Pulled Pork (North Carolina)

We all owe North Carolina a debt of gratitude for creating pulled pork. This slow-cooked recipe is most often made with a sweet barbecue sauce, often served on sandwiches or rolls. In recent years, many people have tried to recreate their own pulled pork recipes in slow-cookers, but locals swear you can only get the real thing in North Carolina. This recipe should be started 2 days ahead of time as you need 24 hours in the fridge, 12-14 in the oven and 2 hours of resting.

1 (5-8 lb) pork butt, bone-in and fat pad on top

Brine:
4 cups water
4 cups apple cider
½ cup sea salt
½ cup dark brown sugar
3 heaping Tbsp. dry rub
2 bay leaves
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Dry Rub:
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 heaping Tbsp. ground smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1½ Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
2 tsp. ground cayenne powder
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
½ cup dark brown sugar

Vinegar Sauce:
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup white vinegar
¼-⅓ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. chili powder
2 pinches red pepper flakes
sea salt

To Serve:
brioche or hamburger buns

Dry Rub:
Mix all of the ingredients together in a ziploc bag. Set aside.

Brine:
In a large stock pot, add the water, apple cider, sea salt, sugar, 3 Tbsp. dry rub, pepper flakes and bay leaves. Rinse off the pork and add to the pot making sure it is completely covered in the brine and add the lid. Place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

Vinegar Sauce:
In a glass jar, add the ingredients and place the lid on then shake to combine. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 225°F (105°C).

Remove the pork from the brine and place in a roasting dish or 9x13" baking pan as long as the sides don’t touch the pan. Pat very dry with paper towels.

Remove 2 Tbsp. of the dry rub to another ziploc and set aside for after it is cooked. Rub the remaining seasoning all over the pork and in any cracks or flaps.

With the fat facing up, place the pork in the oven with a meat thermometer.

Bake for 12-14 hours or until 200°F registers on the thickest part of the pork with a meat thermometer.

At this point you can turn off the oven and leave the pork in there to rest for two hours or if you have more baking to do place foil over the meat and allow to rest on the stove.

Once the meat has rested, remove the fat from the top and using two forks, shred the meat and remove the bone.

Drain half of the juices out and add the remaining dry rub to taste, toss to coat and drizzle a little vinegar sauce over everything.

Serve immediately as is or on buns.

Makes 8-10 servings.