Carolina Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

Updated: July 31, 2014
Originally Published July 31, 2012

There's nothin in the world like a good ol' southern pig pickin'. It's something quite common down in North Carolina. My husband and I had one at our wedding reception 14 years ago as did my cousin who got married a couple years ago. It's nothin' fancy, just some down home cookin'.  So I decided it was time to make my own version of Carolina BBQ. Typically a pig (or two) are slow roasted in a large barrel cooker, which looks like an oil drum, for hours and hours. Then, after the pork is pulled it is served with some famous Carolina barbeque sauce which typically is apple cider vinegar and red pepper flakes and a few other spices. There are a million and one versions but they all have to have that vinegar as the base. It's what makes Eastern Carolina Barbeque different. Nope, it's not sweet like Memphis Que, but has some tang and spice. Don't get me wrong..I love me some molasses-based barbeque sauce...(like my JD Barbecue Sauce) I can eat that with most anything, including potato chips. BUT, Carolina BBQ is what I was raised on and though both are good I cannot choose my favorite because they are so different. I love them both! So anyway..I was on a mission to create a delicious Pig Pickin for my Princess's third birthday party complete with barbecue, cornbread, potato salad, baked beans (I cheated and used Bush's) and cole slaw . Well, I don't know about you, but up here in PA I don't have a barrel smoker sittin' in my backyard thank you very much. PLUS, who has the time? Seriously? Not me, that's for sure! So instead I tried to adapt my Jack Daniels Memphis style Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe to a Carolina Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. Okay, now I'm going to tell you the secret in the sauce...because, if you're gonna cheat, there HAS to be a trick somewhere. The trick here is to use.....drumroll please......

                       .........Liquid Hickory Smoke. Yep, they bottle smoke. Who knew? It'sbasically water that has had smoke pass through it, then it's bottled. I can usually find liquid smoke in my grocery store. It's the key to giving the pork that smokey flavor. I know, I'm a cheat...but so what?! It tastes amazing and is less hassle! Seriously, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about Caroline Pulled Pork. Sigh....luckily I was down south a few weeks ago and got some straight from my old stompin ground...and it was delicious! I think I smell some pulled pork in my near future.


SO..without further adieu...here's my tasty recipe. I love it! Hope you do too! It's got a little kick to it, but what do you expect when it calls for red pepper flakes? :)

Ingredients:

Rub:

1 T. Chili Powder

1 T. Salt

1 T. Onion Powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

5lb shoulder roast or picnic roast

1 T. Liquid Hickory Smoke

3 cups divided Carolina Barbecue Sauce

BTW: Make the barbecue sauce the day before! 

1. Preheat a skillet over medium high heat. Then mix spices together then rub all over the pork. Sear the roast on all sides. This will give it a little more flavor and since we are slow cooking, we need to cheat as much as possible. :)

2. Flipping the roast can be tricky because it is pretty heavy so I used some tongs and a big spatula. Just be careful because it's pretty hot.

3. Next, place in the slow cooker and add 1 cup of barbecue sauce along with 1 tablespoon of liquid hickory smoke. Place the lid on and cook over night on low. (8 hours) 

4. Remove roast to a separate dish to cool slightly.

5. Using two forks at first, shred the pork. Once it is cool enough to handle then definitely use your fingers to pull the pork. You have a better feel of what is fat and what isn't that way and it is much easier too.

6. Pour the drippings into a separate bowl. 

7. Skim the fat off the top and discard. Reserve 2 cups of juices and add 2 cups of the barbecue sauce.

8. Place pulled pork back in the slow cooker and pour in the sauce mixture. Cook on low for 3 hours. You can cook longer, it really doesn't hurt anything. I cooked mine for 6 hours.

 

9. Here y'all go! Doesn't that look amazing?? You can serve it up just on a plate with some fixins like cornbread, potato salad and cole slaw on the side. OR you can serve it on a bun. Just make sure to pour some of the Carolina Barbecue Sauce over it before you dig in either way. Oh, and it ain't right if you don't put the slaw ON the sandwich. You gotta do it up Carolina style! The combo of textures with the sweet and the tang is what makes this sandwich most incredible. Just try it! No whining :)

I got a ketchup and mustard container set from Walmart for less than 2 bucks. I'd suggest cutting off the tip to make the spout a little larger. Have this filled with the sauce to make it easier for guests to pour sauce on the pork.

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Carolina Barbecue Sauce

This sauce is amazing on Carolina pulled pork! It's got a little kick but it's not overpowering...and definitely has that tang that Carolina BBQ is famous for. Hope y'all enjoy!

Ingredients

3 cups apple cider vinegar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 T. red pepper flakes

2 T. brown sugar

3 T. hot sauce (preferably Texas Pete)

1 tsp. black pepper

2 T. liquid hickory smoke

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

All you have to do is mix it all together and store it. Be sure and make it at least 24 hours ahead of time to let the flavors blend. I poured it in these mustard and ketchup containers from Walmart for under two dollars to make it easier for people to squirt the sauce on the barbecue.

Enjoy!

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Click Here to get the recipe for Carolina Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ

Okay, so I LOVE this recipe for pulled pork. I can't remember where exactly I got the rub recipe,  but it's so delicious. And, of course, I use my own Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce (though you can use your favorite) with this. It's super simple. You just make the rub and put it in the slow cooker before bed, and then 'pull' the pork in the AM and let it cook on low. Hope you love this as much as I do.

Ingredients:

2 T. chili powder

1 T. onion powder

1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

5 lb boneless pork butt, shoulder, or picnic

2 cups BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Mix together all of the spices and rub all over the pork.

Place in a larger slow cooker, add 1/2 cup water and put the lid on. Cook on low for 10 hours. I usually will put it in at 9pm and the next morning at 7am I will pull the pork.

Remove pork from the slow cooker and set aside to cool.

There will be a lot of juices left. Strain (if desired) or pour liquid into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Using two forks while the pork is hot (and switching to your fingers once it's cool enough to handle) 'pull' or shred the pork. Discard the skin and any fat. They always say that the best tools for the kitchen are the ones God gave ya, your hands. I completely agree. When you use your fingers to pull the pork, you can feel the fat much better because of the texture. Just pull all the meat off the bone and discard the waste. Place the pulled pork back in the slow cooker.

Skim the fat off the top of the juices. My mother in law told me that a trick her mother in law used was to put the juices in the freezer as your are working on other parts of the meal. The fat will harden on the top making it easier to scoop out. I haven't tried this yet, mainly because I forget about it till I'm already skimming the fat :-/, but one day I'll let you know how it turns out.

Mix in the two cups of BBQ sauce with the juices.

Pour mixture over pork and toss to coat. Replace the lid and cook on low for 2 hours. (I've let mine cook longer and it's done fine)

Next, serve it on a plate with a side of coleslaw OR make sandwiches with coleslaw on top. Let me tell ya, these are AMAZING! Just try it...and don't forget to put the slaw ON the sandwich. Enjoy!

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**A Storage Tip**

I use this method for SO many things. It works so great! Just portion the pork into individual servings in plastic disposable cups. Place into freezer until frozen. Cut three slits in the cup with some kitchen shears and pull the cup away. Toss into your plastic recycling. Place the frozen individual blocks into a large gallon freezer bag. To heat, just put on a microwave safe dish and microwave for 2-3.5 minutes, stopping halfway to break it up and stir.

Jack Daniels Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce

Okay, so seriously, I love barbecue sauce. BUT, I'm a little picky. None of the bottled sauces seem to taste as good as the ones you find in restaurants. SO, I tried out quite a few recipes... Now growing up in NC I had quite a bit of NC barbecue which is mostly vinegar based. Though I do love NC barbecue, there's just something about a sweet and spicy molasses based barbecue. I guess it is more like Memphis barbecue sauce. So after trying many different recipes and adjusting them to my liking..here's what I came up with:

1 T. Butter
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 T. Jack Daniels Whiskey
3/4 cup Ketchup
1/8 cup Texas Pete
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 T. prepared yellow mustard
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. liquid hickory smoke
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
dash cayenne pepper
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

In a saucepan, slowly saute the chopped onion in butter until soft and just beginning to turn translucent. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat down  and simmer for 30 minutes. I usually pour in a mason jar. I actually doubled this recipe and it fit perfectly into a quart size jar. I use this recipe for my Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork too. (recipe to come later) I have also used the recipe for homemade potato chips (something I got from Famous Dave's) and it is soo delicious! Enjoy!

P.S. This is one of those items I make sure I always have on hand. It stays in my fridge and when I'm out I just make some more :) You never know when you want some bbq dipping sauce...

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