Join us!  Sign in   

North Carolina Pulled Pork

Ham or pork hocks are available smoked and cured or just smoked. Although either will work in this recipe, smoked and cured hocks (which are deep red) will provide the best flavor. We prefer to use Boston butt for this recipe, but a picnic roast can be used instead. You will need a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Don't be tempted to speed up the process by turning the cooker to the high setting--the pork will have a decidedly boiled texture. Serve the pork piled high on white bread or hamburger buns, with plenty of coleslaw and pickle chips on top. To warm up leftovers, add 1 tablespoon water for every cup of pork and heat in a large skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through.

Yield: 8 Ready in 9 hours

Cuisine: American-SouthMain Ingredient: Pork

(5, 1) 100% would make again (reviews)

Favorite 15 people favorited
Try Soon21 people trying soon

Add a photo of this recipe...
(You could win $100 in our photo contest!)
  Snap a photo, digitize a written recipe!  Try RecipeScan - you'll be amazed.

         
Original recipe makes 8
Spice; Rub
4 tablespoonsPaprika
3 tablespoonsdark brown sugar
2 tablespoonsChili Powder
1 tablespoonGround cumin
1 tablespoonBlack Pepper; ground
2 teaspoonstable salt
Pork
3 smoked ham hocks
1 boneless pork butt; (Boston butt) , 5 to 6 pounds, prepared as shown in photos 1 and
2 cupslow-sodium chicken broth
Sauce
1 cupCider vinegar
3/4 cupKetchup
1 1/2 teaspoonshickory or mesquite liquid smoke
Table; salt and ground black pepper
Tabasco; sauce for serving

North Carolina Pulled Pork Preparation

For the spice rub:

1. In small bowl, combine paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt.

For the pork:

2. Place ham hocks in bottom of slow-cooker insert. Set aside. Following photo 3 on page 10, thoroughly coat pork butt with spice rub. Following photo 4, reshape pork butt and place on top of ham hocks, tucking meat down into slow cooker as far as possible. Cover insert with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next morning, discard plastic wrap and set slow-cooker base. Pour chicken broth over pork, cover with lid, and cook on low until pork is very tender, 8 to 10 hours.

4. Using 2 large spoons, carefully transfer pork butt and ham hocks to rimmed baking sheet. Using two forks, separate pork butt into large chunks. Set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred pork butt and ham hocks, discarding excess fat from both as well as small bones from ham hocks.

For the sauce:

5. While pork is cooling, pour cooking liquid through strainer into medium saucepan. (You should have 5 to 6 cups.) Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, 30 to 40 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, ketchup, and brown sugar, and simmer for 1 minute. Off heat, stir in liquid smoke. (You will have about 3 cups.)

6. Pour 1 1/2 cups sauce over meat, tossing to combine, and let stand until meat has absorbed most of sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing remaining sauce and Tabasco separately.

Make Ahead

If you?re worried about getting home in time to check on your slow cooker, start the pulled pork before going to bed. In the morning (if the intoxicating barbecue aroma doesn?t wake you earlier), transfer the meat and liquid to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to proceed (up to three days). To finish the recipe, remove the solidified fat on top of the cooking liquid, transfer the defatted liquid and pork to a Dutch oven, and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through. Proceed with the recipe from step 4.

Link to another BigOven recipe

Add a link to another recipe! What would you serve with this?

Calories Per Serving: 2153
Want detailed nutrition information, including line-by-line nutrition insights?  Try BigOven Pro for Free for 14 days!
Ads keep BigOven free. Remove ads with BigOven Pro
Date My private notes
Add notes with BigOven Pro!
Ads keep BigOven free. Remove ads anywhere you log in with BigOven Pro

You may also enjoy


North Carolina Pulled Pork Reviews

Give it a rating Would you make it again?   [please sign in to add your comment]

[I posted this recipe.]
3 years, 3 weeks, 3 days, 6 hours, 23 minutes ago

Tags

  1. Picnics
  2. Slow cook
  3. Sandwiches
  4. Main Dish
  5. Pork
  6. American-South

Blogger? Grab a link to this recipe


Link type:     

Want a link to this recipe? Just copy the text below and paste it into your blog:


here's how it will appear in your blog:

×

Share
Recipe added by



Hi there! Please sign in first.

BigOven needs to know who you are in order to keep your recipes, grocery list and menu plan, and sync it with your smartphone or tablet.

Not yet a BigOven member? Join us, save time and money!

×

Ready? Let's get cooking.