

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Serving Size: 8
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Ingredients

  • 8 pounds pork butt roast
  • 1 Tbl mild paprika
  • 2 tsp light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp hot paprika
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 5/8 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 5 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 2 pounds hickory wood chips, soaked

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Rub spice mixture into the roast on all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
  3. 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 at least 6 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 195° F (200° C).
  4. Check hourly, adding fresh coals and hickory chips as necessary to maintain heat and smoke.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

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