Best 8 Carolina Pulled Pork Inspired Hamburgers Recipes

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium low and prepare for indirect cooking: On a gas grill, preheat the grill, then turn off the center burners. On a charcoal grill, light the coals, then push to the edges of the grill, creating an open space in the middle; put a disposable aluminum drip pan in the middle of the grill under the grates.
• When the grill registers 250˚ F, place the pork on the grill grates over the cooler part. Cover the grill and cook the pork until the skin is crisp, the meat easily falls off the bone and a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork (away from the bone) registers 190˚ F to 200˚ F, 7 to 10 hours (if using charcoal, adjust the air vents and add more coals as needed so the temperature stays around 250˚ F).
• Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: Combine 1 cup water, the vinegar, hot sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, 2 1/2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let cool.
• If using a gas grill, turn off the heat and carefully transfer the pork to a cutting board. If using a charcoal grill, do this quickly, as the grease may cause the coals to catch fire. Let the pork rest at least 30 minutes, then pull the meat off the bone with tongs and a large fork; discard the bones and any large pieces of fat. Chop the crispy skin and stir into the meat. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 to 2 cups of the barbecue sauce. Serve on buns with the remaining sauce.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE PULLED PORK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix mild paprika, light brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, ground black pepper, onion powder, and salt. Rub spice mixture into the roast on all sides. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare a grill for indirect heat.
• Sprinkle a handful of soaked wood over coals, or place in the smoker box of a gas grill. Place pork butt roast on the grate over a drip pan. Cover grill, and cook pork until pork is tender and shreds easily, about 6 hours. Check hourly, adding fresh coals and hickory chips as necessary to maintain heat and smoke.
• Remove pork from heat and place on a cutting board. Allow the meat to cool approximately 15 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks. This requires patience.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and white pepper. Continue whisking until brown sugar and salt have dissolved. Place shredded pork and vinegar sauce in a large roasting pan, and stir to coat pork. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm on the grill for up to one hour until serving.

CAROLINA PULLED PORK INSPIRED HAMBURGERS

Steps:

• In a small sauce pan, fry half of the bacon pieces and the chopped onion in 1 tablespoon melted butter until the onions are golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add honey, mustard, vinegar, hot sauce and Worcestershire and simmer until the sauce thickens and slightly reduces, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• While the sauce is cooking, fry the remaining bacon pieces until crisp then drain on paper towels. In a small mixing bowl, combine both paprikas, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder and celery seeds with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• Lightly knead the ground pork with the bacon and liquid smoke (if you are using/ I didn't use) in a bowl. Loosely make 4 patties about 3/4" thick and place on a plate covered with saran wrap. Sprinkle the spice mixture on the top, bottom and sides of burger, patting it into the meat till it sticks. Brush the spice covered burgers and both sides of the bread with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
• Light your grill and brush the grate with oil once it is heated. Grill the burgers for 12 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through. Remove the burgers from direct heat and grill the bread on both sides until toasted and the grill marks appear.
• Set each burger on a toast slice and top with the shredded cabbage and a generous helping of the honey-mustard sauce. Cover with the remaining toasted bread and serve immediately, passing the extra sauce separately.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE SPICY PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• For the pork, in a small bowl, stir together the salt, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and celery seeds. Using your fingers, rub the spice mixture all over the pork to coat evenly. Place pork in a large resealable plastic bag or a covered bowl; refrigerate overnight.
• For the basting sauce, in a large saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer for 3 minutes. Let sauce cool; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Place a rack inside a large roasting pan; place the pork on the rack. Roast for 2 1/2 hours; pour half of the sauce over the pork. Bake for 1 to 2 hours more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast registers 180°F, basting pork every 30 minutes with sauce and drippings from the bottom of the pan.
• Remove pork from the oven and let stand on the rack until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, warm the remaining sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Transfer the warm pork to a cutting board and shred or chop the meat into bite-size pieces, mixing in some of the fat and skin. Transfer pork to a large bowl; add sauce to taste and mix well.
• Serve the pork on buns with Down-Home Coleslaw, passing any remaining sauce on the side.

QUICK CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Mix together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, dry mustard, granulated garlic, cayenne and 2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Rub the pork all over with the spice mixture.
• Heat an electric multi-cooker on the browning or sear function. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the pork and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Pour in the apple juice and 1/4 cup of the cider vinegar. Cover, lock the lid, and set the multi-cooker to High Pressure; cook for 40 to 45 minutes. Release the steam according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Remove the pork to a rimmed baking sheet or large plate and tent with foil; let cool slightly. Skim off any excess fat that has risen to the top of the braising liquid, then stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cider vinegar and the ketchup. Pass some of the sauce through a strainer into a serving vessel or cruet.
• With two forks, pull the pork into shreds, discarding any large pieces of fat. Add the pork back to the remaining sauce in the multi-cooker and keep warm.
• Serve the pulled pork on rolls, topped with Cider Vinegar Slaw. Pass the extra sauce on the side.
• Whisk together the vinegar, ketchup, sugar, celery seeds, hot sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the oil to make a smooth dressing.
• Add the cabbage and red onions to the dressing, and toss well. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes to wilt the cabbage slightly. (The slaw can also be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.)
• Sprinkle the slaw with the parsley; toss and serve.

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• 1. If using the rub, combine the mild paprika, brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, pepper, onion powder, and salt in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Wearing rubber or plastic gloves if desired, rub the spice mixture onto the pork shoulder on all sides, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, preferably 8.
• If not using the rub, generously season the pork all over with coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground black pepper; you can start cooking immediately.
• 2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a drip pan in the center.
• If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.
• If using a charcoal grill, preheat the grill to medium-low and adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 300°F.
• 3. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup of the wood chips on the coals. Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the pork shoulder until fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 195°F, 4 to 6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the pork roast and the heat of the grill). If using charcoal, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 1/2 cup per side every time you replenish the coals. With gas, all you need to do is be sure that you start with a full tank of gas. If the pork begins to brown too much, drape a piece of aluminum foil loosely over it or lower the heat.
• 4. Transfer the pork roast to a cutting board, loosely tent it with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• 5. Wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves if desired, pull off and discard any skin from the meat, then pull the pork into pieces, discarding any bones or fat. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into shreds 1 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This requires time and patience, but a human touch is needed to achieve the perfect texture. If patience isn't one of your virtues, you can finely chop the pork with a cleaver (many respected North Carolina barbecue joints serve chopped 'cue). Transfer the shredded pork to a nonreactive roasting pan. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist, then cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it on the grill for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.
• 6. To serve, mound the pulled pork on the hamburger buns and top with coleslaw. Let each person add more vinegar sauce to taste.

CAROLINA STYLE PULLED PORK SANDWICH

Steps:

• The Meat --.
• Place the quartered onions in a crock pot.
• Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper: rub over the roast.
• Place the roast over the onions in the crock pot.
• Combine the vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt and cayenne; stir to mix well.
• Drizzle about 1/2 of the vinegar mixture over the roast and cover. Refrigerate the remaining vinegar mixture.
• Cook on low for 8 hours. Drizzle the other half of the vinegar mixture over the roast during the last 1/2 hour of cooking.
• While the meat is cooking, prepare the barbecue sauce. Mix all ingredients except soy sauce, butter and smoke. Simmer, uncovered, on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, for 10 more minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Remove the meat from the crock pot and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. (Very important step -- longer is better).
• Remove the onions and chop to a fine consistency.
• Pull apart the meat with a couple of forks. Meat should have a shredded look to it.
• Mix chopped onions and shredded pork along with a little bit of juice from the crock pot to taste. Add sufficient barbecue sauce to the mixture to achieve desired taste. Meat should have distinctive barbecue flavor.
• To serve, spread barbecue sauce on bottom of a hearty bun.
• Put layer of pulled pork on bun. Spread barbecue sauce over meat.
• Add layer of your favorite cole slaw on top of meat. Layer some more barbecue sauce over cole slaw.
• Spread top of bun with more sauce.
• Grab a fist full of napkins, and enjoy.

CAROLINA PULLED-PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Make dry rub:
• Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend.
• Place pork, fat side up, on work surface. Cut each piece lengthwise in half. Place on large baking sheet. Sprinkle dry rub all over pork; press into pork. Cover with plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Make mop:
• Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• Following manufacturer's instructions and using lump charcoal and 1/2 cup drained wood chips for smoker or 1 cup for barbecue, start fire and bring temperature of smoker or barbecue to 225°F. to 250°F. Place pork on rack in smoker or barbecue. Cover; cook until meat thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 165°F., turning pork and brushing with cold mop every 45 minutes, about 6 hours total. Add more charcoal as needed to maintain 225°F. to 250°F. temperature and more drained wood chips (1/2 cup for smoker or 1 cup for barbecue with each addition) to maintain smoke level.
• Transfer pork to clean rimmed baking sheet. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred into bite-size pieces. Mound on platter. Pour any juices from sheet over pork. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer pork and any juices to baking dish. Cover with foil; chill. Before continuing, rewarm pork, covered, in 350°°F. oven about 30 minutes.)
• Divide pork among bottoms of buns. Drizzle lightly with barbecue sauce. Top with coleslaw. Cover with tops of buns.