Carolina-Style Pulled Pork
As a part of trying to slow down and spend more "us time" this new year, Shannon and I have been trying to keep at least one day of the weekend relatively free from obligations. In doing so we've been making dinners that our normally busy schedules wouldn't allow.
Yesterday it was Carolina-style pulled pork. Now real BBQ takes time, you just can't rush it and get the same quality. This particular dish took about two days to complete, but was so worth it in the end.
Day 1: Grab yourself a nice hunk of pork butt (I used a 5 pounder). Apply a generous amount of dry rub to the outside and into any crevasses you come across. There are a million different recipes for dry rubs on the web, but I can't tell you mine... it's a secret ;) Once the piggy has been rubbed down put 'er in a baking dish, cover with foil and let sit overnight in the fridge.
On day 1 you're also going to want to start your BBQ sauce. Carolina-Style means it's a vinegar based sauce, not a tomato based sauce. I happen to like Carolina-Style better, but thats just personal preference. The sauce is pretty simple
to throw together but you'll want the flavors to mingle at least overnight. For my sauce I used a mixture of white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Throw it all in a sauce pan, and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Just don't breathe in the fumes unless you want to go into an uncontrollable sneezing fit. :)
Day 2: The theme of today is low n' slow. If you have the means to smoke the pork in a smoker or grill, then obviously go for it! Applewood chips soaked in water for 30mins = awesomeness. About 4-6 hours at 250/300 degrees will do the trick.
You can also do this in the oven. Omit the wood chips and bake the pork (covered in foil) for about 4 hours on 350. There's no smoky flavor from the wood chips but it's still damn tasty!
Once the piggy is done, remove any bone/connective tissue and shred with a fork. Splash on your desired amount of sauce and enjoy!
If you're going to make sandwiches, don't get fancy with the bread/roll. I'm generally no advocate for white bread/hamburger rolls, but in this instance it works the best. Remember, it's only used as a transporting vessel to get that delicious pork into your belly!