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North Carolina Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "In the Kitchen with David" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"I'm a born and bred Tar Heel, a true son of North Carolina. When we Tar Heels talk about barbecue, we mean pork butt rubbed with spices, then *slooooowly* roasted at a low temperature for hours. When the tender meat can be easily pulled apart with just the touch of a fork, it's done. Then, the meat is tossed with a savory, not sweet, vinegary barbecue sauce with a touch of heat. The dressed pork is then piled on a bun and topped with a heaping helping of tangy coleslaw, and extra sauce is passed in squirt bottles at the table."

List of Ingredients

Rub:
â—¦ 2 teaspoons paprika
â—¦ 2 teaspoons brown sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon onion powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dry mustard
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

â—¦ 4 to 5 pounds pork butt

Sauce:
â—¦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ â…“ cup ketchup
â—¦ 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
â—¦ 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
â—¦ 2 tablespoons honey
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 2 teaspoons chili powder
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 cup apple cider vinegar
â—¦ ¼ cup red wine vinegar

â—¦ 8 hamburger buns


Recipe

To make the rub, combine the paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork butt. Put the pork in a roasting pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 275° F.

Remove the plastic wrap and roast the pork for 5 to 6 hours.
The pork is done when it's so tender that it can be easily shredded with a fork.

To make the sauce, combine the butter, ketchup, jalapeños, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the cider vinegar and red wine vinegar, and set aside to cool.

Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Using two forks, shred the pork into small pieces. Add the meat to the sauce and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to absorb the sauce. Gently reheat the meat and sauce until warm. Serve the shredded pork on the buns and pass extra sauce.

Makes 6 to 8 servings