Best 6 Easy North Carolina Barbeque Recipes

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In the realm of culinary delights, North Carolina barbeque stands as a shining beacon of smoky, tangy, and downright deliciousness. This regional treasure, born from the rich tapestry of cultures that call the Tar Heel State home, has captivated taste buds for generations. In this article, we present a delectable journey through the world of North Carolina barbeque, offering a collection of recipes that capture the essence of this iconic dish. From the classic Eastern-style pulled pork, renowned for its vinegar-based sauce, to the robust Western-style Lexington-style barbecue, known for its tomato-based sauce, these recipes will tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the heart of North Carolina's barbeque legacy.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

CAROLINA-STYLE PORK BARBECUE



Carolina-Style Pork Barbecue image

I am originally from North Carolina (where swine is divine) and this recipe for the slow cooker is a family favorite. My husband swears my authentic Carolina 'cue is the best BBQ he has ever eaten! -Kathryn Ransom Williams, Sparks, Nevada

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Time 6h30m

Yield 14 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (4 to 5 pounds)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, quartered
3/4 cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
14 hamburger buns, split
1-3/4 pounds deli coleslaw

Steps:

  • Cut roast into quarters. Mix brown sugar, salt, paprika and pepper; rub over meat. Place meat and onions in a 5-qt. slow cooker., In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and seasonings; pour over roast. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender., Remove roast; cool slightly. Reserve 1-1/2 cups cooking juices; discard remaining juices. Skim fat from reserved juices. Shred pork with two forks. Return pork and reserved juices to slow cooker; heat through. Serve on buns with coleslaw.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 453 calories, Fat 22g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 85mg cholesterol, Sodium 889mg sodium, Carbohydrate 35g carbohydrate (14g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 27g protein.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE BBQ SAUCE



North Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce image

Blending two vinegars helps re-create the BBQ sauce we love from my mother's North Carolina roots. - Gloria McKinley, Lakeland, Florida

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 25m

Yield 1-2/3 cups.

Number Of Ingredients 8

2/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Steps:

  • In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until flavors are blended.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 26 calories, Fat 0 fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 179mg sodium, Carbohydrate 6g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 0 protein. Diabetic Exchanges

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED-PORK BARBECUE



North Carolina Pulled-Pork Barbecue image

This classic pulled pork is the ultimate holiday weekend grilling project.

Provided by Ruth Cousineau

Categories     Backyard BBQ     Summer     Grill     Grill/Barbecue     Gourmet     Graduation

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 4

3 1/2 cups cider vinegar (20 fluid ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons hot red-pepper flakes
1 (8- to 10-pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast (preferably butt end) with skin

Steps:

  • Bring vinegar to a boil with sugar, red-pepper flakes, 2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp pepper in a small nonreactive saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then cool. Set aside 2 cups vinegar sauce to serve with sandwiches.
  • While sauce cools, score pork skin in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife (forming 1-inch diamonds), cutting through skin and fat but not into meat. Pat meat dry and rub all over with 1 Tbsp each of salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.
  • Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking over low heat, leaving space in middle for disposable roasting pan.
  • When coals have cooled to about 300°F (45 minutes to 1 hour; when most coals will have burned out), put disposable roasting pan on bottom rack of grill between the 2 remaining mounds of coals, then fill pan halfway with water. Add a couple of handfuls of unlit charcoal to each charcoal mound, then put grill rack on so hinges are over coals.
  • Oil grill rack, then put pork, skin side up, on rack above roasting pan. Grill pork, with lid ajar (for air, so coals remain lit), basting meat with sauce and turning over every 30 minutes (to maintain a temperature of 250 to 275°F, add a couple of handfuls of coals to each side about every 30 minutes), until fork-tender (a meat fork should insert easily) and an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat (avoid bone) registers 190°F, 7 to 8 hours total.
  • Transfer pork to a cutting board. If skin is not crisp, cut it off with at least 1/4 inch fat attached (cut any large pieces into bite-size ones) and roast, fat side down, in a 4-sided sheet pan in a 350°F oven until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • When meat is cool enough to handle, shred it using 2 forks. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Serve pork, cracklings, and coleslaw together on buns. Serve reserved vinegar sauce on the side.

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE



Eastern North Carolina Barbecue image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 10h50m

Yield 6 large servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 fresh pork butt, bone-in (this is the butt, or top portion, of the shoulder)
Kosher salt
Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Add hickory, oak, and maple chunks or chips to your smoker. Refer to the directions for your smoker to determine the correct amount of chips for the meat and for lighting instructions. When the chips are ready, add the pork and smoke it for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 250 degrees F. Remove the pork and wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
  • Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
  • Cook the pork for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart when the bone is removed. Chop the pork coarsely and mix in salt and barbecue sauce, to taste. Serve with more barbecue sauce on the side.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, red pepper, garlic, and salt over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes and then remove from the heat. Let cool then add the black pepper.

NORTH CAROLINA EASY CHOPPED BARBECUE



North Carolina Easy Chopped Barbecue image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 8h1m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

7 pound pork shoulder, bone in
1 pint Al's barbecue sauce, recipe follows
1 gallon apple cider vinegar
1 (28-ounce) bottle ketchup
22 ounces light brown sugar
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap pork in aluminum foil and place in a broiler pan. Cook for 7 hours, about 1 hour per pound. Remove from oven and let stand for 1 hour.
  • Wearing heavy rubber gloves, pull skin from the meat and discard. Remove most of the fat and all of the bone. Cut meat into 8-ounce chunks and place in large pan.
  • Place meat on a charcoal fire and cook, covered, for another 30 to 45 minutes, until well smoked, turning meat over every 10 to 15 minutes. Pour barbecue sauce over meat during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.
  • Remove meat from the grill and chop into bite size pieces. Serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired.
  • Mix all ingredients in a 6-quart stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, about 30 minutes. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

SLOW COOKER CAROLINA BBQ



Slow Cooker Carolina BBQ image

Miss the tarheel tradition of a pig pickin'? Then find yourself a crock pot, a big pork shoulder, some cider vinegar and get cooking! While ground and crushed red pepper will provide the basic heat - go the extra mile and find some Texas Pete (or Trappey's) pepper sauce to bring the taste of Carolina to your kitchen.

Provided by coolmonkshoes

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Pork     Pork Shoulder Recipes

Time 12h15m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 (5 pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast
1 tablespoon salt
ground black pepper
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Steps:

  • Place the pork shoulder into a slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Pour the vinegar around the pork. Cover, and cook on Low for 12 hours. Pork should easily pull apart into strands.
  • Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard any bones. Strain out the liquid, and save 2 cups. Discard any extra. Shred the pork using tongs or two forks, and return to the slow cooker. Stir the brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes into the reserved sauce. Mix into the pork in the slow cooker. Cover and keep on Low setting until serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 292.8 calories, Carbohydrate 3.6 g, Cholesterol 90.5 mg, Fat 17.3 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 27.6 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Sodium 775.5 mg, Sugar 2.9 g

Tips:

  • To make the best North Carolina barbecue, start with a good cut of pork shoulder. Look for a piece of meat that is well-marbled and has a good amount of fat.
  • If you're using a whole pork shoulder, be sure to trim off any excess fat. You can also cut the pork shoulder into smaller pieces, which will make it easier to cook.
  • When making the vinegar sauce, be sure to use a good quality vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar are both good choices.
  • Be patient when cooking the pork. It takes time for the meat to become tender and flavorful. Don't rush the process or you'll end up with tough, dry pork.
  • Serve the barbecue with your favorite sides, such as coleslaw, baked beans, or potato salad.

Conclusion:

North Carolina barbecue is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed all year round. With its simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, this recipe is sure to become a favorite in your household.

Whether you're cooking for a family gathering or just a casual weeknight dinner, North Carolina barbecue is a great option. So fire up the grill or smoker and get cooking!

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